AM 1480 WLEA News

June 21, 2023
By Paul Welker

ALFRED, NY – A group of six Alfred State nursing students are heading to Ireland along with Associate Professor KathyAnn Sager to learn about the healthcare services in the country.

The group arrives in Ireland on June 25, and will spend two weeks learning in the cities of Dublin and Galway. Joining Sager on the trip is Molly Arnold (Dryden, NY), Bethany Gayhart (Canisteo, NY), Avery Grusendorf (Belmont, NY), Leah McCormick (Andover, NY), Maxwell McCumiskey (Fillmore, NY), and Samantha Price (Hornell, NY).

Students will be leading a discussion related to a topic of their choosing while the group explores various healthcare facilities in Ireland. The students will be journaling their thoughts and observations during their travels and the students will present a final project based on their reflections of the trip upon returning home.

Each of the students are in various stages of their educational journey and have different perspectives on the upcoming trip. Several of the students are already working in the field.

McCumiskey is excited to take part in the trip. “I feel this program will allow me to better understand health care and different levels of nursing in a broader sense, specifically outside the U.S. It is an honor to participate in this study abroad program which is allowing me to elevate my knowledge of nursing care and its history.”

“From this trip I will receive the benefits of expanded education and knowledge from living in a different country temporarily,” commented Grusendorf. “Learning the cultural differences can help me to potentially give better care when I am a licensed RN in the United States.”

The group leaves out of Philadelphia, PA and the trip will include time for the students to explore the area and experience the culture.

Additional Student Quotes:
“The proposed program of study abroad will help me broaden my horizon and help me to begin to learn about healthcare across the world. I also will learn and appreciate different cultures.”
• Leah McCormick

“Study abroad will help me get a better understanding of nursing and expand my knowledge. It will be interesting to compare our healthcare system and theirs.”
• Molly Arnold

“This experience allows me to further my knowledge of nursing and is a great opportunity to be able to see healthcare in a different setting.”
• Bethany Gayhart

“As a registered nurse, I believe this experience will be insightful. I am eager to meet other healthcare professionals and discuss similarities and differences in our systems and facilities.”
• Samantha Price

ALFRED, NY – The UK Daily Mail reports that Alfred University has agreed to close its Confucius Institute, “following outrage over national security concerns by House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mike Gallagher.” The UK Daily Mail story goes on to say, that Rep. Gallagher, last month, demanded more information on the New York school’s Confucius Institute. “In a June 13 letter obtained by DailyMail.com, university attorney Robert Fisher responded to Gallagher saying Alfred University has decided to close the Confucius Institute ‘as of June 30, 2023,’ Kelly Laco, from the Daily Mail stated.

According to the Daily Mail, Gallagher has worked to shut down most of (meaning hundreds) of Confucius Institutes nationwide, and that there are only five institutes left in the U.S. (including Alfred, which has plans to shut down on June 30 of this year).

The Daily Mail also quoted A.U. attorney Robert Fisher as saying Alfred cares about intellectual property issues. “”(Alfredz0 takes very seriously the issue of protecting intellectual property and improper technology export. In addition, the university regularly works with the Department of Commerce and the FBI to ‘strengthen export control policies and processes,’ Fisher told the Daily Mail.

Click link below, for full story from the UK Daily Mail.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12202949/University-shuts-CCP-linked-Confucius-Institute-scrutiny-Republican.html

In addition to the pressure from the Wisconsin Congressman, an activist named Peter Wood, of the National Association of Scholars, published a hard hitting article two weeks ago in the Dailysignal.com, accusing Alfred University of having ties to Chinese Communist officials. It is highly likely that this article from the DailySignal.com, could have played a role in Congressman Mike Gallagher’s move to get Alfred to get going in the direction of closing down it’s Confucius Institute.