Two Binghamton University students will spend their summers studying abroad in intensive, critical-need language courses without paying a dime.
Yutong Chen and Mandeep Singh were selected to be a part of the 2010 Critical Language Scholarship Program. They are two of approximately 575 students chosen from a pool of 5,300 applicants from all over the United States.
Chen, a junior majoring in political science, will study beginner-level Korean at Chonbuk National University in Jeonju, South Korea, while graduate student Singh will take on intermediate level Punjabi at the American Institute of Indian Studies in Chandigarh, India. Both will spend around two months in their respective countries.
Chen first developed his interest in Korean as a freshman when he met Korea-native Han Ko, a student currently taking two years off his BU education to complete his mandatory military service.
As the co-president of BU’s chapter of Tomorrow’s Hope in North Korea, Chen hopes to use his knowledge of Korea in the future to become involved in numerous issues concerning North Korea and the East Asian region. These issues include the North Korean refugee crisis, intrastate political and economic reforms and the possibility of reunification between North and South Korea.
“I would like my experience in Korea to be eye-opening, perspective-changing and capable of generating new ideas and opportunities for the future,” Chen said.
Singh’s interest in Punjabi stems from his own Punjabi heritage. Having moved to the United States in the fifth grade from India, he wants to reconnect with his mother tongue and the people who speak it.
Working on his master’s in biology, Singh intends to figure out how environmental issues, such as water pollution, caused by the advent of technology are impacting the Punjab region by speaking to the people living there about how they have been affected.
Both Singh and Chen are looking forward to seeing what they will learn from their experiences abroad.
“There’s so much going on in India,” Singh said. “I want to go back to see what has changed [and] see the rest of Punjab.”
Chen’s program in South Korea will begin on July 13 and last until Aug. 16, and Singh will be in India from June 9 until Aug. 22.
The Critical Language Scholarships (CLS) for Intensive Summer Institutes focuses on the 13 critical-need languages as determined by the U.S. government. The program places the scholarship recipients into intensive language-study programs within countries that speak these languages, covering all program costs, including the students’ travel expenses and room and board, at an international university.
The Council of American Overseas Research Centers administered the selection process for the program. The award recipients were approved by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.