Gretchen Knudson Gee

Political science prof to teach American politics in Albania

Helping students in a country once under communist rule understand the free world is on Gretchen Knudson Gee's agenda for the spring 2008 semester.

Gee, a visiting professor in political science at Northern Arizona University, was awarded a Fulbright lecturing grant to teach political science in Albania at the University of Tirana.

"I applied for the Balkan region because I'm interested in former communist states as they transition away from their old political and economic systems and try to settle into new systems," Gee said. "Albania is fascinating because it was so closed to the rest of the world for almost 50 years, and now it is trying to make dramatic changes as it re-enters the world community."

Gee will teach two American politics classes. One will focus on helping the Albanian students understand how the American political system operates, and another class will focus on American political involvement in the world.

Drawn to the country's ancient history and the opportunity to expose her children to non-Western culture, Gee said she is "a firm believer that international educational experience, whether as a student or a professor, is very important."

Her previous experiences living and teaching university courses in Kiev, Ukraine, on two occasions sparked her desire for another opportunity to live in a different culture.

"Living and teaching abroad has allowed me to meet fascinating people, learn different languages, see interesting places and experience what life is like outside of the U.S.," she said. "Albania is probably one of the most pro-American countries in the world."

Gee said despite the country's affection for Americans, she expects a tricky time dealing with the Albania's "sketchy electricity" and expects to experience numerous power outages.

Another challenge will be the language.

"I will be teaching in English, but previous 'Fulbrighters' to Albania have warned that English comprehension can vary widely among the students, so that will be interesting," said Gee, who will learn to speak Albanian and speaks Russian.