Duquesne University Times

Fulbright Scholars on Campus Hope to Bring Sustainability to Homelands

Posted on December 12, 2012

DU has become a home for many selective elite international programs, including The Fulbright, the flagship of the U.S. Department of State programs designed to build emerging leaders from many cultures.

Arriving on campus this semester are Fulbright scholars Dina Sanioura of Palestine, who will receive a Master’s of Business Administration from the School of Business, and Sadaf Tehmina of Pakistan, who will earn a Master’s in Environmental Science and Management from the Center for Environmental Research and Education. Both have a strong interest in sustainability initiatives and regulations.

Sanioura has recognized that major companies in Palestine do not issue sustainability reports and she wants to help create an impact on concerns like these when she graduates.

“I hope to lead the sustainability initiatives in Palestine and start educating people about how to live sustainably— particularly companies,” said Sanioura.

Sanioura is not a stranger to American universities, with an undergraduate degree from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. As Fulbright scholars, they have the opportunity to attend seminars on multidisciplinary concerns such as global food security.

The two students will be sponsored by the Fulbright Program until their degrees are completed and both will return to their homelands, helping to bring positive economic movements with their acquired degrees.

For Duquesne students looking to apply to the prestigious program can find support right on campus, said Joseph DeCrosta, director of international programs.  “We hope by this mentoring program we will create more success stories,” he said.

Within the past five years, four Duquesne students have been selected as Fulbright Scholars.

Faculty members are urged to encourage students to apply for national prestigious scholarship and fellowships.