ADA, Okla. – The Global Education Program at East Central University (ECU) welcomed students, alumni and international university representatives for “A Night on the World: Transforming Lives with Global Education” on Tuesday, Oct. 13, in the Estep Multimedia Center inside the Bill S. Cole University Center.
The auditorium was filled to capacity as attendees gathered to learn more about the Global Education Program and hear from current and former students who participated in international study opportunities, as well as representatives from ECU’s sister universities.
The event featured presentations from students and alumni who shared their experiences studying abroad through the program. Recent participants included Ava Bolin, who studied at Biberach University of Applied Sciences in Germany during spring 2026, and Carson Dill, ECU’s 2025 Brad Henry Scholar, who attended Swansea University in Wales, United Kingdom.
Additional student and alumni speakers included John Kelso, who studied in the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 2026; Dylan Sterling, who studied for two semesters at the State University of Management in Russia in 2017; Jamie Cluck, who studied at the National University of Linguistics in Kiev, Ukraine, in 2013; and Wyas Parker and Mahate Parker, who studied in Ukraine and Russia in 2007 and 2005, respectively. Ben Godwin and Mark Feltz also shared their experiences studying in France.
In addition to former participants, representatives from several international universities attended the event. These included Prof. Thomas Beyerle of Biberach University of Applied Sciences in Biberach, Germany; Dr. Laurent Bourdier, director of the International Office at the University of Limoges in France; and Prof. Baxtiyor Gafurov and Ms. Olima Vokhidova of Bukhara State Medical Institute named after Abu Ali ibn Sina in Uzbekistan.
During their visit to Oklahoma and ECU, the representatives were given tours of the university campus, including a tour of the newly opened Dan Hays STEM Center. They also met with ECU President Wendell Godwin, ECU Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs Jeffrey Gibson, Executive Director of the Oka’ Institute Duane Smith, as well as other deans, department heads and students.
For the full Oklahoma experience, the representatives were also taken to lunch at the Callison Cattle Farm and were treated with ice cream from Oklahoma’s own Braum’s Ice Cream and Dairy restaurant. A planned visit to the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum was canceled due to weather.
ECU alumni who previously participated in the university’s Global Education Program were also encouraged to attend and share their experiences with students interested in international study opportunities. For more information about the Global Education Program, contact Dr. Mara Sukholutskaya at msukholu@ecok.edu.
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