Contact: Allison Matthews
Photo by: Beth Wynn
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Four new Fulbright Scholars at Mississippi State are being welcomed by administrators and others who work closely with the university's growing international student population.
At a special luncheon Thursday [Sept. 25], scholars representing the nations of Benin, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan and Namibia formally were greeted and given an opportunity to discuss their initial impressions of the international study program. They join Fulbright colleagues already on campus from Colombia, Haiti, Pakistan, and South Africa.
Also welcomed was Liu Chang of China, the second Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant. In addition to teaching Chinese through May 2015, Chang will be taking courses while on campus.
All master's degree students, the MSU's new Fulbright Scholars and their majors include:
--Nur Azizah of Indonesia, physics;
--Phumla Mawisa of Namibia, chemistry;
--Nurdin Tuiachiev of Kyrgyzstan, agribusiness management; and
--Lauriane Yehouenou of Benin, agricultural economics.
Provost Jerry Gilbert was among those extending a welcome at the noon program.
"Many of our students may not have the opportunity to personally visit your country, so your being here is an opportunity for them to experience your country through you," said Gilbert, who also is MSU's executive vice president. "We hope that you will stay with us for as long as you like."
In response, the new members of the campus community expressed appreciation both for their welcome and the opportunity to experience American culture first-hand.
Yehouenou said that for someone "who has never been outside of the African continent, I am very happy to be here, and it has been a good experience so far."
Tuiachiev said he often had watched television broadcasts about American society, but wanted to come to the U.S. to earn a graduate degree and witness the culture with his own eyes.
"Also, America has one of the most valuable educational systems," Tuiachiev added.
Mawisa admitted that the process of becoming a Fulbright Scholar can be tedious, but the opportunity is well worthwhile.
"Namibia is a developing country, so we need a lot of skilled people with knowledge," Mawisa said. "I want to learn as much as I can and go back and implement what I have learned."
The nation's flagship international exchange program was established in 1946 under legislation introduced by Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. In addition to encouraging foreign nationals to study and conduct research in the United States, the program also enables Americans to engage in similar activities abroad.
At MSU, the Fulbright Scholar program is administered through the International Institute. For more information, visit http://international.msstate.edu/faculty/fulbright/index.php
For more information about Mississippi State, visit www.msstate.edu.