Fulbright Foreign Student
Newsletter

A Spirited Fulbright Experience

A songwriter once said, “If you want a brand new world, you got to have brand new people. If you want to have brand new people, you got to have a brand new spirit.” I believe that’s what the Fulbright Program is all about. Changing the world takes brand new people with a brand new spirit.

The first shock I experienced when I arrived in the United States was that I had to repeat myself at least twice to be understood when I spoke English. I also had to listen attentively to people to understand what sounded like a strange version of English. Coming from a country which was a former British colony and where English is an official language, I thought communicating in English wouldn’t be much of a problem.

Musa Umar, 2007-2008, Nigeria (center)

My home stay experience, which involved spending a weekend with an American family during the pre-academic program, was wonderful. I stayed with a young couple, Patrick and Sarah Curry and their dog, Mia. I can now say that I have an American family. My perception of American families has seriously changed. Americans can be very hospitable.

I was wrong to have thought that my stay in the United States was going to be all about engaging in my academic work and learning about the United States. I discovered that Americans are very inquisitive and want to learn about other nations and peoples. I am constantly responding to questions about Nigeria (and Africa in general) on different subjects. One important aspect of this experience was the desire of African-Americans I met to know more about their ancestral homeland.

Studying at Georgia State University is an entirely new and worthwhile experience. Not only are there resources and facilities at my disposal, but there are always wonderful people around who make me comfortable. My Advisor, Dr. Cora Presley, is just fantastic. Interacting with American academics has been tremendous. Not only are they honest, but they accept constructive criticism and are willing to learn from others.

My brother, friend and fellow Fulbrighter from Russia, Kostantin Redkin, said, "Fulbrighters are really 'Full brothers' and 'Full sisters.'” I quite agree with him. I believe that the Fulbright Program is building a corps of young leaders who are giving hope to a sometimes hopeless world.

Not So Lost in Translational Medicine

I should probably begin by explaining that I'm from Luxembourg, which could be described as a smaller-than-average-sized Grand-Duchy (which is some sort of a constitutional monarchy) somewhere between France, Belgium and Germany. Yes, we do have our own language (Luxembourgish), but with less than 500,000 citizens, chances are high that most of them speak German, French and English. I'm a molecular biologist working in cancer research, and after I graduated from the University of Basel, Switzerland, I desperately wanted research experience in the States. During my Master's thesis, I came across some very interesting publications from Professor Kwiatkowski's lab at the Brigham and Women's hospital in Boston. Boston, of course, is one of the most important and interesting scientific hot spots in the U.S., so my decision was not if I wanted to go, but when I wanted to start. After having made the necessary arrangements with the lab and the Fulbright Commission, I quickly found that there is a strongly inverse correlation between the distance to the lab, and the cost to rent an apartment. Luckily, through extensive Internet listings, I found a place in nearby Brookline. I finally arrived at Boston's Logan Airport on January 3, 2008.

Charles Betz, 2007-2008, Luxembourg

At 14°F, I can’t speak of a very warm welcome. However, my furnished room in a retired school teacher’s house turned out to be quite comfortable. I took some days off to explore this magnificent city, and being a dedicated photographer, I found more than just a couple of interesting subjects nearby. Being from Luxembourg, and with more people working in the Longwood Medical Center than people living in our capital city, you can easily imagine that I was amazed by the sheer size of everything.

I’m currently working in the division of Translational Medicine in Professor Kwiatkowski’s lab. My research is primarily focused on the cancer disease Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC). Although it's not my first time in the U.S., living and taking vacations here are two completely different things. After some more or less illuminating gastronomic surprises, I can say that I’ve fully adapted to my new living conditions. I have found people to be extremely helpful and friendly, and that it's easy to engage in the many social activities that are offered through work, and through the Fulbright Program. From a scientific point of view, I’m completely amazed by the connectivity to other researchers working on similar subjects, and the endless opportunities to arrange meetings.

During my free time, it’s difficult not to keep busy with the wonderful museums and exhibitions that Boston has to offer, not to mention the numerous parks and ponds I enjoy photographing. So far, it has been a fantastic experience, and I don’t doubt that there's more to come!