Fulbright Hikayat (Stories) is a series of blogs celebrating the 75th anniversary, where alumni write stories on their Fulbright journey and the impact it has had on their lives.
Hikayat #1: Education and Exchange: Reflecting on my Fulbright Year in Morocco
“As a Fulbrighter, I researched the non-formal education system in Morocco, which helps students who have dropped out of school or otherwise did not have the chance to attend public school.”
Hikayat #2: Becoming an Anthropologist: A Rite of Passage for a US Fulbrighter in Morocco
Gwyneth Talley conducted her Fulbright research with women horseback riders in Morocco, exploring how they navigate their way in the male-dominated field of horseback riding.
Hikayat #3: Musings of an anthropologist mom in Morocco
Professor Dubel’s Fulbright was full of rich experience and visits from special friends that made her year more memorable. Tara visited six rural Amazigh communities, interviewing women about the work and challenges of Argan oil cooperatives.
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Hikayat #4: Designing a New Pottery Kiln Powered by Solid Waste and Methane Gas
Hikayat #5: A Fulbright teacher
”I now feel blessed to be a member of this large family whom I can resort to for guidance and recommendation or even sharing purposes. I am a better global citizen, an agent of change and a better version of myself.”
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Hikayat #6: The Trees of Morocco: The Role of Humor in Cultural Diplomacy
”You may be wondering what I, an American with a bachelor’s degree in Islamic studies and no botanical expertise, had to say about the plant life of the Maghreb. As it happened, my audience of Americans and Moroccans had the exact same question.”
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Hikayat #7: The Study of Religion: A Joint Moroccan-American Project
Paul Heck is a Professor of Theology and Islamic Studies at Georgetown University. Paul focuses on the role of religion in today’s world. Read more about his Fulbright experience in Morocco.
Hikayat #8
”When I visited towards the beginning of my Fulbright grant, I was unsure if I had entered the Jewish quarter until I noticed old carvings of the Star of David above the doors of several homes. I hoped that these few days in Essaouira would provide an introduction to the Jewish history that I had overlooked two years prior.”
Hikayat #9
”When I reflect on my time in Morocco as a Fulbright recipient, the program events that connected grantees stand out as highlights. However, the aspects that made an indelible impression on me extend beyond the scope of those activities.”
Hikayat #10: Fulbright must be a synonym of “Growth”
”At a moment, unexpectedly, one of the students stood up and left the class without saying a word. It made me anxious and concerned. I kept myself busy explaining the rest of the lesson but was worried about what might have gone wrong for him to leave…”
Hikayat #11
“Liqah (Vaccine). Kamama (Mask). Al-Taba3d al-ijtam3ia (Social distancing). My Arabic notebooks, which now sit in stacks in my Tetouan apartment, reflect the reality of a pandemic Fulbright.”