For many international exchange fellows who study at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), their stories are those of growth. Quickly moving beyond the one-dimensional images of the US normally shown abroad, fellows at HBCUs often leave with a deeper understanding of America’s complex history, broad diversity, and continuing struggle for equality.
Until two years ago, Tsovinar of Armenia had never thought much about race relations around the world. “Actually, I didn’t care,” she said. “I didn’t think it made a difference.”
That changed after Tsovinar was selected as an Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program fellow to study at Howard University. Tsovinar has become more mindful of racial and ethnic issues since being in the US. “When I’m following my friends’ thoughts on Facebook, I see them bring attention to improper jokes and emphasize how you can’t do that. Now, even when I hear improper jokes about Armenia, I’m pushing them to be more sensitive.”
Studying at HBCUs has provided some fellows rare opportunities to learn about history right where it happened. “The Civil Rights history is here in Howard,” said Tsovinar. Howard University is where Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court Justice, received his law degree, and it has been a hub of civil rights activities since its founding in 1867.
“Sometimes it’s hard to understand what the US is because you can meet so many types of people,” said Evdokia, a Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in Eurasia and Central Asia fellow from Russia. Evdokia studies at Lincoln University, founded by the 62nd Colored Infantry at the close of the Civil War. “But Americans are many groups in one, and they are proud of their culture and religion. They remember all the generations before them. They keep their history.”
Beyond history, the experience of studying at a Minority Serving Institution (MSI) has provided many fellows with a broader social perspective. “Professors’ and students’ contributions in the classroom are coming from their personal lives and struggles,” Tsovinar said.
And the reverse is often true: just as exchange students benefit from the experiences of their peers at HBCUs, their counterparts gain new insight from international fellows.
Dr. Barbara Hines, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in Mass Communications and Media Studies at Howard University, said, “Our students come from 105 countries and pretty much all of the US states. Their understanding globally tends to focus more on the African Diaspora and South America, and so having someone in class from a totally different part of the world really did give each of the students a new perspective. They were very curious to hear about Tsovinar’s home country, and they hadn’t been as aware of the political strife that has gone on in that young democracy.”
“I think programs like this open people’s eyes,” Dr. Hines said. “They create a better understanding of culture and humanity, and ultimately a more civil universe.”
For students like Farman, a Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in Pakistan fellow also studying at Lincoln, this greater understanding provides lasting inspiration: “Students here are so concerned about the problems in society, and they always take action,” Farman said. “This has motivated me to work for the betterment of my society back in Pakistan.”
The Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program, the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in Eurasia and Central Asia, and the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in Pakistan are funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State, and implemented by IREX.
