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WINTER 2012 - National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and ...

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Fulbright Program for Foreign Students<br />

<strong>and</strong> the Study <strong>of</strong> <strong>Public</strong> Administration<br />

Mohsin Bashir<br />

Arizona State University<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

This essay reflects on the author’s experiences in the United States as a doctoral<br />

student in public administration on a Fulbright scholarship. The author<br />

chronicles his observations <strong>of</strong> American public administration education<br />

<strong>and</strong> the cultural shocks he encountered during his stay here. He shares with<br />

the reader the changes his experiences brought about in his personality <strong>and</strong><br />

thought process <strong>and</strong> also provides recommendations for future international<br />

Fulbright scholars as well as their educators in the United States.<br />

In its 65 years <strong>of</strong> operation, the Fulbright program has established itself<br />

among the high-pr<strong>of</strong>ile scholarship programs around the globe. Its long list<br />

<strong>of</strong> notable alumni includes several heads <strong>of</strong> state, Nobel laureates, <strong>and</strong> other<br />

distinguished achievers in various academic <strong>and</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essional arenas (“Notable<br />

Alumni,” n.d.). At the same time, with bilateral agreements between the United<br />

States <strong>and</strong> 155 countries in the world, it is the largest academic exchange<br />

program in the world as well (“Fulbright: The Early Years,” n.d.). This rather<br />

unique combination <strong>of</strong> size <strong>and</strong> prestige makes the Fulbright Program an<br />

interesting topic <strong>of</strong> study for scholars in the field <strong>of</strong> education. Students <strong>of</strong> public<br />

administration may find the Fulbright Program particularly interesting because<br />

the program not only supports the field as a study discipline but also is an<br />

integral part <strong>of</strong> U.S. public administration <strong>and</strong> policy.<br />

This essay can be seen by researchers on public administration education<br />

as a case study summarizing the Fulbright experience <strong>and</strong> its academic <strong>and</strong><br />

cognitive effects on me, a Pakistani doctoral student in <strong>Public</strong> Administration<br />

in an American university. In the following sections, I take stock <strong>of</strong> my journey<br />

as an international student in the United States in general <strong>and</strong> a Pakistani<br />

graduate student in particular, as well as a participant in the cultural exchange<br />

phenomenon that characterizes the Fulbright Program. I also provide an account<br />

<strong>of</strong> the effects <strong>and</strong> impressions that I perceive are a result <strong>of</strong> this journey. I then<br />

reflect on these accounts <strong>and</strong> impressions, making suggestions for students,<br />

JPAE 18(1), 229–237<br />

Journal <strong>of</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Affairs</strong> Education 229

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