Feedback November 2002 (Vol 43 No 4)

The intellectual satisfaction you’ll get from knowing that the students have appreciatedyour work isn’t the only thing you’ll come away with. I have friends in several countries andwe write or email to stay in touch. I’ve tasted foods that I would have never had theopportunity to eat in the U.S. I’ve also been amazed by how similar the daily problems arein other parts of the world to our daily life problems in the U.S. Health care, food prices,child discipline and balancing family responsibilities are just a few of the issues I’ve foundthat we have in common.I’ve bargained my way from place to place by taxi in Zambia, where bargaining with thetaxi driver over the fare is an expected part of the travel experience. My family will tell youthere are a few phrases that have stayed in my vocabulary after I’ve returned from my trips.To be sure, I’ve also gotten sick from something I ate. I’ve been white-knuckled as thevehicle I was traveling in raced along at 50 miles an hour on bald tires along a muddy, potholefilled road, narrowly missing pedestrians, and I was once (politely) turned away at thegates of the University of Zambia by a paramilitary policeman armed with a machine gunwho told me classes had been cancelled by the government after the students had rioted theprevious night. But in all of these encounters I’ve felt no more uncertain about my safetythan I have while traveling in the U.S. Indeed, I think my last cab ride in New York Citywas more harrowing than anything I ever encountered in Africa.If you believe you might be interested in an adventure like this, contact the Council forInternational Exchange of Scholars, the Fulbright people. The Fulbright program is namedafter Senator J. William Fulbright and it was created shortly after World War II. Theprogram provides a two-way exchange for faculty members from the United States to teachor research in another country or for individuals from outside the U.S. to visit our countryfor coursework and other forms of professional development. My trip to Ukraine was aFulbright Senior Specialist award. The Senior Specialist program(http://www.cies.org/cies/specialists/) is newly created to provide U.S. faculty andprofessionals with opportunities to collaborate with counterparts at universities or otherinstitutions outside of the United States. Grants range from two to six weeks. A series ofScholar Stories are also reported on the website. If you have a semester or even a full yearsabbatical, the Fulbright Fellowship program can provide a longer stay for research orteaching. My six month visit to Zambia was a Fulbright Fellowship.Even if your spouse was agreeable about going along and your children were old enoughto benefit from the trip, you might think twice about their coming along. This is a trip toan exotic location but it isn’t a vacation. You have a specific obligation to those eager andattentive students and to the Council for the International Exchange of Scholars. In allfairness, it is possible to bring along your spouse and children if you have a longerassignment. Check the CIES website (http://www.cies.org) for more information.If you receive a Fulbright opportunity, plan to be flexible in everything you think youwant to do. Things won’t always work out according to your schedule. Be sensitive to thehistory and culture of the country you visit. Cultural and ethical norms are likely to bedifferent—not wrong, just different. I always begin my comments by telling my audiencethat I’m not there to tell them they’re doing the wrong thing or that the U.S. approach isthe only way to do things. Instead, I tell them about some of the things we do in the U.S.and why they work—or don’t work.The Fulbright program is a mutually beneficial opportunity for the host institution andfor the visiting faculty scholar. If you’ve thought about applying but previously hesitated, Iwould encourage you to review the program goals.6Feedback November 2002 (Vol. 43, No. 4)