WASHINGTON — Cultural Vistas is pleased to announce the 2019 class of Edmund S. Muskie Internship Program interns.

This is the fifth year of the Edmund S. Muskie Internship Program, a summer internship program funded by the U.S. Department of State that provides emerging leaders from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia with the opportunity to gain real-world experience complementing and enriching their graduate school education in the United States.

Since 1992, the U.S. Department of State has provided thousands of graduate school fellowships for students from across Eurasia in order to build democracies, strengthen the transition to market economies, and establish a strong civil society. Cultural Vistas has built upon that foundation by providing hands-on, professional skill-building opportunities across the United States for nearly 250 graduate students over the last five years.

The class of 2019 brings together 50 graduate students currently studying in the United States through the Foreign Fulbright Program. This year’s interns hail from nine countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

“In our part of the world, we have so much ethnic and cultural diversity, but we also share a common history. I believe the Edmund S. Muskie program provides a great opportunity for us to build on that past and create a network of future leaders who will then bring a positive change to the region and to the world as a whole,” says Aniyar Izguttinov, a participant from Kazakhstan, who is interning at Evidence Based Practice Institute in Seattle, WA this summer.

“The Muskie Program will help complement my academic knowledge and further develop my public health competencies. In particular, I hope to learn and practice the methods of population needs assessment and to improve skills relevant to health program evaluation. I would also like to bring a greater attention to the health and health care problems of Central Asian populations and expand my connections with professionals and researchers in the U.S.”

Muskie’s partnering host organizations are not only at the forefront of bringing innovative talent to the U.S. workplace, they also play a critical role in fostering mutual understanding. The organizations hosting this summer’s interns span a variety of fields and industries and include the Atlantic Council, Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, the World Bank, Washington Nonprofits, Human Rights First, Intercambio Uniting Communities, the Office of Language Assessment at the University of Chicago, and Postmasters Gallery to name a few.

“My area of interest is International Education, and meeting professionals from various countries is very important because education usually starts from sharing information, knowledge, experience, and perspectives” says Gulnoro Mirzovafoeva, a current Muskie Intern from Tajikistan.

“Spending two amazing days in Washington, D.C. and meeting professionals from different parts of the world is an opportunity to make more connections, build relationships, and explore more prospects for my professional path in my internship with Citizen Diplomacy International of Philadelphia. The Muskie Program has given me a unique chance to complement the knowledge I have gained from my host university, to experience the working environment in the U.S., and to improve my understanding about U.S.-American culture.”

The 2019 program began with virtual activities and a two-day orientation in Washington, D.C. on May 17, and is followed by three-month internships in the participant’s field of study, and a closing seminar in August. The seminar will take place in Charlottesville, Virginia, and will provide participants the opportunity to reconnect and share their professional experiences with each other.

Learn more about the Edmund S. Muskie Internship Program at culturalvistas.org/muskie and follow updates in real time at #MuskieIntern.

About the Edmund S. Muskie Internship Program

The Muskie program has established meaningful connections between Americans and nearly 5,000 emerging Eurasian leaders over the last two-plus decades. Named after the late senator from Maine and preeminent U.S. environmental leader, the original academic program was established by Congress in 1992 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union to help ensure that countries in the region continued healthy economic and democratic growth. This new iteration of the Muskie program provides professional exchange opportunities for current Foreign Fulbright Scholars to continue furthering these goals and promoting collaboration and mutual understanding.

The 2019 class of Muskie interns:

Fuad Alakbarov, Azerbaijan
Field of Study: Education, Special Education
University: Lehigh University
Host Organization: Newcomers Academy

Dilnora Azimova, Uzbekistan
Field of Study: Communications, Health and Risk Communication
University: Michigan State University
Host Organization: New York University, College of Global Public Health

Kanat Bazaraly, Kazakhstan
Field of Study: Business, Business Administration
University: Bentley University, Elkin B. McCallum Graduate School of Business
Host Organization: FareHarbor

Bohdan Dovhan, Ukraine
Field of Study: Telecommunications, Telecommunications and Networking
University: Florida International University
Host Organization: IntraSystems

Yuliya Fedorovych, Ukraine
Field of Study: Fine Arts, Visual Communications Design
University: University of Notre Dame
Host Organization: Guide Studio

Nataliia Gaida, Ukraine
Field of Study: Arts, Animation
University: Savannah College of Art & Design
Host Organization: Pixeldust Studios

Emma Ghazaryan, Armenia
Field of Study: Public Health
University: Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health
Host Organization: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)

Lusine Gigoyan, Armenia
Field of Study: Public Health
University: Kent State University
Host Organization: Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods (PRCHN)

Lali Grigalashvili, Georgia
Field of Study: Computer Science
University: Syracuse University
Host Organization: Syracuse University CASE School, ResilienX, Inc.

Kateryna Halenko, Ukraine
Field of Study: Law
University: Syracuse University
Host Organization: Sayari

Albina Hartner, Uzbekistan
Field of Study: Architecture, Interior Design
University: University of Florida
Host Organization: Fielding Nair International, Rhode Island Studio

Aniyar Izguttinov, Kazakhstan
Field of Study: Public Health
University: University of Washington
Host Organization: Evidence Based Practice Institute (EBPI)

Kallibek Kazbekov, Uzbekistan
Field of Study: Engineering, Environmental Engineering
University: Washington State University
Host Organization: King County Water District #90

Aleksandre Khunjua, Georgia
Field of Study: Public Administration
University: Texas A&M University, Bush School of Government and Public Service
Host Organization: The Atlantic Council, Digital Forensic Research Lab

Mariam Kimeridze, Georgia
Field of Study: Computer Science, Technology Management
University: University of Bridgeport
Host Organization: Satisfi Labs Inc.

Nino Kintsurashvili, Georgia
Field of Study: Fine Arts
University: University of Iowa
Host Organization: Postmasters Gallery

Timur Kozhakhmetov, Kazakhstan
Field of Study: Economics, International Trade and Economic Diplomacy
University: Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey
Host Organization: Alcon LLC, Export and Sanctions Compliance

Ruslan Kuliiev, Ukraine
Field of Study: Engineering, Aerospace Engineering
University: University of Central Florida
Host Organization: University of Central Florida, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Anna Kulynych, Ukraine
Field of Study: Geosciences
University: University of Missouri
Host Organization: University of Missouri, Department of Geological Sciences

Andrii Leonov, Ukraine
Field of Study: Philosophy
University: Southern Illinois University
Host Organization: University of Miami, Department of Philosophy

Yuliya Leukavets, Belarus
Field of Study: Marketing, Marketing Analytics
University: Bentley University, Elkin B. McCallum Graduate School of Business
Host Organization: UNICEF, Division of Communication, Digital Strategy Section

Muslima Maksudzoda, Tajikistan
Field of Study: Law
University: American University, Washington College of Law
Host Organization: World Bank, Office of Suspension and Debarment

Kamran Mamedovi, Georgia
Field of Study: Political Science, Conflict Transformation
University: Eastern Mennonite University
Host Organization: International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)

Aishe Memetova, Ukraine
Field of Study: Public Administration
University: University of Washington
Host Organization: Washington Nonprofits

Kristine Milorava, Georgia
Field of Study: Psychology, Industrial and Organizational Psychology
University: Montclair State University
Host Organization: UNDP, Engagement Unit, Office of Human Resources

Gulnoro Mirzovafoeva, Tajikistan
Field of Study: Education, Educational Leadership and Higher Education
University: Old Dominion University
Host Organization: Citizen Diplomacy International of Philadelphia

Ana Muradashvili, Georgia
Field of Study: Gender Studies, Global Gender and Sexuality Studies
University: University at Buffalo – SUNY
Host Organization: Erie County Commission on the Status of Women

Olena Mykhalchenko, Ukraine
Field of Study: Law
University: George Washington University
Host Organization: The International Bar Association

Tamara Ohanjanyan, Armenia
Field of Study: Biology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
University: Colorado State University
Host Organization: Colorado State University, Mycobacterial Research Laboratory

Tatia Okriashvili, Georgia
Field of Study: Business, Business Administration
University: Willamette University, Atkinson Graduate School of Management
Host Organization: Mercy Corps

Dmytro Omelchak, Ukraine
Field of Study: Law
University: University of Pittsburgh
Host Organization: BakerMcKenzie LLP

Alena Selivanava, Belarus
Field of Study: Law
University: Fordham University
Host Organization: 55 Global Inc.

Nozima Shamsieva, Uzbekistan
Field of Study: Education, Educational Leadership and Higher Education
University: Old Dominion University
Host Organization: New York University, Office of Global Programs

Volodymyr Solohub, Ukraine
Field of Study: Communications
University: University at Albany – SUNY
Host Organization: PolitiFact, Poynter Institute for Media Studies

Chiora Taktakishvili, Georgia
Field of Study: Law
University: Syracuse University
Host Organization: Institute for the Study of Human Rights

Azat Turegeldin, Kazakhstan
Field of Study: Environmental and Energy Policy
University: Michigan Technological University
Host Organization: Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance

Katsiaryna Varfalameyeva, Belarus
Field of Study: Urban Studies, Urban and Environmental Planning
University: Arizona State University
Host Organization: University of Arizona, Knowledge Exchange for Resilience Program

Ketevan Vashakidze, Georgia
Field of Study: Law
University: University of Maryland
Host Organization: University of Maryland, Center for Health and Homeland Security