I see education in a new perspective now as we were taught how much impact we could give to our students and at the same time help to prepare these leaders for the next generations in the right path. During the program, there was a lot of emphasis on being a global citizen. We attended two classes related to it during the academic session. We were also given the chance to participate in a special project at CSU Chico called the “International Forum.” Every week people who contributed or worked in education through international projects would give presentations and it was a special project for us to present as well because we gathered all the data from our different home countries to talk about the challenges and potential solutions of teaching during a pandemic in an effort to create a useful resource for teachers from around the world to use as reference. The Fulbright program allows us to be involved in the big community of educational exchange connecting us with alumni from around the globe. My colleagues, the international teachers, have started planning collaborations for leveraging our network in future projects as well as encouraging our teachers and students in our home countries to apply to the Fulbright and actively engage in global citizenship.”

“After a fruitful academic and cultural experience in the U.S., I came back to Malaysia as a transformed person with a new mindset and newly gained resources for language teaching. As I was already teaching English Language and Literature courses, I gave my students firsthand accounts of my experience and all of the benefits of the program. I’ve also conducted trainings for my English Department colleagues, sharing the knowledge I gained during my FLTA experience. I am also actively involved with the Fulbright Alumni Association Malaysia (FAAM), as a committee member, coordinating and helping them to carry out talks, events, and projects aimed and growing the Fulbright family in Malaysia.

The program also was the catalyst for my next adventure, pursuing a Ph.D. in Education. I am humbled that my Fulbright experience has opened the door for me to the world and beyond. I have fostered a global mindset, which I believe is vital for an educator. I not only continue to keep in touch with professors and educators around the world, but I have also developed incredible lifelong friendships and connections. Fulbright has uplifted my confidence and given me a chance to prove what I can do personally and professionally. Because of the program, my dreams have grown exponentially.”

“I applied to the Fulbright not only because of the reputation, but also the prestigious alumni who have excelled in all fields including my own: Music. The program allowed me to immerse myself in the experience of being a global citizen which was a catalyst for my mind to be open, free, creative, and inventive.

I connected and established rapport with not only Americans but also international scholars through the composers’ colloquium at Harvard. I attended almost 50 events and concerts in the Boston area such as the Boston Conservatory of Music, New England Conservatory of Music, Boston University School of Music, Berklee College of Music, and Harvard Radcliffe Institute amongst many others.

While at Harvard, I made it a point to share my Malaysian culture through a talk at the composer’s colloquium organized by the postgraduate composition students at the Music Department. Later that year, I also presented my composition work called ‘Opera Puteri Saadong’ which has elements of Malaysian culture such as ‘Makyong’ and gamelan to share with communities in Japan and England too. I personally was able to expand my understanding of other cultures by participating in local Tango dance events and attending recitals, talks, and seminars to understand more about the musical culture in the U.S. and how it parallels Malaysian culture.

After the program, I received many awards including the highest national academic awardsin arts and creativity ‘Anugerah Akademik Negara 2017: Seni & Kreaviti’ and Top 10Legendary Composer Award 2019 in Malaysia. I am appointed as the Dean Faculty of MusicUiTM, President of the Society of Malaysian Contemporary Composers (SMCC), Vice President of the Fulbright Alumni Association Malaysia (FAAM) and new coming up creative works ‘Opera Serikandi Nusantara’ funded and supported by CENDANA. All these journeys has contributed to the professorship that I received in April 2022.”

“Being accepted into the Malaysian Graduate Study and Research Program was a dream come true. My pursuit of a Master’s in Educational Policy and Leadership was realized at the State University of New York, Albany (SUNY). As a public school teacher of 7 years, championing education reform in a rural indigenous school in Malaysia, I came to the realization that I had a gap in knowledge, global experience, and exposure. I looked for opportunities to bridge that gap, to ensure that I could serve and contribute to Malaysian education better. In my search, I was blessed to have had the opportunity to engage with a number of Fulbright alumni. Their passionate stories and the glimmer in their eyes belied the passion of their amazing experiences, and how they grew and learned from their time in the program made Fulbright the right choice for me.

What was most memorable about the experience were the frequent critical discourse and debates, comparing policies of different countries all in an effort to make the world a better place. I am blessed to have witnessed the true essence of global citizenship firsthand through my Fulbright experience, that when like-minded people come together, we can change the world.”