SUNY Cobleskill Welcomes Students in Near East South Asia Exchange

SUNY Cobleskill is hosting ten international exchange students this fall semester through the Near East South Asia (NESA) Undergraduate Exchange Program.   The participating students are from Morocco, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, India, Bangladesh and West Bank. 

“I thought we would be alienated,” said exchange student Ambreen Shah of India, “but instead, everyone at SUNY Cobleskill has been very welcoming.  The most difficult things to adjust to are the food, and learning the slang.  We are getting better and better at understanding and using American slang, which is a great achievement for us!”  
The NESA Undergraduate Exchange is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State.  The goal of the program is to increase the mutual understanding between young emerging leaders from the Near East and South Asia and the United States.

“This is a brand new State Department program, and we are among the first batch of colleges to be involved,” said SUNY Cobleskill Director of International Programs Dr. Susan Jagendorf.  
The program provides full scholarships for outstanding students from the Near East and South Asia for one semester or one academic year of non-degree undergraduate study in the United States at accredited two and four-year institutions.  The immersion experience is designed to provide opportunities for participants to understand America and Americans inside and outside of the classroom, and to provide Americans with the opportunity to learn about the Near East and South Asia.  The program is intended to build lasting bonds of friendship and result in the development of peaceful and constructive relations between Near East and South Asian nations and the United States.

Of her experience so far, Najma Al Naamani of Oman said, “My experience here has been totally different from what I had expected from watching American movies.  I expected it to be difficult to find acceptance in America, but I found that what I thought from watching movies was all wrong!” 

The students participate in activities that enhance their education, such as providing cultural presentations to others, completing 20 hours of community service and an internship linked to their field of study.  The NESA students’ community service plans include building a Habitat for Humanity home in Jefferson and giving presentations to students at Cobleskill-Richmondville High School.