The campus of West Liberty University has an international feel this fall as 12 new international exchange students have arrived to study and to learn about American culture through an innovative exchange program .
The students are part of the U.S. Department of State’s Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (UGRAD) in Pakistan; Eurasia and Central Asia; and Near East and South Asia. The students have attended college in their home countries and are considered upperclassmen at WLU. They will be on the hilltop campus for one or two semesters. Those staying for two semesters will participate in an unpaid internship in the region during the second semester.
The Global UGRAD program is highly competitive, averaging over 3,000 applications per year with a 5 percent rate of acceptance. Participants are the emerging student leaders of their nations. The WLU students, their country of origin and academic majors are as follows: Yanina Beloziorova from Belarus, studying sociology; Jeren Jumaniyazova from Turkmenistan, education; Jamshed Jumazoda from Tajikistan, education; Artsem Lashchonau from Belarus, hospitality management; Taras Levchenko from Ukraine, education; Mohammed Naji from Yemen, education; Maha Alhosni from Oman, English; Shristi Khati from Nepal, biology; and Janaid Khan from India, English. Three students have arrived from Pakistan: Momind Khan Kasi, studying business; Saman Khan, business; and Syeda Ghazal Zehra, mass communication.
Mia Szabo, WLU’s coordinator of international student recruiting and international student advisor, explained that UGRAD is a cultural exchange program which promotes understanding. “While they are here in the United States learning about America, they’re also educating us about their cultures. For example, there have been WLU students who never met a Muslim before. Some had preconceptions. Once they got to know our exchange students, though, I saw so many changes in the way people interacted.”
In addition to their academic studies, Global UGRAD fellows perform community service and explore American traditions through the unique Cultural Passport to America program. Szabo said, “It’s a great opportunity to gain practical experience. They learn more about American society, how it works, its value and traditions, and then take that new understanding back to their own countries.”
She added that WLU is home to 42 other international students not affiliated with the UGRAD programs, including 18 from Zhejiang Normal University in China, with which WLU has a direct exchange partnership.
Global UGRAD is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the Department of State. The Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in Eurasia and Central Asia and UGRAD-Pakistan are administered by the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), an international nonprofit organization providing leadership and innovative programs to improve the quality of education, strengthen independent media, and foster pluralistic civil society development. Founded in 1968, IREX has an annual portfolio of $60 million and a staff of over 500 professionals worldwide. IREX and its partner IREX Europe deliver cross-cutting programs and consulting expertise in more than 100 countries.
Global UGRAD in the Near East and South Asia is administered by American Councils, a nonprofit organization working to advance education, research and mutual understanding. American Councils administers more than 30 exchange and training programs.
