PSI wrapped up this week, with Thursday being the last day of classes and Friday being the university-wide Field Day. We're grateful for the last four weeks: thanks to the PUST administration and faculty, our 13 international faculty, and PSI stakeholders and supporters. 

Keep checking back for post-program updates!

From GW Today:

In North Korea, GW Lecturer Teaches Statistics

Justin Fisher said he was surprised by how similar North Korean and GW students are.

July 23, 2012

After spending a week in North Korea as part of a Statistics Without Borders program, George Washington Elliott School of International Affairs Lecturer Justin Fisher is sure his summer students now have a better understanding of survey sampling, computer analysis and how (some) Americans greet each other.

Read more at: http://gwtoday.gwu.edu/theworld/innorthkoreagwlecturerteachesstatistics

Here are some more photo updates from the PSI faculty members' stay at PUST!

My teaching experience at PUST has been great. The students are so eager to learn and hang on every word we say. In addition they are so happy to interact when they see us outside of class. This is one of the best experiences that I have had.

Dr. Pennings is a biostatistician for Elite Research, LLC based in Texas.

In the graduate Technical Writing course, the class project is to write a short paper. Some students are using the assignment to think about their larger project, suitable for a Master's paper. The range of subjects has impressed me. Today, I was asked about television surveys, concentration while hearing music, molecular biology, and oil price forecasting. And naps; many students work diligently every night on their work, so the period after lunch, about 12 until 2, involves frequent sleep.

R. Adam Molnar, University of Georgia
Statistics primer & Technical Writing

Rarely in my 10 years as an educator have I encountered more than two or three students as engaged as each and every student at PUST.  They are inquisitive, fun, excited, and brilliant.  Learning is a source of great exitement and pleasure to them, and they go after that goal with great gusto.  The University is strong and growing, and looks for opportunities to bring in new faculty to teach a diverse set of courses.  Overall, this has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. 


Michael Costello, survey researcher in RTI’s Social Sciences Division, statistics teacher and lecturer 

I wasn't really sure what to expect in terms of the students' attitudes toward foreign professors or their academic background, but I was delightfully surprised in many ways.  In general, the students at PUST are friendly, eager, and curious both in the classroom and over meals.  They are all happy to talk during lunch and like to ask about educational background ("what is your major" is a favorite question and many seemed surprised that one could major in statistics), family (pictures of my son on the iPad were a big hit), job back home, and thoughts about Korea and it's food. When they asked if I knew how to speak Korean, I just rattled off the names of every Korean dish I could think of.  By the end of the week, I had learned a few names for ingredients I had only known in English (rice, radish, tofu).  I have found through my travels that
it's easy to connect across cultures over food and DPRK is no exception.  This time at meals is a very special opportunity to learn more about the students and their plans for the future.  Most of them
like to practice their English, learn about a new expression, and there have been lots of laughs over meals.

- Justin Fisher, Chair of Statistics without Borders of American Statistical Association