Israel: Mysteries and Revelations – Sheila S. Intner – Israel 1992
The trip from JFK to Ben Gurion airport with a stop in Orly took an unexpected extra day, because one of our plane’s engines burst into fire as we took off from Paris for the second leg of the flight. During the 20-hour layover, my husband and I befriended my seat mate, Yoram, an Israeli […]
Academic Inquiry in Algeria – William Zartman – Algeria 1969
In 1969, I was conducting research in Algeria for a book on government decision-making under a Fulbright-Hayes Grant as a sequel to my similar book on Morocco, “Problems of New Power.” One day, a pair of trench coats came to our house in Bains Romains to check it out and my wife refused them entry, […]
Public Diplomacy and Cultural Festivals in Syria – Evelyn A Early – Syria 1982
The trust and friendships cultivated during my 1982 Fulbright in Syria continued through my return in 1996 as a diplomat at the U.S. Embassy in Damascus. In 1982, I was one of a few American researchers in Syria. I aimed to understand Syrian society via Syrian popular culture. One day, while my “minder-friend” Haider and […]
Personal and Professional Growth – Charles Edward Kiamie III – Jordan 2004
As a Fulbrighter in Jordan (2004-05), I completed critical research that enabled me to complete my doctoral dissertation in comparative politics and Arab studies. Even more, the experience yielded wonderful relationships which endured to this day. I met my wife as a Fulbrighter, and our children have come to view Jordan as a second home. […]
Teaching, Researching, and Becoming a Mom in Lebanon – Rebecca Dyer – Lebanon 2007
My time teaching English literature courses and conducting research as a Fulbright Traditional Scholar was a rocky year for Lebanon, as it followed Israel’s bombing of parts of Beirut during the summer of 2006. With that war going on as I completed my Fulbright application, I had considered postponing. Yet, I wanted very much to visit the country I […]
Myths of Cultural Acceptance of Modern Technologies – Shirin Karsan – UAE 2009-2010
When I started exploring the provocative topic of stigmas in culture and religion related to infertility and IVF in the UAE, many cautioned that I was treading in an unacceptable area. On the contrary, my research (cutting edge at the time), proved the need to understand the Emirati culture and its rich knowledge and respect […]
You Will Not Get What You Deserve, You Will Get What You Negotiate – Yasmine Abdelkarem Abdellatif – USA 2016
“You will not get what you deserve; you will get what you negotiate.” I have started my sponsored Fulbright journey with this nice piece of advice. In June 2016, I was traveling to do my Masters of Science in Nanotechnology at the University of Central Florida. It was my first time to travel on a […]