Hosting international scholars through the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program is a crucial way East Lansing and MSU further their global reach, city officials said.
The program, organized through the U.S. Department of State, is run through 18 U.S. universities and brings in about 200 Fellows each year for study and professional experiences across the country. The program has more than 4,000 alumni in 157 countries across the globe — including 78 Fellows from 53 countries to MSU.
The Humphrey Fellows program at MSU is run through the Center for Advanced Study of International Development, or CASID.
The goal of the program is to develop international mid-professional level students and generate contacts for the United States, said Ashley Green, assistant coordinator of the Humphrey Fellows at the CASID.
“We’re helping the Fellows by putting them in professional situations that will benefit their careers,” Green said. “We bring in 12 to 15 world renowned scholars a year for a 10-month stay.”
Green said the city plays a significant role in the program by hosting Fellows with internships in the local government. East Lansing has been a part of the program for the past seven years.
The city plays a relatively small role in the program, but it does benefit from the world travelers, East Lansing City Manager Ted Staton said.
“We primarily offer them exposure to how the local government works,” Staton said. “But the city gains exposure to the culture and government of the countries that the Fellows are from.”
The city has hosted interns from countries such as Nepal, Liberia, Zambia, Grenada, Vietnam, Ghana and Malawi, Staton said. He said one of the most unique aspects of the program is the research the Fellows do.
“We don’t engage them with a specific project,” Staton said. “If they want to, they pick a certain area and we facilitate that research.”
Staton said one recent Fellow conducted research on street lights and what could be saved by switching to LED lights.
East Lansing City Councilmember Kevin Beard said the city’s participation in the program helps raise respect for the city.
“It shows that East Lansing is recognized as a place of good government with a great professional staff to help the Fellows,” Beard said. “It speaks highly of our organized government.”
Although East Lansing is a college town, with international programs at MSU, it’s important to have international interaction within the city as well, Beard said.
“We need to focus on international news and what’s happening in the rest of the world,” Beard said. “I think it’s good for us to have as much exposure as possible.”
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
