Campus hosts Muskie fellows from Armenia and Georgia

Two international students are enrolled in the master’s degree program in Public Policy and Administration through the U.S. Department of State’s Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program.

 

Hasmik Hayrapetyan from Armenia and Nodar Kereselidze of Georgia are expected to be on campus for two years to complete their degrees.

 

By selecting emerging leaders from 12 countries of the former Soviet Union, the Muskie Program aims to promote mutual understanding, build democracy and foster the transition to market economies in Eurasia and Central Asia through intensive academic study and professional training. In addition to their academic programs, Muskie fellows gain exposure to American values through a community service experience and develop professional skills through a full-time internship in their field of study. The Muskie program is highly competitive with a 4 percent rate of acceptance.

 

This year marks the Muskie Program’s 20th anniversary. The program now boasts nearly 5,000 alumni who have returned to their home countries to lead institutional change and economic growth in the professional sectors where they work.

 

The program, which operates under the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs , is administered by IREX, an international nonprofit organization providing thought leadership and innovative programs to promote positive lasting change globally.