U.S. Plans Fellowships for Graduate Students

The prize was a fellowship for up to two years of graduate or professional study in the United States. Last week in Moscow more than 1 000 you at Russians turned out to pick up application forms on the first day they were available. Next 160 suc­cessful applicants all of them citizens of Russia or other former republics or the Soviet Union, will be on U.S. campuses as members of the first class of Benjamin Franklin Fellows.

The details of the program, which has won $7-million in support from Congress for each of its first two years were announced here by the United States Information Agency which is coordinat­ing the project. The fellowships will be awarded for graduate study in business administration, economics law and public administration. A candidate must be under 40 years of age and college graduate.

This represents an intelligent invest­ment on the run of the U.S. in building dem­ocratic institutions in the whole region said Mr. Davidson, an executive director of the American Council of Teachers of Russian-American Council for Collaboration in Education and Language Study group. This is one of the four U.S. Academic Exchange organizations elected to administer the program. The others are: the Institutions of International Education, the International Research and Exchanges Board and the Soros' Foundation.

It is expected there would be about 20,000 applicants for the 160 fellowship and about 2,000 would be asked to submit to academic and English Language testing. Franklin Fellows will be selected on basis of test-scores academic excellence and per­sonal interviews.

Mr. Davidson said the existence of the program would "stimulate future contacts among individuals and institutions in all the affected disciplines and contribute greatly to mutual understanding and fel­lowship," he said.

At a press conference in Moscow to announce the new program, U.S. Ambassador stressed how the winners would be selected in a free and open competition. In each of the four areas of study, fel­lowships will be awarded for two-year courses of study leading to a degree, and for one-year, non-degree program. All fel­lowships will include an 8- to 12-week internship with an academic or business organization Recipients will come to the United States on "J" visas that will be good only for the term of their fellowship. The visa restriction would overcome any con­cerns that the program would contribute to a brain drain from Russia and other for­mer Soviet republics.

"The program is designed to support the economic and democratic reforms in those countries," the USA representative said, and as with all our exchanges including the Fulbright program, participant are required to go back home where they can put to use what they’ve learned". “The Franklin Fellowship,” she added, was the first major U.S. government educa­tion effort in the former Soviet Union." While some graduate students had come to the United States under the Fulbright pro­gram, the numbers were never very large.

It is expected that American universities as well as other U.S. organizations and busi­nesses would help to support the program through tuition waivers and internships "We're hoping this will augment and enhance program," she said. But we are prepared the full 7-million authorized for this year and next.

Pamela Snyder, administrator of the fel­lowship at the American Council of Teachers of Russian, said the program would hold benefits even for those not selected 'Approximately 10 candidates will be tested and interviewed each fellowship," she said. “And the process may pro­vide even unsuccessful candidates useful expe­rience which may contribute to their applica­tions to other programs.”

By Paul Desruisseaaux

(Невзорова Г.Д., Никитушкина Г.И. Учебник английского языка

для неязыковых вузов. СПб.: Издательство «Союз», 2002. С. 182-185.)

Vocabulary

fellowship – оплаченная (фон­дом) стажировка; стипендия с целью прохождения стажировки

graduate – выпускной, выпу­скник

aid – помогать

fellow – человек, парень, това­рищ, собрат, член научного общества

turn out – оказываться

pick up – забирать

application form – бланк заяв­ления

applicant – претендент

fall – осень (амер.)

announce – объявлять

award – вручать, награждать

fluent English – свободно вла­деющий английским языком

distribute – распространять, распределять

purpose – цель

support – поддерживать

intelligent – зд.: интеллекту­альный

executive – исполнительный

council – совет

board – совет

collaboration – сотрудничество

administer – распоряжаться

research – исследование

benefit – выгода, польза

training – обучение

assume – полагать

emerge – возникать, появлять­ся

submit – зд.: подвергнуться, пройти

test scores – результаты тестов (в очках)

recruiting – набор

academic excellence – академи­ческая успеваемость (высокая)

be responsible for – отвечать за, быть ответственным за

competition – состязание, конкуренция

existence – существование

individuals – отдельные, ча­стные лица

affected – затрагиваемый, относящийся к

mutual – взаимный

selection – отбор

announce – объявлять

ambassador – посол

stress – подчеркивать

involve – включать, вовле­кать, задействовать

run the program – вести, осуществлять программу

obtain – получать, достигать, добиваться;

in person – лично

request – запросить

lead (to) – привести (к)

degree – зд.: ученая степень

internship – стажировка

recipient – получатель

term – срок, период

avoid – избегать

brain drain – утечка мозгов

(sub-)division – подразделение, отдел

under which – согласно ко­торому

restriction – ограничение

overcome – преодолевать

concern – забота, беспокойство

contribute – вкладывать

designed – предназначен­ный (для)

support – поддерживать

require – требовать(-ся)

augment – увеличиваться

enhance – увеличивать, повы­шать, усиливать

authorize – зд.: выделять, предназначать

Word Study

Ex 9. Match the phrases with their Russian equivalents:

1) field of study	a) на основании результатов тестов
2) the legislation’s purpose	b) исполнительный директор
3) executive director	c) нарождающийся частный сектор
4) council for collaboration	d) бланк заявки/заявления
5) visa restrictions	e) свободно владеющий английским
6) policymaker	f) сфера исследования
7) national government	g) все затрагиваемые дисциплины (науки)
8) emerging private sector	h) визовые ограничения
9) research and exchanges board	i) совет по сотрудничеству
10) on the basis of test scores	j) госслужащие, консультирующие студентов
11) academic excellence	k) набор на местах
12) on-site recruiting	l) основанный на заслугах
13) all the affected disciplines	m) цель данного закона
14) merit-based	n) политик
15) student-counseling officers	o) правительство страны
16) application form	p) хорошая успеваемость
17) fluent in English	q) совет по научным обменам
18) to get in person	r) распространять по всему региону
19) to oversee the program	s) способствовать демократическому развитию
20) to be responsible for	t) поддержать программу
21) to administer the program	u) отвечать за
22) to support the democratic development	v) руководить программой
23) to award fellowships	w) наблюдать за программой
24) to distribute across the region	x) получать лично
25) to back the program	y) вручать стипендии

Ex 10. Translate the following words and phrases from the text and use them, in the translation below.

To stimulate contacts among the individuals; in the affected disci­plines; to stress; mutual understanding; U.S. Ambassador; to be select­ed in a free and open competition; winner; two-year courses leading to a degree; to award fellowships; requirement; participant; to use the received knowledge in practice; former; competition winners; appli­cation form; to be available; to have an internship; campus; as B. Franklin Fellows; next fall; applicant; to complete; for graduate study in economics; to back; to aid; to support; to distribute across the region; democratic development; policy makers; to take positions; in local and national governments; fluent English; academic excellence; to promote; personal interview.

Comprehension Check

Ex 11. Answer the following questions.

1. What is a fellowship? 2. How many fellowships will be awarded to the applicants? 3. What countries will be represented in the competition? 4. What are the four spheres to be supported? 5. What are the requirements to the applicants? 6. Due to what / who the program was made possible? 7. What is the purpose of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act? 8. What organizations will administer the program? 9. What positions will the trainees take when returning back home after the internships? 10. What will the program stimulate/promote? 11. What did the U.S. Ambassador stress when announcing this pro­gram? 12. Where are student-counseling offices opened? Whatis their mis­sion? 13. What kind of visas will be given to the fellowship recipients? 14. In the whole, what is the program designed for? 15. How much money is allocated for fulfilling the program? 16. What is the length of the program?

Speaking

Ex 12. Fellowship – what does it mean?

a) sources of financing; b) mission; c) 4 spheres of study; d) length of internships;

Ex 13. Selection of applicants; requirements to them; their positions in future; expected results of the internships.