International Review [] Nick Eastmond, Editor

Editor's Note: An earlier issue of ETR&D (38:1), published almost two years ago, reported on the experiences of three Fulbright Scholars from the United States who went abroad: Marina Mclsaac and Karen Murphy, who visited Turkey, and David Lancy, who visited Trinidad and Tobago. As that issue went to press, the idea for this issue became obvious: to highlight the experiences of Ful- bright Scholars from abroad who came to the United States. This issue contains accounts by three such persons: Dr. Keyan Tomaselli from the University of Natal in South Africa; Dr. Usha Reddi from Osmania University in Hyderabad, India; and Dr. Miroljub Radojhrvic from Belgrade University in Yugoslavia.*

The articles provide a most unusual per- spective of the experience of international exchange. They not only deal with the practicalities of obtaining and conducting a program of research or teaching abroad, but, in every case, provide insights about the American context as seen by scholars from abroad. Some comments are complimentary to the American hosts; others are not. The irritants--bureaucracy, cost-consciousness, a naive but blatant "cultural imperialism'" ---are described well, as are the joys--exposure to new ideas and people, having a new perspective on one's own country upon returning home. Anyone who has ever hosted a visiting scholar from abroad, or who plans to do so in the future, would do well to read

*Special thanks to Dr. Usha Reddi for helping me locate the other two contributors.

these scholars' reactions carefully. There is much that Americans, or citizens of any country, can learn from the perceptions of visitors. Their observations become a most fascinating mirror of the host country.

Anyone who wants more information about the Fulbright Scholars program, now in operation for 44 years, will find one book worth examining: The Fulbright Experience, 1946-86: Encounters and Transformations, edited by Arthur P. Dudden and Russell R. Dynes (Transaction Books, 1987). The book contains similar expressions of insights, frus- trations, and personal learning, both from American scholars who went abroad and from scholars who visited the United States.

Looking Toward the United States: A Fulbright Experience

by Usha Vyasulu Reddi

[] Taking my cue from a quotation from Sen- ator Fulbright, "'We must try, through inter- national education, to realise something new in the world" and from the rhetorical ques- t ion raised in an art icle by Mar ina Stock McIsaac, "Is There a Fulbright in Your Future?", I turn my attention to my own experience in obtaining, preparing for, and utilising my Ful- bright Fellowship in the United States in the fall of 1990.

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India is one of those countries in which the Fulbright Program has been active. The United States Educational Foundation in India (USEFI), which has headquarters in Delhi and regional offices in Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras, is the agency that coordinates Indian scholars' applications and the U.S. agencies that admin- ister the award. Because of the active associ- ation of the USEFI and Indian interest in American studies, every year scholars from Indian universities spend periods ranging from a few weeks to several months teaching and researching in the United States. In fact, the receipt of an award is considered a prestigious addition to one's academic growth and is so popular that applicants go through a two-stage screening process, one at the regional level and another at the national level. Competi- tion is keen and the screening is done by com- mittees highly regarded for their academic worth and integrity.

Applications are invited more than one year before the actual year of the award. A pre- liminary application forms the basis for the screenings; after the application has cleared the first stage, a formal application is requested from the scholar. In keeping with the Indian tradition in education, the applications must be routed through the employer, who has to agree to release the scholar to undertake the fellowship if selected.

Application Strategy

I cannot say that there is any particular strat- egy or plan that is more successful than oth- ers. What I can say, however, is that some aspects of the application are more important than others.

An applicant for a research award must be very clear about what he or she proposes to research while in the United States. I say this because the list of possible areas and topics for s tudy is limitless, given today's informa- tion explosion. The ideal area of research would be one that is in keeping with the schol- ar's own interest and line of work, to which the benefits of an American experience would be readily applicable, and in which the scholar can sustain an interest and grow.

Writing the proposal is not a difficult task. Identifying the university or institution where one would like to conduct the research is more complicated. In India, a scholar has to rely on the information provided by senior colleagues who have had previous experience in both the subject area and the institutions in the United States, and upon information gathered from catalogues and other sources available in India. If lucky, the scholar may be able to use the resources of the American Studies Research Centre, Hyderabad, or may have been asso- ciating with American colleagues with whom the fellowship would mean a continuation of the association.

Planning the Project

Assuming that one has been offered the grant, there is almost one year's time from the first announcement of the award to the actual travel to the United States. I found that this time was very useful because I was able to do some back- ground work on my project in educational technology. This extra effort enabled me to plan my stay in the United States very carefully, gathering material that would otherwise not be available in India. A preliminary bibliog- raphy, background reading, and identification of key institutions, agencies, and individuals for contact could be done before I left, ena- bling me to focus my study very clearly.

Actual Travel

The logistics of travel, I believe, are the same worldwide. Obtaining tickets and planning for any holiday en route or during the stay should be done before departure. Since I planned to take my young daughter along, a few addi- tional arrangements had to be made. Health insurance for family members (much easier and less expensive to obtain in India than in the United States) reduced some worry for me. Other details, such as completing assignments on hand and being relieved from official duties, took a little longer, and it was not until the day before departure that I felt I was ready to travel.

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During the Stay

It did not take me very long to settle down to work. Getting an apartment, phone, and other necessities took much less time than it does in India. I must say, however, that when vis- iting scholars come to India, we roll out the red carpet for them, from receiving them to ensuring that the details of their stay are well arranged. Anyone who expects the same treat- ment in the United States is in for a rude sur- prise. Americans believe that most scholars visiting the United States are independent peo- ple, capable of looking after themselves and preferring to make their own arrangements. They also expect scholars to work indepen- dently, and, unlike Indians, who take great pains to ensure that scholars and others who visit us are comfortable, Americans give help when requested but otherwise leave scholars to work by themselves. Such a mental attitude is helpful because it is up to the scholar to max- imise the time spent in the United States; this desire to give scholars complete independence is very good for those of us who believe in academic freedom.

By correspondence at first, telephone calls next, and personal meetings last, I was able to meet and interact with a number of people working in the field of educational technology.

An Evaluation of the Experience

If I had to identify the single most important result of the Fulbright experience, I would point to the wide exposure I got to the field of educational technology and to the revolu- tionary changes that technology is bringing about in the nature of life. I had gone to the United States with the optimistic belief that it would be there that I would find pioneer- ing work in this field. The pioneering work is indeed there, but the educational objectives of using technology that I was looking for are lost in the newly found love for the latest medium, i.e., interactive media. I realised that while we in India have a lot to learn from the United States in terms of policy, implemen- tation, and autonomy in education, we seem to be repeating some of the same mistakes. I

realised also that in some of the areas of tech- nology application, India was far ahead, par- ticularly in coping with problems of language, ethnic diversity, and educational needs.

Exposure to the United States during the course of this fellowship was, incidentally, very beneficial for my young daughter, who learned both English and American slang during the six months we were there. In addition to pur- suing my academic work, I was able to inter- act with fellow scholars in different parts of the country, enjoy the hospitality of the Amer- ican home, and make many new friends and professional colleagues.

I returned to India refreshed and encour- aged, motivated to put to use all the informa- tion I gathered, which I hope I shall find the time to write up into a report comparing the application of educational technology in India and the United States. If only by providing me a divergent view from my own in terms of my understanding, I feel that the hope of Senator Fulbright was, for me at least, well fulfilled. []

Dr. Usha Vyasulu Reddi is a Professor and Director at the Audio Visual Research Centre, Osmania University, Hyderabad, India.

The Fulbright Experience: An Incoherent African Perspective

by Keyan G. Tomaselli

[] I, my wife, Ruth, and our children, ages 8 and 6, arrived in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on New Year's Day 1990, jet-lagged from spending 40 hours in planes and airports. I was to be a visiting professor for six months in the Department of Radio, TV and Motion Pictures at the University of North Carolina (UNC). I had applied for a Fulbright in August 1989. In March 1991, the American Cultural Center in Durban confirmed that a six-month research award was tenable at Michigan State University's (MSU) African Studies Center. I was to head a project on Southern Africa on Film and Videotape.