UVU Professor of marketing, Paul Dishman, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to lecture and research at the University of Donja Gorica (UDG) in Montenegro during Spring 2010.
“The purpose of the Fulbright Program is to bring American cultural exchange down to a very personal level, for both the scholars and those they touch in the host country,” Dishman said.
The program is an educational exchange sponsored by the U.S. Department of State which has given nearly 300,000 students, teachers, professionals and scholars the opportunity to travel throughout more than 155 countries since its establishment in 1946.
“The Fulbright experience provides a multitude of opportunities for both professional and personal growth,” Dishman said. “You get to submerse yourself in a culture, different from your own, for an extended period of time.”
The traditional Fulbright Scholar Program sponsors 800 U.S. academics and professionals to travel abroad yearly to lecture and conduct research.
“My objective is to identify opportunities for private enterprise in order to expand Montenegro’s economy,” Dishman said. “They have a need for understanding current market opportunity analysis techniques in order to expand their business base and the country’s economic structure.”
Having only recently declared it’s independence on June 3, 2006, Montenegro has a considerable amount of work to do when it comes to economic development. Dishman claimed that Montenegrin students need supplementary preparation in order to function in a global economy, saying that the concepts commonly learned by UVU business students are completely new to the entire economic thinking of Montenegro.
“I think that seeing my American life and point of view through the lens of people with vastly different background and culture will be an education in itself,” Dishman said.
By working among both students and business leaders, Dishman will not only gain an increased understanding of the needs characteristic to the Montenegrin community, but will discover fresh approaches to teaching which will benefit his students at UVU.
“From my experience I hope to return as a better professor and teacher,” Dishman said.
As an opportunity for students, the Fulbright U.S. Student Grant sponsors students in areas such as the sciences, professional fields, and the creative and performing arts. Students interested in researching it further should visit their website at www.fulbrightonline.org.
“For those UVU students that want an international academic experience, I strongly urge them to contact the Fulbright program and apply,” Dishman said.
