The Palmetto State has a proud tradition of leadership in
international affairs. South Carolina has produced such
statesmen as James F Byrnes, who was Secretary of State under
President Harry S Truman, and John West, former Ambassador to
Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, South Carolina is emerging as a
leader in the global economy. Multinational corporations such as
BMW, Michelin, and Honda have begun manufacturing in South
Carolina, while locally headquartered companies such as Fluor
Daniel and Sonoco Products have risen to international
prominence. Likewise, South Carolina's institutions of higher
education reflect an openness to international perspectives.
South Carolina's 33 public institutions and 27 private colleges
are home to nearly 179,000 students. The state school system
consists of three research universities, nine comprehensive
teaching universities, five two-year colleges affiliated with
the University of South Carolina, and sixteen technical schools
offering vocational training.
Geographically, South Carolina is divided into three distinct
geographic areas. The Lowcountry encompasses the coastal area of
the state, while the Upstate consists of the foothills of the
Blue Ridge Mountains. The Midlands of South Carolina marks a
transition between the other two regions. Each region of the
state has a separate identity, which is best captured by
visiting the three major metropolitan areas of the state -
Charleston, Greenville, and Columbia.
Charleston, in the Lowcountry, has a long history of welcoming
international visitors. Founded in 1670, Charleston is the
oldest city in the state. Charleston's reputation for religious
tolerance led to a proliferation of churches that mark the
city's skyline, earning Charleston the nickname of the 'Holy
City'. During the late 17th century, thousands of French
Huguenot refugees settled in Charleston, and their presence
influenced both the architecture and culture of the city. In
1861, the Civil War began when Confederate troops fired on the
Federal garrison at Fort Sumter, in Charleston Harbor. Today,
Charleston boasts the fourth largest container port in the
United States, connecting the Holy City with more than 140
countries around the world.
Culturally, Charleston is home to the Spoleto USA Festival, an
annual performing arts festival held jointly with the city of
Spoleto, Italy. Every year, the Spoleto Festival attracts
artists, musicians and dancers from around the world. Charleston
is home to several institutions of higher learning, including
the College of Charleston, Charleston Southern University, the
Medical University of South Carolina, and the Citadel, South
Carolina's state-supported military college. International
students have made contributions at all these schools. Petra
Lovetinska, one of the first female cadets admitted to the
Citadel, is a native of the Czech Republic.
The Lowcountry is also home to South Carolina's wonderful
beaches. Myrtle Beach in Horry County, lies at the centre of a
60-mile stretch of beach know as the Grand Strand. With its
sunny beaches, world-class golf and diverse live entertainment,
Myrtle Beach is fast becoming an international tourist
destination. Every March, more than 100,000 Canadians flock to
Myrtle Beach for the annual "Can-Am Days" festival, which
coincides with Spring Break in the Canadian school system. Even
bigger is the annual Sun Fun Festival, which draws 300,000
visitors every June. Myrtle Beach's agreeable climate (with more
than 200 days of sunshine each year) made it a favourite place
for students to visit for rest, relaxation and recreation.
For those who wish to study at the beach, Coastal Carolina
University offers a variety of four-year degree programs.
Coastal has a unique co-operative program in Golf Management,
which combines academic study with hands-on experience at the
area's 100 golf facilities. Students who complete the program
will earn a degree in marketing and credit towards membership in
the Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA).
Beginning in the fall of 2000, students from Barcelona, Spain,
will travel to Coastal Carolina for the final two years of their
study, adding a unique international perspective to the program.
At the opposite end of the state lies Greenville, the largest
city in the Upstate. Long a centre of the textile industry,
Greenville is now the heart of South Carolina's burgeoning
international development. As of December 1996, Greenville
County was home to 87 international companies representing 23
different countries. More than 240 international firms call the
Upstate home, many of them located along Interstate 85.
Greenville's proximity to the mountains offers the visitor many
wonderful opportunities to sample the natural beauty of South
Carolina. State parks such as Caesar's Head and Table Rock allow
visitors to see some of the dramatic granite outcroppings that
form the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Jocassee Gorges, a
32,000-acre (13,000-hectare) tract of land recently acquired by
the state, contains spectacular waterfalls and is home to rare
mountain wildlife.
Clemson University, located just one hour away from Greenville
in the northwest corner of the state, is a state-supported land
grant university. Clemson has long focused on the applied
sciences - it is home to three-quarters of the state's
engineering students, and its agricultural research programs
play an active role in improving South Carolina's farm economy.
Columbia, the state capital, forms the heart of the Midlands.
Columbia is home to the main campus of the University of South
Carolina, which consists of seven other satellite schools
located around the state. The president of USC, Dr John Palms,
is a native of the Netherlands. USC has long been a leader in
international business studies, with both its undergraduate and
graduate international business programs placing at or near the
top of college rankings in 'US News and World Report'.
Approximately 20 percent of students in the Masters in
International Business Studies program come from overseas.
More students study in Columbia than any other city in the
state, and this gives the city a quintessential college
atmosphere. On Saturdays in autumn, tens of thousands of sports
fans pack Williams-Brice Stadium for a USC football game.
Columbia's college population also supports a diverse nightlife.
The rock-and-roll group Hootie and the Blowfish first began
playing in local Columbia nightclubs, and the band members still
maintain residences in Columbia.
South Carolina is also home to seven historically black colleges
and universities - Claflin College, Morris College, Benedict
College, Allen University, Denmark Technical College, Voorhees
College and South Carolina State University. These schools have
played a vital role throughout South Carolina's history, and
have been strong pillars of the state's African-American
population. SC State has produced more African-American military
officers than any other institution in the United States, and
its Transportation Sciences Center is one of only 33 such
programs in the nation dedicated to the study of transportation
issues.
This has been only a sampling of the many programs offered by
South Carolina's colleges and universities. Each of the state's
60 public and private institutions has something unique to offer
to the international student. For more information about South
Carolina and her schools, I urge you to visit the homepage for
the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education at
www.che400.state.sc.us or the states main website at
www.state.sc.us.
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