KU welcomes 21 Fulbright students and teaching assistants

LAWRENCE — This fall, the University of Kansas welcomed 14 students as part of the Fulbright Foreign Student Program and an additional seven students as Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants.

Representing 18 countries and five continents, the Fulbright students and teaching assistants are joining programs in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and the schools of Architecture & Design, Business, Education & Human Sciences, Engineering, Music and Pharmacy.

“This academic year is a record year for KU in the number of Fulbright students and teaching assistants we have on campus,” said Rachel Sherman Johnson, director of internationalization and partnerships at KU International Affairs. “Our community is greatly enriched by their presence, both in and outside of the classroom. They bring the world to KU.”

The Fulbright Foreign Student Program enables graduate students, young professionals and artists from abroad to research and study in the United States for a year or more at American universities.

The Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant Program provides young teachers of English as a foreign language the chance to improve their teaching skills and learn more about American culture while teaching foreign languages at an American higher education institution. This year’s teaching assistants will teach languages in Arabic, Persian, Quechua, Tajik, Turkish, Ukrainian and Yoruba.

Fulbright students visiting for the 2024-2025 academic year:

Mohammad Abazid, whose home country is Germany but was born in Syria, is a graduate student in chemical engineering. He has a bachelor’s degree in environmental process engineering, and he is pursuing a master's degree in chemical engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, a KU partner institution. While at KU his research will focus on renewable energy sources.

Rameen Mobin Ahmed, from Pakistan, is a graduate student in computer science. She has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Habib University. While at KU she will study software engineering and development.

Rahaf Bdour, from Jordan, is a graduate student in design management and strategy. She holds a bachelor’s degree in design and visual communication from Jordan University of Science and Technology.

María Domínguez, from Spain, is a doctoral student in choral conducting. She has a bachelor’s degree in composition from Vigo Conservatory of Music and bachelor’s degrees in conducting and voice from A Coruña Conservatory of Music. She also holds a master's degree in symphonical and vocal conducting from Kateria Gurska Music Center in Madrid. While at KU, she will be an assistant conductor for the KU choirs.

Khloud Ashraf Farouk Emam, from Egypt, is a graduate student in pharmacology and toxicology. She holds a bachelor’s degree in clinical pharmacy from Cairo University. Her research focuses on neuropharmacology, specifically Alzheimer’s Disease, the molecular mechanisms of the disease and the possible treatment targets.

Samuel Hasenpusch, from Germany, is a graduate student in business analytics. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf.

Angelina Kible, from Germany, is a graduate student in English. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Stuttgart, a longstanding KU partner. She is focused on American studies and Latinx studies.

Kaung Myat Kyaw, from Myanmar, is a graduate student in educational leadership and social policy. He has a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Technological University Sittwe. While at KU he will focus on public policy in education, curriculum development, and diversity and inclusion in education.

Nonhlakanipho Nomaphemba Ntuli, from South Africa, is a graduate student in construction management. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in construction management from the University of Johannesburg.

Alexa Carola Paredes Zambrano, from Ecuador, is a graduate student in film and media studies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international affairs from Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador. She will be researching the decolonization of media in the global south.

Margarita Rivera Arrivillaga, from Guatemala, is a doctoral student in anthropology. She holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of the Valley of Guatemala and a master’s degree in demography from The College of Mexico, a KU partner institution. Her current research focuses on participatory methods and how they can be used to enact public policy.

Other Fulbright Foreign students include Sabrina Karoui, from Germany; Ernestina Lukas, from Namibia; and Sujit Maharjan, from Nepal.

Foreign Language Teaching Assistants visiting for the 2024-2025 academic year:

Johnson Opeyemi Adegbola, from Nigeria, is teaching Yoruba for the Department of African & African-American Studies. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English education and is completing a master’s degree in English language from Obafemi Awolowo University.

Alp Çiftçi, from Turkey, is teaching Turkish for the Department of Slavic, German and Eurasian Studies. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Western languages and literature from Karadeniz Technical University and a master’s degree in English language teaching from Maltepe University.

Sena Karayağız, from Turkey, is teaching Turkish for the Department of Slavic, German & Eurasian Studies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature from Erciyes University.

Nataliia Kasianchuk, from Ukraine, is teaching Ukrainian for the Department of Slavic, German & Eurasian Studies. She holds a master’s degree in philology from Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University and worked as a senior lecturer in its Department of Polish Philology and Translation.

M'hammed Kharbouch, from Morocco, is teaching Arabic for the Department of African & African-American Studies. He holds a bachelor’s degree in teaching English as a second language from Mohammed V University and a master’s degree in multilingual and interdisciplinary translation from Moulay Ismail University.

Mahliyo Mahmudova, from Tajikistan, is teaching Persian and Tajik languages for the Department of Slavic, German & Eurasian Studies. She holds a master’s degree from Tajik State University.

Mercedes Velarde Acurio, from Peru, is teaching Quechua for the Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Saint Anthony University of Cusco.

The Fulbright Program, the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government, offers more than 8,000 grants each year to U.S. and foreign students, scholars, teachers, artists, scientists and professionals.