During the 1999-2000 academic year, Heartland Community College
(HCC) in Bloomington, Ill., hosted an expert on African literature
through the Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program. Francis Ngwaba
of Abia State University in Nigeria taught African literature,
conducted collaborative research and gave presentations about
Nigeria to student, faculty and community groups. Ngwaba was surprised
at how little Americans know about Africa but was pleased with
the enthusiastic curiosity they expressed when questioning him
about Nigerian traditional culture, politics, health care and
education.
Throughout his year at HCC, the scholar in residence observed
the workings of the U.S. educational system and was particularly
impressed with the concept of community colleges, institutions
that seem to bring education right to the "doorsteps of prospective
students." In Nigeria, where less than 10 percent of the
population hold college degrees, advanced education is expensive
and resources are scarce. Ngwaba was astonished at the abundance
of materials, scholarships and types of educational institutions
in the United States. He remarked that higher education in the
United States is "so varied and comprehensive that every
vocation/profession is taken care of and any American who so desires
will find an institution that will accommodate his/her own needs."
Considering the marked contrast in the conditions of his home
and host institutions, he did not expect to encounter the somewhat
relaxed approach some U.S. students take toward their education.
However, he appreciated the fact that this relaxed approach encourages
students to challenge ideas and ask questions, making the classroom
a place for lively discussion and debate.
During his grant, the scholar worked closely with his faculty
associate, a former Fulbright scholar to Nigeria, Dr. Glen Bush.
They met for the first time when Bush was a Fulbrighter at the
University of Jos in 1991 and Ngwaba was chair of the English
department there. Both hope for continued contact and exchange
in the years to come. Ngwaba returned to Nigeria in June 2000
with a large collection of textbooks and other educational materials
donated by his colleagues at HCC to Abia State University. He
remarked that the support he received from his host institution
was unprecedented in all of his years of teaching.
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