SUsan Niedzwieki-Pham

Susan Niedzwiecki-Pham, Director of Study Abroad at Winona State University, received a grant this spring through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program to attend the Fulbright-Nehru International Education Administrators Seminar in India in March 2019.

The two-week seminar included campus visits with a cross-section of universities and colleges; briefings with faculty and administration, government officials, and leading educational experts at public and private institutions; and tours of historical and cultural sites.

Susan Niedzwiecki-Pham“My goal in participating in this program was to learn about the Indian education system, the Indian culture, and to potentially develop partnerships to help expand the WSU study abroad program in India,” said Pham. “This experience has better positioned me to support and encourage student engagement in India.”

According to the Fulbright Scholar Program website, the International Education Administrators (IEA) seminars help U.S. international education professionals and senior higher education officials create empowering connections with the societal, cultural and higher education systems of other countries. Grantees have the opportunity to learn about the host country’s education system as well as establish networks of U.S. and international colleagues over the course of an intensive two-week grant duration. Grantees return with enhanced ability to serve and encourage international students and prospective study-abroad students.

The United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF), the Fulbright commission in India, offers more than 54 Fulbright U.S. Scholar grants across three award categories for the 2019-20 academic year. The Fulbright-Nehru Program offers the largest number of grants worldwide.

For more information, contact WSU Communications Office at 507-457-5024.

About the WSU Center for Global Education

The purpose of the WSU Center for Global Education is to foster global fluency and engagement by providing high quality study away programs; recruiting and supporting international students; and empowering these students through immersion in English language, academics, and culture. The center is comprised of the offices for English Language Programs, International Student and Scholar Services, and Study Abroad.