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Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE U.S. Department of State and mtvU Unveil The First Fulbright-mtvU Fellowships Fiona Apple, James Mercer of The Shins, Common,
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and mtvU, MTV’s 24-hour college network, announced today the first four winners of the Fulbright-mtvU Fellowships, inaugurated this year to promote “the power of music” as a global force for mutual understanding. The new Fellowships, administered by the Institute of International Education, were awarded to Larnies Bowen of New York University, Phally Chroy of Temple University, James Collins of Harvard University, and Aaron Shneyer of Georgetown University. Recipients were chosen through a multi-tiered, merit-based selection process by panels of academic leaders and area experts. Musical icons Fiona Apple, James Mercer of The Shins, Common, and Perry Farrell of Satellite Party reviewed and nominated the top qualified candidates and final selection was made by the Presidentially-appointed Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. The first four Fulbright-mtvU Fellowship winners will conduct research abroad for one academic year on study projects of their own design around an aspect of international musical culture. Winners will share their experiences with their peers during their Fulbright year via video reports, blogs and podcasts that will be showcased on mtvU and mtvU.com. Through the creation of this new fellowship, the U.S. Department of State and mtvU are promoting the role of music in mutual understanding, invigorating interest in international education among U.S. college and university students, and furthering the positive impact of public-private partnerships. As a result of overwhelming response to the inaugural cycle, the Fulbright program and mtvU also announced today that they are launching their search for the next Fulbright-mtvU Fellows. Applications will be accepted through October 19, 2007 and more information is available at http://www.us.fulbrightonline.org. Inaugural Fulbright-mtvU Fellowships Larnies Bowen, who graduated, cum laude, from New York University with a B.A. in Individualized Study (Deconstructing National Identity in the Hispanophone Caribbean) will travel to Panama to study Spanish Reggae music as a vehicle for understanding West Indian-Panamanian identity, culture, and collective experience. She will culminate the academic year by producing an audio-visual history of Panamanian Reggae music to be used as an educational supplement in Panamanian and American schools. Phally Chroy, who is pursuing a Masters of Fine Arts at Temple University in Film and Media Arts, will travel to Cambodia to make a documentary examining the reclamation of Cambodia’s lost musical heritage of the 1950s and 60s – music outlawed during the reign of the Khmer Rouge regime – and how the post-Khmer generation has used this music to reconstruct their identity and rediscover their cultural roots. James Collins, who will graduate from Harvard University in June 2007 with a Bachelors of Arts in Visual and Environmental Studies, will travel to South Africa to create a documentary film exploring the impact and influence of marching band music on underprivileged South African youth. Aaron Shneyer, who earned a Bachelors of Arts in Anthropology from Georgetown University, will travel to Jerusalem to develop a year-long music program bringing together Israeli and Palestinian high school students to write and play music together, culminating in performances in their own communities. The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational program supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world and sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. The Fulbright Program has provided more than 279,000 participants with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, to exchange ideas and to contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. Broadcasting to 750 colleges across the country, with a combined enrollment of over 7.2 million, mtvU is the largest, most comprehensive television network just for college students. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, mtvU can be seen in the dining areas, fitness centers, student lounges and dorm rooms of campuses throughout the U.S. mtvU is dedicated to every aspect of college life, reaching students everywhere they are – on-air, online and on campus. mtvU focuses on content including music videos from emerging artists, news, student life features, events and pro-social initiatives. For more information about mtvU, please visit http://www.mtvU.com. Media inquiries about Fulbright-mtvU Fellowships or other programs managed by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (http://exchanges.state.gov/) may be directed to Darlene Kirk, 202-203-7616.
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