September 28, 2021

Language Education is a Diplomatic Effort

Dr. Sandra Janusch selected by U.S. Department of State for Prestigious English Language Specialist Project.

The University of Washington Continuum College and the U.S. Department of State, announced the selection of Dr. Sandra Janusch, who serves as Assistant Vice Provost, International & Academic Programs at University of Washington Continuum College as a plenary speaker for The Autonomous University of Hidalgo’s annual International Language Congress (CIL). Janusch will also give two-hour virtual workshops in the areas of curriculum and assessment during the congress. 

Janusch is part of a select group and her participation in the project is supported by the State Department. The project is one of approximately 200 public diplomacy initiatives the English Language Specialist Program supports each year to “promote mutual understanding between the United States and other countries.”

The CIL convention theme is Education 4.0, which the State Department describes as “a purposeful approach to learning that lines up with the fourth industrial revolution and focuses on transforming the future of education using advanced technology and automation. Creativity is the foundation of Education 4.0 as it emphasizes the need to prepare students to take on challenges, head-on.” 

This year’s event is virtual because of COVID-19. Organizers expect that the online event will gather around 800 participants, including university professors and researchers from around the world.

Janusch has lived internationally for most of her professional career, teaching and coordinating programs in China, Vietnam, Canada, the Netherlands, France and Indonesia. Her experience includes training teachers of English as a second/foreign language. She earned her Ph.D. in education from the University of Calgary; her master’s of education in teaching English to speakers of other languages from Holy Names University; and a bachelor’s degree in theater arts from the University of California, Los Angeles. 

In her role at UW Continuum College, Janusch oversees the administration of approximately 100 self-sustaining degrees and certificate programs and a broad portfolio of noncredit professional certificates and courses, as well as specialized programs for youth, seniors and international learners. 

English Language Specialists like Janusch are among more than 50,000 individuals participating in U.S. Department of State exchange programs each year. The Specialist Program is administered by the Center for Intercultural Education and Development at Georgetown University.

For further information about the English Language Specialist Program or the U.S. Department of State, please visit elprograms.org/specialist, contact us by telephone at 202-632-6452 or e-mail ECA-Press@state.gov.