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'''Near East South Asian (NESA) Undergraduate Exchange Program''' <br> | '''Near East South Asian (NESA) Undergraduate Exchange Program''' <br> | ||
Sponsored by the State Department of the United States, the NESA program aims at promoting mutual understanding between the people of the NESA countries and the Americans. A handful of undergraduate students from Pakistan, Egypt, Tunisia, India, Oman, Yemen and Palestine are selected after a series of interviews conducted by the US embassy in the mentioned countries and placed in universities across America. Students in the program are expected to attend these universities as full-time students for an entire academic year. During the course of this academic year, NESA students are required to room with an American roommate, do 20 hours of community service, 100 hours of non-paid internship and give two presentation about their countries, one to the University they are at and the other in a public institution (high school etc). | Sponsored by the State Department of the United States, the NESA program aims at promoting mutual understanding between the people of the NESA countries and the Americans. A handful of undergraduate students from Pakistan, Egypt, Tunisia, India, Oman, Yemen and Palestine are selected after a series of interviews conducted by the US embassy in the mentioned countries and placed in universities across America. Students in the program are expected to attend these universities as full-time students for an entire academic year. During the course of this academic year, NESA students are required to room with an American roommate, do 20 hours of community service, 100 hours of non-paid internship and give two presentation about their countries, one to the University they are at and the other in a public institution (high school etc). | ||
As a NESA student from Pakistan I am attending Clarion University, majoring in Environmental Geo sciences. | As a NESA student from Pakistan I am attending Clarion University, majoring in Environmental Geo sciences. | ||
'''Pakistan''' <br> | '''Pakistan''' <br> | ||
Heavily populated (imagine more than half of USA's population crammed into a single state the size of California), Pakistan is a hub of cultural diversity. Just 60 years in to its being, having gained independence from British rule back in 1947, Pakistan's journey has been long and arduous. It has been changing hands, from a democratic country to military dictatorship every few years. Today, we are under the military dictatorship of General Musharraf who is currently trying to battle Islamic fundamentalists wanting to replace military rule with Taliban-type rule. <br> | Heavily populated (imagine more than half of USA's population crammed into a single state the size of California), Pakistan is a hub of cultural diversity. Just 60 years in to its being, having gained independence from British rule back in 1947, Pakistan's journey has been long and arduous. It has been changing hands, from a democratic country to military dictatorship every few years. Today, we are under the military dictatorship of General Musharraf who is currently trying to battle Islamic fundamentalists wanting to replace military rule with Taliban-type rule. <br> | ||
Pakistan has four main provinces and the 5th province is disputed property with neighboring India, over which 3 wars gave been fought in the past 60 years. | Pakistan has four main provinces and the 5th province is disputed property with neighboring India, over which 3 wars gave been fought in the past 60 years. | ||
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'''College life in Pakistan''' <br> | '''College life in Pakistan''' <br> | ||
I attend Kinniard College (KC)for Women, in Lahore, Pakistan. I studied Environmental Sciences for 3 years before coming to Clarion University. Relatively large as compared to a standard college in Pakistan, KC comprises of 4 large academic buildings just within a few feet of each other, one residence hall, a hockey/footbal field and one swimming pool. | I attend Kinniard College (KC)for Women, in Lahore, Pakistan. I studied Environmental Sciences for 3 years before coming to Clarion University. Relatively large as compared to a standard college in Pakistan, KC comprises of 4 large academic buildings just within a few feet of each other, one residence hall, a hockey/footbal field and one swimming pool. | ||
== Activities == | |||
'''Environment Club''' | |||
As a memeber of my college's Environment Club (in Pakistan) I actively participate in creating awareness on environmental issues in Pakistan. Water conatmination is the most threatening issues in Pakistan presently. Almost all drinking water has been contaminated with Arsenic. Bottled water is suspected to be adulterated and controversies over dam building to store water otherwise flowing in to the Arabian sea are alarming issues. | |||
Trips included visiting remote wildlife reserves in the desert areas of Pakistan, and spending hours in a boat to catch a glimpse of the endangered blind dolphins. Biodiversity surveys were also conducted in local wetland areas and the northern mountainous regions of Pakistan. | |||
'''''Aangan: a Non-governmental organization''''' | |||
The government of Pakistan has insufficient funds and resources to provide basic services to its citizens which is why many NGOS are actively doing what the government can not. One of the NGOs- Aangan, works at creating awareness of child sexual abuse and helps provide counseling and therapy to victims of such abuse. As a volunteer with the NGO, I help to create awareness on the issue within my community, a daunting task considering it is a taboo and never talked about. | |||
'''Dramatics''' | |||
I love acting and have been an active member of the dramatics clubs in school and college back homw in Pakistan. I have acted in a sereis of stage dramas which includes a mime performance as well. I did the following plays: | |||
1. A Woman of No Importance | |||
2. The Importance of being Earnest | |||
3. Hades- a Greek mime play | |||
Revision as of 22:26, 3 September 2007
International Exchange Student
Near East South Asian (NESA) Undergraduate Exchange Program
Sponsored by the State Department of the United States, the NESA program aims at promoting mutual understanding between the people of the NESA countries and the Americans. A handful of undergraduate students from Pakistan, Egypt, Tunisia, India, Oman, Yemen and Palestine are selected after a series of interviews conducted by the US embassy in the mentioned countries and placed in universities across America. Students in the program are expected to attend these universities as full-time students for an entire academic year. During the course of this academic year, NESA students are required to room with an American roommate, do 20 hours of community service, 100 hours of non-paid internship and give two presentation about their countries, one to the University they are at and the other in a public institution (high school etc).
As a NESA student from Pakistan I am attending Clarion University, majoring in Environmental Geo sciences.
Pakistan
Heavily populated (imagine more than half of USA's population crammed into a single state the size of California), Pakistan is a hub of cultural diversity. Just 60 years in to its being, having gained independence from British rule back in 1947, Pakistan's journey has been long and arduous. It has been changing hands, from a democratic country to military dictatorship every few years. Today, we are under the military dictatorship of General Musharraf who is currently trying to battle Islamic fundamentalists wanting to replace military rule with Taliban-type rule.
Pakistan has four main provinces and the 5th province is disputed property with neighboring India, over which 3 wars gave been fought in the past 60 years.
College life in Pakistan
I attend Kinniard College (KC)for Women, in Lahore, Pakistan. I studied Environmental Sciences for 3 years before coming to Clarion University. Relatively large as compared to a standard college in Pakistan, KC comprises of 4 large academic buildings just within a few feet of each other, one residence hall, a hockey/footbal field and one swimming pool.
Activities
Environment Club As a memeber of my college's Environment Club (in Pakistan) I actively participate in creating awareness on environmental issues in Pakistan. Water conatmination is the most threatening issues in Pakistan presently. Almost all drinking water has been contaminated with Arsenic. Bottled water is suspected to be adulterated and controversies over dam building to store water otherwise flowing in to the Arabian sea are alarming issues. Trips included visiting remote wildlife reserves in the desert areas of Pakistan, and spending hours in a boat to catch a glimpse of the endangered blind dolphins. Biodiversity surveys were also conducted in local wetland areas and the northern mountainous regions of Pakistan.
Aangan: a Non-governmental organization The government of Pakistan has insufficient funds and resources to provide basic services to its citizens which is why many NGOS are actively doing what the government can not. One of the NGOs- Aangan, works at creating awareness of child sexual abuse and helps provide counseling and therapy to victims of such abuse. As a volunteer with the NGO, I help to create awareness on the issue within my community, a daunting task considering it is a taboo and never talked about.
Dramatics
I love acting and have been an active member of the dramatics clubs in school and college back homw in Pakistan. I have acted in a sereis of stage dramas which includes a mime performance as well. I did the following plays:
1. A Woman of No Importance
2. The Importance of being Earnest
3. Hades- a Greek mime play