BSC Named Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leader

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) has again recognized Bluefield State as one of 20 institutions nationwide designated a “Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leader 2019-2020.”

In a statement, ECA noted, it is saluting Bluefield State College “for its success in helping your students and faculty connect with and benefit from a variety of Fulbright opportunities on campus.”

This recognition results from the College’s multiple activities consistent with the goals of the US Department of State’s Fulbright program to strengthen diversity. These include:

• Windows on The World: Bringing US-based Fulbright scholars through the Outreach Lecture Fund to campus in-person or virtually to share their expertise and countries’ cultures, traditions, and daily lives of their peoples.
   
• Fulbright Language Teaching Assistants (FLTA): Bluefield State College is finalizing plans to host FLTAs during the 2021-22 academic year to teach Arabic, Portuguese, and Russian in order to increase opportunities for learning critical languages and area studies, thereby preparing students for study abroad opportunities and international internships.
   
• Fulbright Scholar in Residence: Bluefield State is planning its application to host in 2022-23 a scholar who can teach European studies courses to shore up its proposed undergraduate degree in international studies.

Stated BSC President Robin C Capehart. “Bluefield State College believes it is important to prepare our students to succeed in a dynamic global society. We are grateful to the US Department of State for recognizing our internationalization efforts.”

Said BSC Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs Dr. Ted A. Lewis: “Despite our relative size and rural location, Bluefield State has gained a reputation for both bringing the world to our doorstep, and, as importantly, sending our students abroad and on to careers in teaching abroad and engaging in international business.”

“We are only as strong as our team,” said BSC International Initiatives Director Dr. Sudhakar R. Jamkhandi. “Most of the faculty in each of our fours Schools welcome the Fulbright Scholars in-person or virtual interactions with our students, the beneficiaries of this new knowledge. These interactions expose our students to the contributions and perspectives of scholars worldwide and not simply through the lens of their instructors.

“Our area high schools must also be commended for exposing their students to Fulbright Scholars. Several international-minded community leaders are also to be commended for generously hosting Fulbright Scholars in their homes. We hope this aspect of the Fulbright program is revived in 2021-22.”

2021 marks the 75th anniversary of the Fulbright Program, and Bluefield State College has been privileged to sustain ties with the Fulbright Program since 2007.

For more information about having Fulbright Scholars interact with your students, please contact Dr. Jamkhandi at sjamkhandi@bluefieldstate.edu or 304-327-4036.