Belarus Visitors Learn about Free Enterprise

The UNF Center for Economic Education proudly partnered with the National Council on Economic Education’s “Host the Study Tour” week in February.

Two economics educators visited University of North Florida from Minsk in the Republic of Belarus. Together with their Russian translator, Zina Visotskaya and Iryna Lavruhinak, both professors at Byelorussian State University in Minsk, were immersed in UNF as well as the Jacksonville lifestyle.

“The Host Study Tour opportunity offers us a chance to learn from one another and share our practices with our colleagues,” said Dr. Stephen Shapiro, professor of Economics and the Director of the UNF Center for Economic Education. “The professors from Belarus are truly on the cutting edge of change in economics education in their country.”

“This relationship will help to foster change in the former Soviet-bloc country,” noted Mollie Lawrence, Assistant Director of the UNF Center for Economic Education. Ms. Lawrence and her husband are also providing the opportunity for the educators to reside in their home while the Belarus guests are in the United States. “Our schedule allowed us to share the benefits of free enterprise education, and how to implement a program in their own classrooms.”

Professors Visotskaya and Lavruhinak were engaged in undergraduate and graduate level economics classes in the Coggin College of Business, but were also given a snapshot of life in Jacksonville with visits to a Rotary Club, area public schools, a tour of Anheuser-Busch, and more. At the conclusion of their time in Jacksonville, Ms. Lawrence escorted the guests to Washington, DC where they conferred with members of Congress on the importance of continued federal funding for these types of visits.

For more information on the economics program or the UNF Center for Economic Education, visit www.unf.edu/coggin/cee.

TOP: (from left) Dr. Stephen Shapiro, Zina Visotskaya, Iryna Lavruhinak,
Dean John McAllister, Mollie Lawrence, and Dmitriy Bond

BOTTOM: Professors Visotskaya and Lavruhinak present to an
economics class in the Coggin College of Business.