When my colleague Pr. Douglas N* heard I would be in the US on a Fulbright-Shuman fellowship this semester, he asked me if I would be keen on visiting his home institution in Indiana, Ball Sate University to give a lecture to his students. I was very enthusiastic at the scheme and sought support from CIES via the Occasional Lecturer Program it provides. Doug—I remember his amused surprise years ago when I first called him the French way “Doog”—is a professor of International business. He works hard with his colleagues in his department to internationalize the curriculum of his home institution. We had first met in the wake of the endeavor, years ago, when we renewed Ball State’s agreement with my own university in France. I visited Ball State, as Vice-President of my university, and in the following years, we organized workshops for Ball Sate students on their field trip to Europe in France. I should note that it happened with the complicity and genuine support of my own colleagues, such as the Dean of the faculty of sciences, a generous move in times when the academic milieu in France was not always American-friendly.
On my first visit, Ball State was twice an unknown place to me: I had never visited a public institution of higher education in the US—for some reason, I always had been associated with private universities and colleges—I did not know the Midwest. These were two good reasons for a visit. As a French academic, strongly committed to the public service of higher education, I was eager to interact with colleagues and students from a state institution. As a long time admirer and friend of the US, discovering a new area of the country was an incentive. That was, I must say, quite unusual. French academics tend to know of the US only New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago. DC hardly counts as a place to go, while New Orleans benefits from some reputation because of the Cajun culture and the fact that the name of the city in French is just so beautiful: La Nouvelle Orléans. The Midwest is just terra incognita.
Since my first visit as a University Vice-President, I went back to Ball State once, this time as the Chair of the department of political science. It meant a lot to me to be able to visit as a Fulbright Fellow. I was able to do things that I had not done on my previous visits. I saw a little more of Muncie, one of these cities of contrast, where you can get the wrong impression if you do not go to the right places. I had no idea, also, that the countryside around the city could prove to be so beautiful. On a more personal note, I got to meet with Doug’s wife who graciously hosted me for a night. At the restaurant where I had the pleasure to reconnect with another colleague from Ball State and meet with another one I did not know, as well as with their wives, I was cheered with a “he’s no rookie” when I successfully survived the interminable list of options that any American restaurant offers to (or inflict on) its patrons (I indulged in one my favorites, the bbq ribs). It was an opportunity to know more about the region, the university, but also to be privy to how people viewed the current situation of the country. I naturally answered questions about France, Europe, and our academic system—currently undergoing a severe crisis.
My lecturer’s duties were no less interesting. Doug offered me to attend one of his classes, an opportunity I seized eagerly. The topic of the day was the final presentations of the students. I was greatly interested in hearing them. At my colleague’s request, I gave some insight on a couple of cases that I happened to know about. All cases presented were international business. One striking testimony to the opening business culture in the US (and to the success of the course) was how students took for granted that business was a worldwide game not solely involving American players. They were keen on grasping the difference in cultures and organization between countries, and how it sometimes poses problem when one is not careful enough to address them. In this context, having a foreign visitor at hand added value, I think. My final duty was a talk on France-USA: Global interactions from politics to Economy (the outline is now posted on my website). A few students who had visited my own university attended, and contributed to the discussion.
From my university in Versailles to Ball State, there is apparently a long stretch. It is only appearance, and a deceiving one. If there is one final thing I can say about this visit, it is that it made it clear to me (and hopefully the students) beyond any doubt.
