Project Updates

Vepa Berdiyev, a Turkmen fellow studying Education at Bemidji State University, volunteered at J. W. Smith Elementary School, working with the fourth grade class of Ms. Sally Rodgers to help her students in math, art, reading and writing.  Vepa was at J.W. Smith for about six hours each week for a seven-week period.  Ms. Rodgers said that her class benefited from the experience of having Vepa as a teacher and that it was one of the few opportunities for the students to meet on a personal level and on a continuous basis with a foreign teacher.

Vica Blaga has been the librarian of Tg. Bujor, a little town in Galati County, Romania, for 26 years. She recalls feeling desperate when computerization of libraries was first discussed. “I was afraid I would not be able to keep up with my younger co-workers who talked of Google, IDs, Yahoo, Messenger, etc., and I didn’t understand a word they said. I even thought about retirement, but apparently I was too young for this.”

While taking a class on diversity at the University of Washington, Ukrainian MPA Muskie Fellow Svitlana Batsyukova worked with a variety of community service projects where she became involved with the diverse communities in the Seattle area.

Farida Aghammadova, a Muskie fellow from Azerbaijan currently working towards obtaining her Master’s degree in Education at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln recently wrote, directed and performed a two-person play that illustrated many of the cultural and social features of her home country. On February 16, 2006 Farida and a colleague presented this play in front of faculty, staff, and students from the College of Education and Human Sciences.

On April 27th Saida Mammadova, an Azeri fellow in the MS Finance program at the University of Utah, attended the 6th US-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce (USACC) Business and Investment Conference. The theme of the conference was "US-Azerbaijan Strategic Relations: Political and Commercial Priorities." During the conference speakers discussed the current state of economic and business relations, as well as how to deepen these relationships in the future. Ms.

Vladimir Kandratski, a Belorussian MBA fellow at West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) was recognized for his outstanding academic achievement in the Management, Marketing, and General Business Department at WTAMU.  Mr. Kandratski was nominated by Dr. Donna Stringer for his high-quality work in Dr. Stringer’s Organizational Behavior course.  Mr. Kandratski was presented with a certificate of achievement at a special luncheon with the department head, Dr. Barry Duman, and MBA program faculty at the end of the spring semester.

Behruz Himo, an economics fellow from Russia studying at Western Illinois University (WIU), participated in the Center for International Studies’ Conversational Partners Program for international students. According to Mr. Himo, the Conversational Partners Program “is an excellent opportunity to explore American culture and people, improve English language skills and simply make new friends.” During the spring semester Mr. Himo presented information about Russia and Russian culture to two conversational partners. Mr.

Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship (Muskie) Program participants from Ukraine met with a delegation of Ukrainian officials visiting Washington during the middle of June as part of the US-Ukraine Foundation’s Project to Assist Ukraine’s Civil Service Reform.

On June 26, 2006, Grigori Nazaryan, an Armenian economics fellow at Old Dominion University, participated in town-hall style conversation at the New York Public Library about the importance of philanthropy. Speakers included Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet. Mr. Nazaryan was invited to participate in the event by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as a result of his internship position with the United Nations. According to Mr.

Yevgeniy Soltanov performed his community service while studying at Old Dominion University at the World Affairs Council of Greater Hampton Roads. Yevgeniy worked for the Council on their Great Decisions project, which is recognized as the largest grass roots input on foreign policy in the world. As one of the nation's leading think tanks on matters of international relations, the World Affairs Council selects eight topic titles each year that they project will be the most important foreign policy issues to watch in the coming year.