Cornell doctoral students Mary-Kate Long and Jiwon Baik have received Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) fellowships from the U.S. Department of Education.
The prestigious fellowships, managed at Cornell by the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, will take Long to Myanmar and Baik to China.
Fulbright-Hays fellowships cover travel, living and research expenses for six to 12 months for the students and their families. All awardees must conduct their research in languages other than English.
Long, a doctoral student in , will travel to Yangon, Myanmar, to study the work of women鈥檚 communities, including a Buddhist nunnery. Long鈥檚 project aims to create an updated ethnographic portrait of Buddhist institutions and how change is inspired within religious landscapes. Affiliated with the Inya Institute, Long鈥檚 study will be carried out in Burmese, one of the major Southeast Asian languages that Cornell offers to students.
鈥淚 am really looking forward to the pace of a longer-term research project,鈥 Long said. 鈥淢y prior fieldwork trips have only been four to eight weeks long. I am also excited to introduce my son, Reed, who turns 1 this November, to my friends and colleagues in Myanmar.鈥
Baik, a doctoral student in , will study China鈥檚 Belt and Road Initiative, an infrastructure and global investment plan, including consequences of its implementation and globalization strategies.
鈥淏efore college, I got the opportunity to visit China and was amazed at the sheer scale of the vibrant economy there,鈥 Baik said. 鈥淪ince then, I鈥檝e been searching for answers to one question: What are the driving forces behind such a rapidly developing economy?鈥
With eight regional and thematic programs, the Einaudi Center is Cornell鈥檚 hub for research and teaching about the world鈥檚 places, people, cultures and languages.
鈥淐ornell is known for its area programs, and because of the number of languages taught here, the school is a leading institution for procuring Fulbright-Hays [awards],鈥 said , Cornell鈥檚 Fulbright adviser. 鈥淪tudents receive both high-quality language and area training. This is a crucial part of what makes them strong, competitive applicants.鈥
Priya Pradhan 鈥22 is a writing intern at the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies.
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