Prolific scholar studies Europe’s united future

Comstock to head NCAA Women’s Basketball Committee

Honors graduates feted

Iraqi Fulbright scholar soaks up American media, culture

Admitted freshman take a look-see

Community helps beautify campus

GLBTA award winners honored

Peacebuilding and Development Institute promotes activist spirit

Panel discusses the horrors of human trafficking

Staff Appreciation Week

BY ADRIENNE FRANK

For Iraqi Fulbright scholar Rawand Darwesh, the 14 months he’s spent in the United States have been “a dream come true.”

“I lived my life under Saddam, only dreaming of coming to the U.S. to study,” said Darwesh, who’s pursuing a master’s degree in print journalism at the School of Communication (SOC). “When my plane landed at JFK, it was a historic moment for me.”

Darwesh, 30, is one of 25 Iraqi Fulbright scholarship recipients studying at universities across the country after the program’s 15-year suspension because of the Iran-Iraq war. Sponsored by the U.S. government in partnership with 150 other nations, the Fulbright program was reinstated in Iraq in 2003, focusing on students interested in journalism, law, economics, public health, education, and the environment.

Darwesh began his academic journey at Indiana University, where he completed English courses, before arriving at AU in August 2004. At SOC, Darwesh, a former reporter with Kurdistan Satellite TV, is learning how to craft news stories in English—his third language—and is exploring online resources. He’s working on a project about the war on drugs in Afghanistan and is also researching the drop in enrollment among Middle Eastern students at American universities.

“I am enjoying learning how the educational system in the U.S. works,” he said. “That has been one of the most exciting things.” Darwesh also plans to learn as much as possible about the American media and political system, and recent advancements in science and technology before he returns to his native Kurdistan in August. “When I go back, I look forward to speaking about all that I’ve seen,” he said.

Darwesh said he enjoys engaging his classmates in political debates and has even penned several editorials in the Eagle, AU’s student newspaper.

“I believe that toppling Saddam Hussein was the right decision because the Iraqi people were living in a big prison,” said Darwesh, who voted in January’s historic Iraqi elections.

“Many of my classmates think I’m pro-Bush,” he continued with a laugh. “I respect President Bush; I met with him when I first arrived. But I am more pro-freedom, pro-democracy.”