First Social Sciences International Ambassadors return from abroad

First Social Sciences International Ambassadors return from abroad

BY FRANZ BROTZEN
Rice News Staff

The first two students participating in the Social Sciences International Ambassador Program have returned to Rice with many stories to tell.

Seniors Mallory Johnson and Adnan Poonawala spent the fall semester in Cairo and Prague, respectively, as part of this program, which awards stipends to study abroad to Rice students majoring in social sciences. She is a political science and history major; he is majoring in economics and managerial studies.

	ADNAN POONAWALA		MALLORY JOHNSON

Both students are current Rice Ambassadors, a volunteer corp of students well-educated in Rice history and trained in the formalities of meeting with university VIP guests and international dignitaries. As international ambassadors, both Johnson and Poonawala were required to seek out local public leaders and business executives to interview and converse with in the same way they would on campus as Rice Ambassadors.

With more than 20 million inhabitants, “Cairo is a city for which any boisterous adjective applies — crowded, loud and enchanting,” said Johnson. “Living in Cairo requires an ample supply of flexibility, patience and bargaining skills. The people are incredibly friendly and eager to talk about their lives to whoever is willing to listen.”

Students selected for the International Ambassador Program work with Rice International Programs to find a university-approved program that complements their academic interests. They are eligible for $1,500 to enhance their international experience and are assigned an alumni mentor in their host countries.

Johnson studied at one of the premier institutions in Cairo, The American University. Although the school underwent a major relocation during her semester, Johnson was still able to contact and speak with many locals. One particular interview led her to the West Bank.

“After spending four nights in Jerusalem, we traveled to Nablus in the West Bank, where we met with the director of a rehabilitation clinic in the Askar refugee camp,” said Johnson. “It was by far the most interesting interview I conducted as an international ambassador.”

Poonawala’s focused on university officials in Prague who had made the transition from communism during their adult careers and how they had been affected by the change. He met with Pavel Chraska, the director of the Institute of Plasma Physics.

“I had little awareness of being in a country that was once dominated by inefficiencies and malpractices that existed during communist times,” said Poonawala. “Dr. Charska had managed to escape communism and came to America in order to gain his Ph.D. at Rice University in material physics and engineering in 1971.”

By the end of the semester, both students regarded their journeys abroad as eye-opening experiences that taught them much about the world outside of Houston. “I acquired a perspective that was unique and one that I would not have received here in the states,” said Poonawala. “It definitely added to my study-abroad experience in Prague.”