Fulbright Association Annual Meeting -- Lifetime Acheivement Awards -- President of the Republic of Croatia -- Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic

The President of the Republic of Croatia (Hrvatska) Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Fulbright Association.  Earlier in her career, she was a Fulbrighter at GW studying International relations.  A former Assistant Secretary General of NATO, she spoke of the importance of the Euro-Atlantic partnership.  She also chairs the only association of current/former women heads of state (76 members— I hope one day from the U.S!) and talked about the importance of women’s empowerment- rather than glass ceiling, she spoke of glass labyrinth , and she shared her theory of leadership.

with President Grabar-Kitarovic

 

President Grabar-Kitarovic accepting the Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Award

  This NPR junkie loved hearing from (former) All Things Considered duo Robert Siegel and Melissa Block — Siegel introduced Block , who was being honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Fulbright Association ...Block read thru her application to Fulbright from 1982 as well as her letters home from Switzerland (which her mom had saved) to prepare for her remarks- enjoyed hearing about how her Fulbright (literature)prepared her for journalism career ... but for me, the most inspiring part of her remarks were the passages she shared from Fulbright’s book The Arrogance of Power, the chapter on citizenship and dissent. I have not read this book yet- but I have already ordered a copy!

 

Fulbright Association Annual Meeting 2019 -- Welcome Reception -- Fulbright Hungary and Marymount

After our Fulbright Advocacy Day activities, we attended a Welcome Reception hosted by Fulbright Hungary and Marymount University (Ballston Campus)
 

with colleagues from USF Tampa, USF Sarasota, and the ED of the Fulbright Association

we met at the Marymount Ballston Campus

The President of Marymount welcoming Fulbrighters

Team USF

the Director of the Fulbright Commission in Mexico --and my Advocacy Day team leader -- she got the memo about the pearls ;-)

Fulbright Association Annual Meeting: Advocacy Days 2019

This was the first time that I was able to participate in Fulbright Advocacy Days -- to be able to share my story of the impact of Fulbright and the importance of this public diplomacy program.

I was assigned to a team of Fulbrighters from Florida, led by the Director of the Fulbright commission in Mexico. Our group of Floridians met with the offices of Representative Charlie Crist, Representative Lois Frankel, and Senator Rick Scott.

I was so pleased when I learned that our first meeting would be with the office of Congressman Charlie Crist (my Member of Congress) and that we would be meeting with my former student!

When we met with Senator Rick Scott's senior policy advisor about the Fulbright Program, I learned that he is a former Provost and mentor to another Fulbrighter to Moldova and that he did his dissertation in Mexico (the head of Fulbright Commission in Mexico was our Team Leader). So we had lots to talk about.  Our team thoroughly enjoyed our discussion in Senator Scott's Office about higher ed in general and the Fulbright Program in particular.

We also had an engaging meeting with Representative Lois Frankel's office about the Fulbright Program.  We met with her foreign policy advisor, who was quite knowledgeable (and he also shared info about initiatives Rep Frankel is working on that I want to learn more about, e.g., assistance for rape victims in Kosovo).

 

Our meeting in Rep Charlie Crist' Office was with my former student  :-)  proud prof moment

 

Rep Lois Frankel is the artist!

Office of Representative Lois Frankel

Office of Senator Rick Scott

 

Fulbright Association Annual Meeting: 60th Anniversary of Polish - US Fulbright Program

While in DC for the Fulbright Association Annual Meeting, it was a pleasure to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Polish-US Fulbright Program at the Polish Ambassador's Residence in Washington, DC.

Speakers at the event included the Director of the Fulbright Poland, the Vice Chair of the Fulbright Scholarship Board (Anita McBride), the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Lussenhop, His Excellency the Polish Ambassador Piotr Wilczek, and the Chair of the Board of Fulbright Association Mary Ellen Schmider.
    

With His Excellency Piotr Wilczek, the Polish Ambassador- and the Director of Fulbright Poland

with my colleagues from USF Tampa and USF Sarasota

Tried this cherry brandy

Pierogis at the Polish Ambassador’s Residence

With the Directors of Fulbright Poland and Fulbright Mexico

  I was particularly touched by Mary Ellen's reference to the WH Auden poem written as the Germans had invaded Poland at the start of WWII -- including relevant stanza:

W.H. Auden's September 1, 1939 poem

Defenceless under the night
Our world in stupor lies;
Yet, dotted everywhere,
Ironic points of light
Flash out wherever the Just
Exchange their messages:
May I , composed like them
Of Eros and of dust
Beleaguered by the same
Negation and despair
Show an affirming flame


(My blog post from my visit to the post office in Gdansk where the first shots of WWII were fired 
https://jainmoldova.blogspot.com/2016/07/gdansk-post-office-first-shots-fired 

Fulbright Association Annual Meeting: Poster Presentation "The Multiplier Effect" -- October 2019

Wonderful to have the opportunity to present my poster

"The Multiplier Effect: How My Fulbrights to Moldova and Macedonia Inspired Many New Programs and Activities"

at the 2019 Fulbright Association conference in Washington, DC.

In many ways, the experience while on a Fulbright in the host country is only the beginning.  A myriad of new projects have developed as a result of my Fulbright experience -- benefiting colleagues and students in the host countries and at my home institution.

I tried to capture as many examples as I could on this 2 dimensional poster: