Fulbright Scholars to enjoy culture, learning at MSU
Mississippi State's English Language Institute soon will be providing Southern flavor to a program that helps international graduate students prepare for American college life.
Under the theme "American South," as many as 35 student Fulbright Scholars from more than 20 countries will be at the university July 19-Aug. 8 for a pre-academic English as a second language course.
MSU is one of only nine U.S. universities selected by the Institute of International Education to hold 2015 pre-academic ESL programs for Fulbright Scholars.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Fulbright is the government's flagship international exchange program. The ELI program is designed to help participants enhance their English communication skills and receive guidance in adapting to university culture in the U.S.
"These are students with high English skills," said institute director Alison Stamps. "We want to help them refine those skills for their graduate student experience in the U.S."
While on campus, they will learn more about such areas as academic integrity and research, as well as various cultural adaptations, she added.
Students will begin each morning by breaking into small seminar groups focusing on writing, communication and U.S. culture. In the afternoons and evenings, they will join various campus units for a range of group activities.
As examples, she said MSU's Stennis Institute of Government and Community Development will lead lessons on American government, while Mitchell Memorial Library will provide instruction on library research skills. The Division of Student Affairs' honor code office will cover topics of academic misconduct and plagiarism.
Stamps said the program has been designed to highlight Southern culture and specifically showcase Mississippi hospitality. In addition to taking part in community events, participants will hear presentations by several Starkville residents and take a day-trip to Memphis, Tennessee, for a taste of Southern metropolitan life.
Jon Rezek, interim associate vice president of international programs and interim director of MSU's International Institute, said he hopes participants leave the program with fond memories of both the state and the university.
"The Fulbright program is very prestigious," Rezek said. Having Fulbright students on campus "helps to solidify the English Language Institute at Mississippi State as one of the premiere locations for studying American language and culture in the South and in the U.S. as a whole."
He said the experience "also helps expose our domestic students to a great many students from a wide range of cultures. In many cases, the exposure that MSU students have to these Fulbrighters may be the only opportunity they will have to meet people from some of the countries represented in this group."
Formerly the English as a Second Language Center, MSU's English Language Institute annually assists hundreds of students from as many as 20 countries. Besides Fulbright Scholars, it serves the general international student population, as well as prospective students and area residents.
Stamps noted that the upcoming three-week program differs from typical institute efforts in which Fulbright scholars are assisted during eight-week programs.
Having so many Fulbright students on campus at one time should be a special experience, both for the university and the participants, she said. "It is very exciting to have such a diverse group coming to campus. And, it's not just exciting for our campus, but also for these Fulbright Scholars to be exposed to this kind of diversity.
"This will give them cross-cultural awareness not only for the U.S. but for the other countries represented, and hopefully give them a cultural appreciation on a global scale," Stamps said. "That, at its core, is what Fulbright is all about."
For more about Fulbright programs, visit www.fulbright.state.gov.
Discover more about Mississippi's flagship research university at www.msstate.edu or www.meridian.msstate.edu, facebook.com/msstate, instagram.com/msstate and twitter.com/msstate using the hashtag #WeRingTrue.
Zack Plair | Public Affairs
