 Marianna Idrisova and Katy Pearce provide a well-rounded assessment of the impact of the US government sponsored exchange programs on the professional development and career growth of Azerbaijani alumni.
The US Government funds a number
of programs for students from Eurasian countries to attend secondary
school, undergraduate and graduate university programs at no cost to
the student. All of the programs have strict competitions that are
based not only on English language skills but also open-mindedness,
academic merit, and flexibility, among other qualities. Upon return to
the students' home countries, many students participate in alumni clubs
that provide training, internet access, grant opportunities, and
internships.
The graduate level program, the Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship
Program, confers fellowships for Master's degree-level study in the
U.S. in the fields of business administration, economics, education,
environmental policy and management, international affairs,
journalism/mass communications, law, library and information science,
public administration, public health and public policy for students and
professionals from Eurasia.
The undergraduate non-degree level program, the Eurasian
Undergraduate Exchange Program, offers scholarships for one academic
year of study in the U.S. to undergraduate students from Eurasia in the
fields of agriculture, American studies, business, computer science,
economics, education, environmental management, international
relations, journalism/communications, political science and sociology.
The secondary school level program, The Future Leaders Exchange
(FLEX) Program's goal is to provide an opportunity for high school
students from the countries of the former Soviet Union to experience
life in a democratic society in order to promote democratic values and
institutions in Eurasia.
There is certainly a perception among those interested in
participating in such programs that career advancement is one of the
major benefits of participating in both the program and in the alumni
club. We have conducted a poll of alumni of US
Government-funded academic exchange programs from Azerbaijan to find
out if foreign education indeed helps increase people's chances for
career advancement upon return to their home countries. This
survey may be interesting for those who plan to study abroad in the
future and who would like to tap into their peers' experience. It
may also be interesting for alumni who want to think back to their
experience and compare it with the one of the survey respondents.
For Aysel Seyidova, who spent one year (1999-2000) in a US high
school on the Future Leaders Exchange Program, this academic exchange
program turned out to be a "tremendous life experience" that "goes far
beyond academics." Although she has had a successful career upon her
return to Azerbaijan, she thinks it was her "potential to learn more
and apply the knowledge and skills she acquired, in a professional
manner" rather than her US educational experience that attracted
employers. When asked about other skills she learned that she now
finds helpful in her work, Aysel mentioned interpersonal skills,
adaptability/flexibility, and ability to recognize and overcome
challenges.
Siradj Mahmudov, who holds a Master's Degree in Public Policy from
a university in Pittsburgh, USA, said the Muskie Program met 85% of the
academic expectations he had prior to arriving to the US. He has
advanced in his career upon return to Azerbaijan and contributes his
success mostly to his foreign degree and professional training.
He also thinks that exposure to a new culture and opportunity to meet
and network with people through internships played an important role in
his professional development.
Lala Hajibayova obtained a Master's Degree in Library and
Information Science from a university in New York City, also through
the Muskie Program. She believes that her current professional
success is "mostly due to [her] academic achievements". At the
same time, she thinks that her US academic training is not very
relevant to the situation in the IT and library sector in
Azerbaijan. She also complained at not being able to take all the
courses she was interested in. Some courses were not offered at her
school, while options to sign up for courses at other schools were
limited.
Another Public Policy alumnus with the Muskie Program, who chose to
remain anonymous, echoes Lala by seeing little applicability of his
education to the situation in his country. He does not believe
that his career has advanced since graduation and links his
professional advancement to networking and corruption. While he
appreciated the opportunity to research subjects of interest, he thinks
his US university did little to develop his critical thinking skills
and "knowledge of international
issues".
Mekhriban Mammadova has a graduate degree in social work from a
university in Saint-Louis, USA through the Muskie Program as
well. She finds her education highly relevant to the situation at
home and plans to teach in a soon-to-open social work department of a
major university in Azerbaijan. She does not feel she has moved
up the career ladder yet but points out that her education has met her
main academic expectations, especially helping improve her writing
skills in English
All of the students mentioned that coaching and facilitation-style
teaching methods encouraged them to research issues of interest and
helped develop independent thinking among students. At the same
time, interactive teaching was listed by some respondents among the
challenges of the US education system.
The fact that professors made themselves available outside of class
hours was helpful for students who required additional assistance or
needed to explore certain topics in-depth. Another feature of the
US education that some respondents found very appealing was the
combination of elected and required courses, which made the curriculum
flexible.
Besides professional training, respondents mentioned that their
stay abroad helped them hone their interpersonal skills, ability to
overcome challenges, and taught them to make independent decisions and
accept responsibility for decisions made. Equally important,
foreign education was noted as an incredible cultural experience.
Marianna Idrisova (28, from Azerbaijan). Holds Master's degree in Public Administration from the American University in Washington, DC, USA and a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the university in Baku, Azerbaijan. Since 1997, has worked for international development agencies in Azerbaijan and in the US. Currently lives in New York, USA.
Katy Pearce, 26, is an
American with a love for the Caucasus. With an academic background in
the Caucasus and a career in technology, she is always looking for ways
to combine the two. Katy manages blogrel.com, the premier Armenian blog
on the web and has been involved with Armenia news on the internet for
years. Katy has worked on a variety of US Government youth programs
both in the US and in country. Katy lives in Vermont with her cat
Bachig and dog Roark and her collection of Soviet children's literature.
|
FLEX Student
Written by Arzu on 2007-02-13 23:02:35
Hello. I'm a current FLEX student(Idaho).
I would like to continue my education in USA(bachelor degree). If there are any opportunities, please write me on Bakinka89@yahoo.com or nazarzu@yahoo.com
Thanks.
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| education
Written by nasrin suleymanova on 2006-07-03 21:02:41
hi,i am from Azerbaijan,i would like to continue my master degree in USA,,i got my education in Cyprus in EMU,thanks in advanse,,,simran2687@yahoo.com
| Master Degree
Written by Fuad E. Sabziyev on 2006-06-10 17:42:05
I'm a student of Azerbaijan Technical University already with bachelor degree. I would like to have a master degree in US. And please to contact me if there is an opportunity for me by mailing to fuad.sabziyev@gmail.com.
| student
Written by azer on 2006-03-27 16:29:48
i am a student in azerbaijan.i woould like to do my masters in america.my e-mali is azerbay1984@yahoo.com .looking froward to hearing from you
| HELLO?
Written by Giorgi on 2006-02-02 08:31:57
hello, I'm Giorgi Qevanishvili from Georgia.I found this site and was very happy.I wonder if there is such programs available for me?I am on my second grade at the university of Georgia.kevani@mail.ru
| Azerbaijan,Baku
Written by Nigar Ahmadova on 2005-10-06 10:30:04
hi, I request Ms.Mariana Idrisova to get in touch wid me.Contact number.+994503709878
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