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