Washington, D.C. (June 1, 2022) – 43 Edmund S. Muskie Professional Fellowship Program participants gathered for two days on May 20-21, in Washington, D.C. for the Muskie Program’s orientation seminar.

This was the Muskie Program’s first in-person orientation seminar since 2019 and the start of the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19 safety protocols were strictly followed, and all participants were fully vaccinated.

Participants representing countries in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia took part in a program tailored to their professional development. Sessions gave participants the opportunity to enhance their interpersonal communication skills, practice soft skills for the labor market, improve their self-care and resilience, and learn more about the Muskie Program’s opportunities and volunteer activities in the United States. The two-day seminar concluded with a captivating night tour of the capital city’s historic sites and monuments.

The Edmund S. Muskie Professional Fellowship Program, which has been funded by the U.S. Department of State and implemented by Cultural Vistas since 2015, gives emerging Fulbright Program leaders from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia the opportunity to gain real-world experience that complements and enriches their graduate studies in the US. The Muskie Program’s community represents 12 countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

Muskie Fellows demonstrate a dedication to gaining practical skills and a better understanding of U.S. work culture, as well as a willingness to apply what they have learned to make positive changes and leave a lasting influence in their home countries. Host organizations are not only at the forefront of attracting innovative talent to the United States, but they also play an important role in fostering mutual understanding.

The eighth year of the program will send 50 participants to various U.S. states to complete their summer fellowships. California, Texas, New York, Ohio, Colorado, Iowa, Florida, Oregon, and New Jersey are all states where Muskie Fellows will pursue professional experiences.

The Muskie Professional Fellowship Program holds a partnership with a multitude of host organizations that are at the forefront of bringing innovative talent to the U.S. workplace and play a critical role in fostering mutual understanding. The organizations hosting this year’s fellows span various fields and industries. They include the World Bank Group; DeepCast.ai; Birds Nest Foundation; One Architecture and Urbanism; Future Earth; the International Bar Association; the Institute of Economics and Peace; Move United; Duke University School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery; Yale University Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases and School of Public Health.

Dr. Hrach Gregorian, Director of the American University’s International Peace and Conflict Resolution Program, kicked off the seminar with a session on Skills for Effective Management of Interpersonal Communication, which is essential at an interpersonal level, as well as given the realities of escalating conflicts in today’s world.

Participants also learned about opportunities to stay engaged with the Muskie Program during their summer internships through social media contests and received recommendations on how to amplify their personal brand on social media.

Muskie Fellows also had the opportunity to attend a Global Competence Certificate live training during the second day of the seminar to learn more about cultural differences, how to understand and consider multiple perspectives, and how to adapt to ambiguity and change.

Three Muskie alumni, Anna Mytcul (2020), Niko Rekhviashvili (2021), and Tigran Margaryan (2021), participated in a panel where they discussed their internship experiences and gave practical advice to this year’s participants about U.S. work culture and the many opportunities that the Muskie program has to offer.

Participants learned more about joining Cultural Vistas’ larger Alumni network, which includes more than 150,000 members across the world and works to promote the organization’s basic values: connecting people, empowering young changemakers through education, and fostering democracy.

Crixell Shell and Donna Minter of the Minnesota Peacebuilding Leadership Institute gave a class on Self-Care for Resilience, which culminated with a critical reminder: “Love begins with us.”

Additionally, Muskie participants were informed about volunteer opportunities in their host communities available throughout the summer. They also had the chance to learn more about the nonprofit sector and volunteering in the United States from Mary Beth Healy, Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer at the Capital Area Food Bank; James Pierce and Emmanuel Ekekwe from the National Parks Service; and Ruth M. Mwanza, Community Outreach Manager at The Salvation Army.

In the presence of our fellows, our partners from the U.S. Department of State, and foreign Embassy representatives, Cultural Vistas CEO Jennifer Clinton capped the celebration with a heartfelt toast.

At Cultural Vistas, we look to the legacy of Edmund S. Muskie, this program’s namesake, as a source of hope and inspiration. As both a Senator and later as Jimmy Carter’s Secretary of State, Muskie advocated for liberal values, environmentally sustainable development, and peace. He believed that mutual understanding and cooperation were the best way to achieve these goals. This is exactly what this program is about: developing culturally aware global citizens, professionals, and young leaders. We are hopeful that year’s cohort will keep Muskie’s legacy in mind and will make a positive impact not only in their professional fields but also in the region.

– Jennifer Clinton | President & CEO · Cultural Vistas

About the Muskie Program

Since 1992, the U.S. Department of State has awarded thousands of graduate school scholarships to students from across Eurasia to strengthen democratic values, enhance market economies, and establish strong civil societies. Over the last eight years, Cultural Vistas has built on that foundation by providing hands-on, professional skill-building opportunities for more than 300 graduate students across the United States.

Learn more about the Edmund S. Muskie Professional Fellowship Program at https://culturalvistas.org/muskie-2/ and follow real-time social media updates through our program hashtags: #MuskieFellows, #ExchangeOurWorld, #ExchangeAlumni, #MuskieIntern, and #CulturalVistans.

Meet the Edmund S. Muskie Professional Fellowship Program Class of 2022

Arkadi Akopian, Georgia

Field of Study: Engineering

University: Iowa State University of Science and Technology

Host Organization: Micron

Aiymzhan Almazbekova, Kyrgyz Republic

Field of Study: Business

University: Rutgers University

Host Organization: Rutgers Business School, Business of Fashion Program

Sopiko Beriashvili, Georgia

Field of Study: Education

University: University of Maryland-College Park

Host Organization: World Bank Group

Archil Beridze, Georgia

Field of Study: Computer Science

University: San Jose State University

Host Organization: DeepCast.ai

Natallia Bulko, Belarus

Field of Study: Law

University: Louisiana State University

Host Organization: Saleh & Associates P.A.

Mariam Chachava, Georgia

Field of Study: Public Policy

University: University of Washington

Host Organization: American Action Forum

Yana Chapailo, Ukraine

Field of Study: Education

University: University of Maryland-College Park

Host Organization: American Councils for International Education

Ana Chkhaidze, Georgia

Field of Study: Economics

University: Kent State University

Host Organization: Kent State University, Department of Economics

Iryna Demianiuk, Ukraine

Field of Study: Architecture and Design

University: Arizona State University

Host Organization: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Ievgeniia Dulko, Ukraine

Field of Study: Urban Studies

University: University of Illinois-Chicago

Host Organization: Territory NFP

Anzhelika Gyulumyan, Armenia

Field of Study: Education

University: Old Dominion University

Host Organization: MATC Group Inc.

Nodira Irgasheva, Uzbekistan

Field of Study: Law

University: Fordham University

Host Organization: Dentons US LLP

Alena Khadartsevich, Belarus

Field of Study: International Relations

University: The New School

Host Organization: Institute of Economics and Peace

Iryna Kohut, Ukraine

Field of Study: Journalism

University: University of Missouri-Columbia

Host Organization: Magnum Foundation

Kseniia Kolontai, Ukraine

Field of Study: Law

University: University of Texas at Austin

Host Organization: Pillsbury Law

Eteri Machavariani, Georgia

Field of Study: Public Health

University: Johns Hopkins University

Host Organization: Yale University, Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases and School of Public Health

Anton Makarevych, Ukraine

Field of Study: Arts

University: Arizona State University

Host Organization: Flux Factory

Nino Mateshvili, Georgia

Field of Study: Geography

University: University of Northern Iowa

Host Organization: University of Northern Iowa, ARCTICenter

Kateryna Minkina, Ukraine

Field of Study: Political Science

University: Villanova University

Host Organization: Office of the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman for the International Finance Corporation and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency

Sardor Musaev, Uzbekistan

Field of Study: Law

University: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Host Organization: International Bar Association

Gvantsa Nikolaishvili, Georgia

Field of Study: Urban Studies

University: University of Illinois-Chicago

Host Organization: Mercy Housing Lakefront

Aleksandre Oniani, Georgia

Field of Study: Business

University: Bentley University

Host Organization: Infoblox

Alena Pishchuk, Belarus

Field of Study: Public Administration

University: Rochester Institute of Technology

Host Organization: Blue Systems

Tatiana Schitco, Moldova

Field of Study: Law

University: Loyola University Chicago

Host Organization: World Bank Group

Iryna Stavynska, Ukraine

Field of Study: Anthropology and Folklore

University: University of Oregon

Host Organization: Oregon Folklife Network at University of Oregon

Assem Suleimenova, Kazakhstan

Field of Study: Public Health

University: University of Washington

Host Organization: International Training and Education Center for Health

Maryna Tsapok, Ukraine

Field of Study: Law

University: University of California

Host Organization: Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office

Marika Verulashvili, Georgia

Field of Study: Public Administration

University: Georgetown University

Host Organization: World Bank Group

Anarbek Yelshibayev, Kazakhstan

Field of Study: Education

University: Lehigh University

Host Organization: Pennsylvania State Education Association

Kuanysh Yermukhanbetov, Kazakhstan

Field of Study: Materials Science

University: Missouri University of Science and Technology

Host Organization: Peaslee Steel Manufacturing Research Center at Missouri University School of Science and Technology

Valeryia Zakharyk, Belarus

Field of Study: Journalism

University: University of Missouri-Columbia

Host Organization: 4th Row Films