MSU Moorhead Announces Fulbright Award for 2021-22
Social work Professor Nandita Bezbaruah to teach graduate course and conduct research in India
MSUM is pleased to announce that Dr. Nandita Bezbaruah, an Associate Professor of Social Work, has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award for the 2021-2022 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
Bezbaruah is one of over 800 U.S. citizens who will conduct research and/or teach abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Fulbrighters engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions. Upon returning to their home countries, institutions, labs and classrooms, they share their stories and often become active supporters of international exchange, inviting foreign scholars to campus and encouraging colleagues and students to go abroad.
For this fellowship, Dr. Bezbaruah will offer a graduate-level course on Ethics and Mental Health at Assam Don Bosco University, Guwahati, India. She will also conduct research involving the PROMISE for HIP model, a community-level prevention model intended to increase treatment-seeking behavior and reduce risk-seeking behavior.
“The fellowship will allow me to conduct field studies on mental health issues, especially suicide, which is a growing concern across the world and the United States, including Minnesota,” Bezbaruah said. “However, there is a lot of stigma on seeking help for mental health issues. The research findings will help plan interventions to address the issues related to the prevention of suicidal deaths. The research will make a difference for the affected and help develop training and pedagogical tools for mental health professionals and students.”
“I am so proud of Dr. Bezbaruah’s Fulbright award. This brings great distinction to MSUM, and this experience will further the expertise of Dr. Bezbaruah as a professor, scholar, and mentor,” said Dr. Arrick Jackson, MSUM’s Vice President of Academic Affairs. “There are many benefits that this experience will provide our university. Among them will be an enhanced student learning experience by allowing Dr. Bezbaruah to bring the world to her classrooms. I look forward to her return and having a campus conversation about his experience. Again, I and all of MSUM congratulate Dr. Bezbaruah on this significant achievement.”
About the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government. It is designed to forge lasting connections between the United States and the people of other countries, counter misunderstandings, and help people and nations work together toward common goals. Since its establishment in 1946, the Fulbright Program has enabled more than 390,000 dedicated and accomplished students, scholars, artists, teachers, and professionals of all backgrounds to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and find solutions to shared international concerns. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program, which operates in more than 160 countries worldwide.
Fulbrighters address critical global challenges in all disciplines while building relationships, knowledge, and leadership in support of the long-term interests of the United States. Fulbright alumni have achieved distinction in many fields, including 60 who have been awarded the Nobel Prize, 86 who have received Pulitzer Prizes, and 37 who have served as a head of state or government.
In the United States, the Institute of International Education supports the implementation of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, including conducting an annual competition for the scholarships.
For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit http://eca.state.gov/fulbright.