Contact: Robbie S. Ward
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Fulbright scholars and Mississippi State University have the same goal in mind--helping people on a global scale.
With this mutual goal, the land grant university welcomes these dynamic students to advance their education and life goals.
Three international Fulbright scholars from Iraq, Pakistan and Cambodia will advance their graduate studies at Mississippi State University with plans to return their knowledge home and improve the lives of those in their native countries.
Hok Roth of Cambodia and Muhammad Nadeem, doctoral students studying public policy and administration and computer science, respectively, and Suha Gharrawi of Iraq, pursuing her master's in English chose MSU to continue their education and ultimately to use this learning to help their native countries.
Fulbright scholars comprise an elite group of gifted academics, scholars, government officials, artists, writers and others who seek to serve as change agents in improving the world.
MSU's provost and executive vice president Jerry Gilbert said the Fulbright students' presence on campus enhances the university's global perspective. Whether in academic settings or in informal gatherings, international views and insights help build greater understanding about how to improve the world--one idea at a time.
"It really gives us an additional dimension to have the global perspective on our campus," Gilbert said.
Roth, currently deputy director of Royal University of Phnom Penh's Institute of Foreign Languages in Cambodia, has experienced first-hand U.S. public policy as it happened. For instance, the Cambodian native watched on television as American government leaders debated changes to the nation's health care system. He also recently completed an independent study course in comparative international public administration.
"He's very engaged and very well prepared for discussions," said Gerald Emison, MSU associate professor of political science and public administration and Roth's graduate advisor.
The Cambodian administrator plans to return to his university and continue to assistant university students at his institution.
Iraqi Gharrawi's love for American literature helped her find Mississippi State University. She enjoys reading John Grisham novels and has visited the Grisham room at the university's Mitchell Memorial Library. Her interest in modern American novels created a desire for her to study literature in the U.S.
"I want to understand the background of these novels," said Gharrawi, who plans to pursue a doctorate and teach literature in Iraq.
For Nadeem, his journey as a Fulbright involves working through a natural disaster of epic proportions. His efforts to secure his visa stalled when Pakistan experienced the worst flooding in the nation's history a few months ago. The flood affected the entire country, including his province of Balochistan, and affected many of his friends and relatives.
Currently an assistant professor teaching in the department of computer engineering at Balochistan University of IT, Engineering and Management Systems, Pakistan's Higher Education Commission honored him with the distinction of "best university teacher" award in 2007. He sees the Fulbright opportunity to pursue his doctorate as an opportunity to help others.
"After completing my Ph.D. studies at MSU, I will surely continue to teach in a better way to my people," Nadeem said.
For MSU, these students help continue the land grant university's role of service, education and research. With Fulbright scholars, the university flexes its academic, research and outreach muscles to extend further into the global sphere.
"You are very important to us as international scholars," MSU Graduate School dean Lou D'Abramo recently told the Fulbrights.
For more information about international graduate students at MSU, contact Karin Lee, manager of graduate programs in MSU's Graduate School, at 662-325-8095 or klee@grad.msstate.edu.