July 17, 2003

Contact: Alison Watkins, Graduate School & International Programs, (785) 864-6161.

Students in only 6-week U.S. Fulbright orientation to visit Lawrence families

LAWRENCE -- In between going to Kansas City Royals baseball games, attending a University Theatre performance, shopping and visiting the Kansas state Capitol, the 26 Fulbright students participating in a language and culture orientation program at the University of Kansas are learning the academic skills they will need to succeed in graduate programs across the country.

As part of the program, participants will experience life in a Lawrence home during a visit July 18 through 19. The weekend will kick off with an international potluck dinner July 18, and each student will prepare a dish from his or her country. Families then will host a student for the weekend.

KU is the only U.S. university to hold the six-week Fulbright English for Graduate Studies Orientation Program. KU's Applied English Center completed a rigorous application process to host the program for a fourth year. The program, funded by the U.S. State Department and administered by the Institute of International Education, promotes cross-cultural interaction through academic and personal experiences.

The 26 graduate students representing countries including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Brazil, Slovakia, Lebanon and Cambodia came to Lawrence at the end of June. They are living in Naismith residence hall and are participating in seminars that help them with speaking, writing and reading English and with computer usage. In addition to intense classroom work, students have KU faculty mentors who give them insights into their fields of interest. KU peer mentors advise them about graduate school, attend social activities and spend individual time with the students.

Each student has a compelling story to tell, but Adesoji Oni's has caught the AEC staff's attention. Oni, who is from Nigeria, hasn't seen his sister who lives in Maryland since 1985, and he has received permission to visit her while he is in Lawrence.

"I believe the Applied English Center was chosen because of our strong reputation as a university English language center and because we designed an orientation program that provides the Fulbright participants with a rich variety of educational, cultural and social experiences to help prepare them for their upcoming graduate studies," said Margaret Coffey, associate director of KU's Applied English Center. "We also have quite a bit of experience running special programs like this one. In addition, KU and the Lawrence community have a history of being very welcoming to Fulbrighters. I'm sure all of these factors helped us to be selected."

The University Theatre at KU donated the students' tickets for the "Picnic" performance.