|
Rekindling the Spirit of Higher Education
"To work with a team of Belarusian educators
to develop the best model of higher education
is a chance of a lifetime," said Lemuel Watson,
a professor of adult and higher education at Northern
Illinois University. Watson said he appreciated
the opportunity to engage himself in life at Belarus
State University-National Center of Higher Education.
He said he was glad for the opportunity to challenge
himself and to be stimulated intellectually in
a non-Western culture.
During his four-month lecturing grant to Minsk,
Watson taught a weekly seminar related to the
issues of higher education and educational policy.
He said his Fulbright grant reminded him of why
he chose a career in higher education. In addition
to his coursework with students and curricula
and educational development with faculty, Watson
conducted several guest lectures, presented at
conferences, including the National Conference
of Information Resource Management, and served
on various panels. He was also able to participate
with the United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization Chairs in the Commonwealth
of Independent States during a rare meeting in
the historical town of Mir.
It was Watson's willingness to immerse himself
in the Belarusian community that most enhanced
his experience. "I asked to get more involved
in university life and spent extra time developing
relationships with faculty and students,"
he said. "The most interesting was listening
to them talk about their lives and experiences
as young people. I was also able to become very
involved in the lives of local people." Watson's
interaction with people gave fruit to an exchange
of knowledge and learning, allowing him to augment
his understanding and context of his academic
work.
"I have been so enriched in such a short
time," Watson said. "Most of the time,
my senses were overwhelmed with the people, places
and environment." For Watson, the Fulbright
experience allowed him to expand his academic
repertoire of concepts, methods of practice and
philosophical ideologies that he will share with
colleagues and students back home at Northern
Illinois University.
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 |
|
