Nine students from Egypt traveled to CSU over the summer to take part in an academic English and cultural immersion program operated by the university’s Programs for Learning Academic and Community English.
Nine intrepid Egyptians boarded a plane and flew halfway across the world to participate in an academic English and cultural immersion program operated by Colorado State University’s Programs for Learning Academic and Community English.
For many in the program, it marked the first time they traveled on a plane and left Egypt. They spent a little over three weeks in the U.S, and it was one of the first short-term exchanges that have happened since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“CSU has a long history of hosting short-term visitors, and PLACE looks forward to implementing many more of these types of programs in the future,” Assistant Vice Provost of International Affairs Chad Hoseth said. “We are honored to meet these wonderful students and host this program this summer. It truly has been a group effort to get this program off the ground.”
During their U.S. visit, the Egyptian students participated in Cheyenne Frontier Days, went on a tour of Fort Collins, checked out Rocky Mountain National Park and hung out at Horsetooth Reservoir. They also participated in conversation groups with local Fort Collins community members.
This program involved collaborations with the economics and art departments for two courses, as well as the Student Disability Center to facilitate a student’s learning needs.
The immersion courses were part of the HEI Private University Scholarships Program. It awards scholarships to Egyptian students to go toward their undergraduate degree at private universities in Egypt in fields of study deemed important to the nation’s development. This includes an opportunity to study in the U.S.
The program the nine students who came to Fort Collins were part of is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development and funded by the Institute of International Education.
In total, 48 Egyptian students were given the opportunity to study in the U.S., though only 26 received visas due to consulate and embassy backlogs from the pandemic.
