News        from ABAC

Michael D. Chason Director of Public Relations ABAC 30 -- 2802 Moore Highway Tifton, GA 31793-2601 Phone 229-391-5055 Fax 229-391-5051 mchason@abac.edu

IMMEDIATE March 19, 2009

ABAC RECEIVES $76,425 FULBRIGHT-HAYS GRANT

TIFTON--Faculty members at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College as well as area school teachers will visit Brazil on June 5-July 4 as a result of a Fulbright-Hays Grant in the amount of $76,425 awarded to ABAC by the U. S. Department of Education Office of International Education.

The USDE grant will provide an opportunity for 13-15 faculty members from ABAC and other University System of Georgia institutions and area K-12 teachers to learn more about the people and cultures of Brazil based on four weeks of study and travel.

“The Fulbright Grant is one of the most prestigious scholarships that members of the academic community can receive in their lifetime, and we are delighted that ABAC has now received two Fulbright grants,” ABAC President David Bridges said. “This is an unprecedented event in the history of our college.”

ABAC was awarded a similar grant in 1999 which enabled 15 faculty members and teachers from ABAC and other schools to study in Japan for four weeks.

Professor Rajgopal Sashti, International Education Advisor and Director of the Nine University and College International Studies Consortium, said the primary purpose of the grant is to help faculty members overcome stereotypical images based on firsthand experiences, provide greater coverage to less well known world regions in various courses and to promote mutual understanding between the United States and other countries through educational and cultural exchange.

A recipient of three Fulbright scholarships to Germany, Japan and Brazil, Sashti has enabled ABAC and the Consortium to emerge as a leader in international education among universities and colleges which emphasize teaching and learning. In connection with his professional activities, he has traveled in more than 30 countries and over the years has served as an International Advisor to numerous public and private institutions in Georgia and across the country.

To learn more about the grant and to participate in the study/travel opportunity in Brazil, interested persons can e-mail Sashti at rsashti@abac.edu.

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