Professor Cătălina Ulrich, Fulbright Senior Alumna, has let us know about her new book titled Învățarea prin proiecte. Ghid pentru profesori (Learning through Projects. A Guide for Teachers), which came out this year at Polirom Publishing House, Iasi. As Professor Ulrich says, “the book promotes learning by means of projects as a strategy that prepares children and younger people for the real world. Through group work, the students explore and find solutions to actual problems, make decisions and take responsibilities, use technological resources and various media of communication. Assessing both the product and the process, capitalizing the experiences and interests offer a way to improve the motivation and the self-regulation of learning, socio-emotional skills and civic engagement. Beyond the cognitive and socio-interactional stimulation, projects sustain children’s and young people’s perspective, as well as their social wellbeing.”

Dr. Cătălina Ulrich is a professor within the University of Bucharest’s Department of Psychology and Education Sciences. The book reflects the experience acquired during her stay in the U.S. as a Fulbright Scholar (2011-2012), during which she conducted academic research at the University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign, as well as within several schools and high schools in New York, Atlanta and Alabama.

“As a visiting Fulbright PhD student at UCSD, I have the great chance and exciting challenge to work as a Junior Specialist in the Department of Nanoengineering and Nanomachines. Inspired from the 1966 movie ‘The Fantastic Voyage’, the lab of nanomachines is bringing aspects of classic science fiction tales closer to reality. My research focuses on designing tiny rocket-shaped synthetic tools called ‘nanomotors’ which can be controlled to navigate as  ‘miniaturized ships’ through biological samples such as blood, urine and saliva.  The purposes of these smart machines are to diagnose, treat diseases, perform intracellular surgery and even deliver drugs noninvasively to living tissues. As a recognition for the great efforts that have been done recently in the synthesis of molecular machines, the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was offered to three scientists for their enormous contribution into this innovative filed.”

On Friday, November 18, the Fulbright-EducationUSA advising center (FEAC) was proud to host a presentation on the structure and value of a liberal arts degree, delivered by James Quill, assistant director of international admissions at Wabash College in Indiana. The informal discussion, based on a variety of questions raised by an audience made up of the American Studies students at the University of Bucharest, touched on the philosophy underscoring the flexibility, openness and innovation at the core of a liberal arts degree. Our guest also answered questions about the overall structure of the American system of higher education, the differences in campus cultures across the U.S., the advantages of studying in a small liberal arts college and the uniqueness of the Wabash College experience, thus rounding off on a multicultural note the 2016 International Education Week at the Fulbright-EducationUSA advising center.

Last week we checked off yet another destination in our fall edition of the International Study Day (ISD) tour. On November 23rd, the Romanian-U.S. Fulbright Commission and our EducationUSA-affiliated Advising Center made a stop, alongside the British Council and DAAD, in Focşani and delivered presentations at two of the city’s top schools - “Alexandru Ioana Cuza” National College and “Spiru Haret” Pedagogical High School.

An audience of about 100 students from both high schools, 9th to 11th graders, attended our presentations, keen to learn more about study opportunities in the U.S., as well as Europe, and several voiced an interest in the U.S. as a potential or preferred study destination. We were happy to provide them with information on the American education system, the application process and financial aid, as well as the ways in which the Fulbright Educational Advising Center can help them work towards a successful application. We also took this opportunity to introduce our Opportunity Funds program, encouraging those who meet the requirements to consider applying, especially as the deadline is drawing near.

The International Study Day project consists of a series of outreach presentations jointly organized by the British Council, DAAD, the Romanian-U.S. Fulbright Commission and the Fulbright-EducationUSA Educational Advising Center in Bucharest in various cities throughout the country, targeting the underserved student population.