 |
With students Institute of Political Science and International Relations |
In the summer of 2004 as I was returning from teaching in a study abroad program and saw a peculiar looking plane flying for an airline called “Air Moldova.” I knew that Moldova was one of the 15 republics of the former Soviet Union but for the life of me, I could not place it. When I got home I found it on a map and did a little reading but little did I know that soon I would live there! Within a few weeks, I decided that the time was right to apply for a Fulbright Scholar grant in Eastern Europe. My topic was to examine a country still grappling with democratization and free market economics even 15 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Though I had a clear idea of my project, I needed to make an application for a particular country and as I looked through the various awards, I became convinced that Moldova offered an exciting possibility—so I made it my first choice and I was not disappointed!
 |
Fulbrighters on trip to Balti State University |
I arrived in Chişinău in January 2006 in the midst of a cold and dark winter night—if anyone had told me then that the city was a lush garden most of the year—I would not have believed them. One of the real perks of being in a small country, like Moldova, is that all the Fulbrighters were assigned to universities in the capital city, so we got to know each other very well. The U.S. Embassy also went out its way to enhance our Fulbright experiences.
I cannot say enough positive things about the staff of the public affairs section at the embassy in Chisinau. They met us at the airport, arranged our housing and teaching appointments, entertained us, and supported us in so many ways. Over time, we would travel with U.S. Embassy officials throughout the country making presentations and meeting faculty and students from different universities. I will never forget discussing the impact of Stalinization with the public affairs officer on the ride over to visit the main university in the breakaway region of Transnistria.
 |
Pushkin statue, park in Chisinau |
In my appointment, I was assigned to two universities, the State Institute for International Relations (IRIM) and the Institute of Political Science and International Relations (ISPRI) in Chisinau. At both, I taught classes on American government and American foreign policy and at IRIM, I taught a class on the American South for English language students. Later in my grant, I would be invited to lecture to Moldovan civil servants at the national Academy of Public Administration.
All of my experiences were eye-opening. I have reflected on my return that during my time in Moldova, every day was a new adventure and I never had felt more alive in my life. While I was in Moldova, I had the opportunity to publish three papers and make numerous academic presentations and the friendships that I made with several of my colleagues have continued to mushroom into exciting collaborations.
 |
Leading service learning session for English teachers |
A great joy of my Fulbright Scholar experience came from outside the classroom through connections made in the city. For example, I facilitated three English language groups for two local NGOs, giving me the opportunity to meet professionals from a variety of professions. I also studied Romanian with a private tutor while I was in Chisinau. Another great experience was my involvement with Clipa Siderala, a NGO concerned with children’s advocacy in Moldova. Clipa Siderala is a leading catalyst for creating an information conduit for understanding the dilemma of Moldovan children living in institutions. Each year they conduct several outreaches to orphanages, and I was able to accompany them for several. Since returning from Moldova, I was honored to be named Clipa’s 2006 Volunteer of the Year and was invited to profile the organization at a UNICEF conference on interventions to improve the status of women and children.
 |
Cathedral & Bell Tower |
During the Easter holidays, I received invitations to celebrate the occasion both by going to church and by visiting the homes of some of my students and colleagues who came from villages and towns outside of Chisinau. Church was an experience, since the vigil is an all-night affair culminated by having your basket of food blessed by the priest. But after catching a few winks, I set off on my favorite adventure—to visit real Moldovans and to celebrate the feast with them. I will never forget the conversations over homemade wine about what it was like to watch missals flying over Tanatari during the civil war or visiting the ruins of a Soviet-era collective farm in Ermaclia. But maybe the best part was toasting new friends and talking about all of the funny misconceptions we had of one another during the “Cold War.”
 |
Stefan cel Mare monument Chisinau |
I ended my Fulbright Scholar grant with two events that really summed up my experiences in Moldova—one was social and the other professional. I had a going away party a few days before I left in a Moldovan restaurant with people from all my different contexts of my Chisinau life: folks from my English discussion group, my fellow Fulbrighters, staff from the embassy, colleagues from the universities, my Romanian tutor, and some people I knew from Clipa Siderala. We ate, we toasted, and then we danced and danced, and I had one of those rare moments that can only be described as “perfect”. My final professional experience was a seminar that I organized on teaching English and establishing academic integrity for teachers from across the nation. We discussed service-learning, using films, writing, plagiarism and inspiring students. It was a tremendous capstone to my magnificent Moldovan experience.
 |
Farewell party in Chisinau |
Would I do it again? You betchya! I was invigorated as a scholar and as a teacher. I came back with a real-world understanding of the shortfalls of communism and a dynamic new research agenda. I made friends that I know will last a lifetime and I even inspired my American students to undertake a service-learning study abroad trip to … Moldova, of all places!
You can read more about my Fulbright Scholar experience in Moldova by checking out my blog: http://faculty.mercer.edu/grant_jc/moldova.html.
Please contact
us if you would like to submit your own story
and/or photographs.
"International education
exchange is the most significant current project
designed to continue the process of humanizing
mankind to the point, we would hope, that
nations can learn to live in peace"
--J. William Fulbright |
|
