"The sheer delight of talking to, debating with, and arguing against a group of similarly committed, unlike-minded but like-spirited individuals is the feeling that persists to this day."
Liviu Andreescu
Junior Fulbright Researcher, 2005-2006
My one-year stay in the States
I would like to be able to claim that my experience as a junior Fulbright research scholar at the J.M. Dawson Institute for Church-State Studies, Baylor University (TX) was, first and foremost, academically enriching and eye-opening. After all, this is what I had set out to achieve in the United States. In truth, however, academic achievement comes second (or perhaps third) on the list of what I cherish most about my one-year stay in the States. The more time goes by, the more strongly I feel that the chief benefit was meeting a number of men and women quite unlike myself – I went there, after all, as a non-religious student of American religious higher education – in a culture quite unlike my own. The sheer delight of talking to, debating with, and arguing against a group of similarly committed, unlike-minded but like-spirited individuals is the feeling that persists to this day. The rest – an academic cornucopia of books and courses – is still sorely missed, but almost of minor importance by comparison.
Romanian Alumni Stories
Thanks to the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program, my experience was beyond my wildest dreams. When we hear about the 'American Dream,' we can only imagine what it takes or how one could be 'good enough' to be part of that dream. But this journey, offered by the Fulbright Commission, seems to be not only a bridge between cultures but also one between reality and the realm of dreams. Once you find yourself on that bridge, you can feel the most important values of humanity: trust, kindness, stability, honor, care, responsibility, and hope.