Boren Scholarship Applications are Open
The national deadline for the Boren Scholarship is Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 11:59pm (EST).
Undergraduate students who plan on studying in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, or the Middle East should be made aware of this opportunity.
Boren Scholarships are funded by the National Security Education Program (NSEP) and provide American undergraduate students with resources to acquire skills and experiences in areas of the world critical to the future security of our nation. The maximum funding amounts for undergraduate students are
* Academic year: $20,000
* Semester: $10,000
* Summer: $8,000 (Summer-only programs must be 8 weeks or longer and are limited to science, technology, engineering and mathematics students.)
In exchange for this funding, students commit to seek work in the federal government. After spending at least one year in a government position with relevance to national security, some choose to remain in the federal arena while others use their newly acquired skills as global professionals in the business, medical, or engineering fields as well as countless others.
The current application deadline is for study that would begin Summer 2011, Fall 2011, and/or Spring 2012. In the application, students should identify how their study abroad program, as well as their future academic and career goals, will contribute to U.S. national security, recognizing that the scope of national security has expanded to include not only the traditional concerns of protecting and promoting American well-being, but also the challenges of global society, including sustainable development, environmental degradation, global disease and hunger, population growth and migration, and economic competitiveness.
For more information about the Boren Scholarship, the service requirement, or the application, visit http://www.borenawards.org/.
You may also want to contact your campus representative<http://borenawards.org/institutions> or the Boren Scholarship staff (1-800-618-NSEP or boren [at] iie [dot] org<mailto:boren [at] iie [dot] org>)
Osaka Kuidaore!
Written by Kate Maruyama, CET Japan and Vietnam Programs Manager.
I live in a US metropolis where you can easily get any kind of Japanese food. Some of it at swanky restaurants and some from the asian supermarket, but in general I haven’t had a problem getting the foods that I loved while in Osaka. But then, I returned to Osaka for a stint and remembered how much BETTER the Japanese food in Osaka is than in the US. Should be obvious, right? And I remembered all the foods I can’t get in the US that I loved. Here’s a list of my top Japanese foods. Did your favorite make the list?
1. Maguro sushi. Thick slices for really cheap. The mixed set of 8 pieces is 500 yen at the grocery store.
2. Okonomiyaki. The ones I make never turn out as delicious…
3. Kimuchi takoyaki (hold the octopus please)
4. Mozuku. This is particularly good if it comes as part of a gorgeous traditional (Okinawan) dinner. Not so cheap, but worth it at least once.
5. Nankotsu Karaage (deep fried chicken cartilage! yum! No one seems to like it as much as I do though…)
6. Mochi. Any kind. But preferably green with anko. Or else in ice cream.
7. Bukkake udon. Who knew raw eggs tasted this good! And the tempura that comes with it! Yum!
8. Miso Ramen. This tastes particularly good if it is really dark outside.
9. Arufo-do. These cookies are my favorite.
10. Salmon grilled with salt (sake shio aji). For some reason, this seemingly easy dish never comes out for me. It must be the fresh fish used in Osaka.
Honorable Mention. Spinach (or any vegetable really) with sesame dressing. Traditional. Simple. Tasty. Healthy. Cheap.
Osaka is famous for its “kuidaore” or “eat until you drop” motto. Delicious, cheap food is everywhere! Another saying is that in Tokyo, people brag about how much they spend on something whereas in Osaka they brag about how little they spend on something. I am glad to be in Osaka!
I live in a US metropolis where you can easily get any kind of Japanese food. Some of it at swanky restaurants and some from the asian supermarket, but in general I haven’t had a problem getting the foods that loved while in Osaka. But then, I returned to Osaka for a stint and remembered how much BETTER the Japanese food in Osaka is than in the US. Should be obvious, right? And I remembered all the foods I can’t get in the US that I loved. Here’s a list of my top Japanese foods. Did your favorite make the list?
1. Maguro sushi. Thick slices for really cheap. The mixed set of 8 pieces is 500 yen at the grocery store.
2. Okonomiyaki. The ones I make never turn out as delicious…
3. Kimuchi takoyaki (hold the octopus please)
4. Mozuku. This is particularly good if it comes as part of a gorgeous traditional (Okinawan) dinner. Not so cheap, but worth it at least once.
5. Nankotsu Karaage (deep fried chicken cartilage! yum! No one seems to like it as much as I do though…)
6. Mochi. Any kind. But preferably green with anko. Or else in ice cream.
7. Bukkake udon. Who knew raw eggs tasted this good! And the tempura that comes with it! Yum!
8. Miso Ramen. This tastes particularly good if it is really dark outside.
9. Arufo-do. These cookies are my favorite.
10. Salmon grilled with salt (sake shio aji). For some reason, this seemingly easy dish never comes out for me. It must be the fresh fish used in Osaka.
Honorable Mention. Spinach (or any vegetable really) with sesame dressing. Traditional. Simple. Tasty. Healthy. Cheap.
Osaka is famous for its “kuidaore” or “eat until you drop” motto. Delicious, cheap food is everywhere! Another saying is that in Tokyo, people brag about how much they spend on something whereas in Osaka they brag about how little they spend on something. I am glad to be in Osaka!
Post Summer-in-China Top Ten
Culture meets city. It's definitely an experience living in such a rapidly developing city with so many scenic and historical sites.
It’s been about a week since CET Hangzhou ended and while I’m slowly adjusting back to reality (relatively speaking since I’m still in Europe and on summer vacation so not quite reality) and life away from China and all of the wonderful people I met there. I realize that my blog has been overwhelmingly positive (because my experience was incredible), but for fairness sake, my last post will attempt to be a little more balanced.
With that said, I’ve painstakingly created two top ten lists about my experience. The first list is things I missed while in China and the second, things I will miss about China. The order doesn’t reflect importance. I can’t include everything here, but hopefully it’ll give you an idea of some of the lifestyle differences.
Enjoy!
Playing majiang!
Bye Prague!!!
Final Blog for my summer in Prague
I remember ever since my sister studied abroad in Florence, I had been captivated by her stories and experiences. From that young age, I knew that I wanted to study abroad somewhere to see more of the world and to challenge my comfort zone. For me, coming to Prague was the fulfillment of this dream and it has been a great adventure. The beauty of the country, from Cesky Krumlov’s picturesque setting to Prague’s medieval streets, always shocked me. But equally important were the unexpected outings, such as helping out at the Jewish community center and hearing people’s
Our Summer Group
amazing life stories. In the end, it was the people, both the Czechs and my fellow peers on the program, which made my experience what it was. It wasn’t always smooth sailing, as many times I wished that I could just find someone who spoke English and could tell me where I was or what I should do. But from these experiences you learn to overcome your initial helplessness and become more self reliant in the process. My courses captivated me because we could actually walk out and see where the Czechs marched to protest communism, where the free radio station broadcasted Western news, and see local artifacts at the Museum of Communism. We also looked at the Holocaust and how it is still poignant in people’s minds and affects our collective memory. It’s hard to sum up all that I’ve experienced and learned, but overall I feel like I challenged myself to understand different perspectives from my own. From day to day dialogues, I was reminded that my own American experience is not the only one in the world, and nor is it better by any means. People all over the world do things differently and this is neither ‘bad’ nor ‘good’ but just an alternative that needs to be appreciated for its own merits. I definitely know that this open mindedness will stick with me through life.
Thanks everyone for making my experience so special, and I have to say that if anyone reading this is thinking about studying abroad, you should definitely do it.
Written by Alex Scott (Washington University – St. Louis) , Central European Studies in Prague, Summer 2010
CET Academic Programs