Emiratis can join US teaching programme
ONE-YEAR FULLY FUNDED FELLOWSHIP OFFERED FOR THE FIRST TIME
One-year fully funded fellowship to graduates to work as Arabic teaching assistants and study at US colleges, universities |
A programme that provides a fully funded fellowship at universities in the US to teach Arabic and study is being offered to Emiratis for the first time in its 16-year history, the US Embassy announced.
The Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) programme will give Emirati graduates and young professionals in the field of education the chance to work as teaching assistants and study at US colleges and universities.
Sponsored by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), the one-year programme provides participants with a range of opportunities, including work as teaching assistants at university level and at Modern Standard Arabic classes, refine their teaching skills, take academic courses, and increase their English language proficiency at US colleges and universities. In addition, Emirati participants will be part of a cultural exchange experience where they share UAE’s unique culture and traditions with Americans while learning about life in the US.
“We believe that education is the foundation of the bilateral relationship between the US and the UAE. For many years, our EducationUSA advising offices have been providing advice and guidance to Emirati students interested in pursuing their higher studies in the US, and we are proud that so many of the UAE’s leaders are alumni of US universities,” Scott Bolz, Country Public Affairs Officer, US Embassy Abu Dhabi, told Gulf News.
“The FLTA is yet another way to deepen our partnership with the UAE. Through this programme, we hope to provide opportunities for talented Emiratis to learn best practices in foreign language teaching in the US, and at the same time, afford Americans the chance to learn Arabic from UAE nationals. At its core, this programme is an exchange of knowledge, skills, and cultures that builds lasting relationships between the people of the US and the UAE through scholarship, creativity, and cultural exchange,” Bolz added.
The deadline to apply for the programme is September 1. After a review and selection process, one to five UAE nationals will be nominated. Successful applicants will receive a tuition waiver for coursework and a financial grant to cover living expenses at the participant’s host institution. FLTAs also receive Economy round-trip international airfare and a health benefits plan.
Mohini Madgavkar, Cultural Affairs Officer, US Embassy Abu Dhabi, said that once a participant is nominated, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, in close cooperation with the embassy, will place him/her at an institution in the US.
“We support the placement fully and make all arrangements for the candidate to begin studying and teaching … FLTAs also attend a mid-year conference in the US, where they meet and exchange experiences with the over 1,500 FLTA participants from 140 countries that enter US academic institutions each year,” she said.
Madgavkar, who was taught Arabic in the US by FLTAs, drew on her own personal experience to describe some of the benefits of the programme.
“It’s well known that teachers change lives forever — I’m a living example of that. I was personally taught Arabic at the University of Texas at Austin by FLTAs from Jordan, Egypt and Morocco. They were the first people I met from the Middle East, and I’m still in touch with them today. The experience of learning from and working with them inspired me to study further and to eventually become a diplomat living and working in the Middle East. They also became successful academics upon their return to their home countries. It’s an incredible experience that benefits all who participate,” Madgavkar said.
The programme, which was started in 2001, offers educators from more than 50 countries the opportunity to develop their professional skills and gain first-hand knowledge of the US, its culture, and its people.