Kent State University will host scholars from Iraq and Libya for 10 weeks this summer as part of the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program. The prestigious program is sponsored by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars and supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau.
This is the second year that Kent State has been selected by the State Department to host Fulbright Scholars. Last year, the university hosted scholars from Iraq for the summer program.
“To be selected to host Fulbright Scholars again this year demonstrates Kent State’s commitment to building global connections,” said Todd Diacon, Kent State senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “We look forward to enhancing academic and cultural opportunities through partnerships with the world’s leading universities and scholars.”
Under the leadership of I. Richmond Nettey, Ph.D., associate dean of Kent State’s College of Applied Engineering, Sustainability and Technology, a Kent State team of administrators, faculty and staff from across the university submitted a proposal to the Council for International Exchange of Scholars to host the 2013 Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program for Iraq and Libya.
The interdisciplinary proposals, which were submitted late last year, were approved by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau for Educational and Cultural Affairs in February 2013.
Nettey credits the selection to the remarkable work done by the Kent State faculty mentors last summer with influencing the selection.
“Last year, our team did such a spectacular job, and it really impressed the program’s organizers,” Nettey said. “Plus, the scholars themselves were very glowing in their reviews.”
