Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program

THE EDMUND S. MUSKIE GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

Celebrating 20 YEARS of Supporting Eurasia’s Emerging Leaders

The Edmund S. Muskie Program 1992-2012 20 YEARS OF IMPACT

Nearly

5,000 Muskie alumni

form close and influential networks in their home countries and across the former Soviet region. _______ They steer change in key development sectors and mentor new generations in their fields,

75% of alumni

with

in a professional leadership position. _______ They maintain ties to the United States, with nearly

90% of alumni remaining in

contact or collaborating with Americans they met during the program. _______ They impact small cities and rural areas that often lack access to the latest knowledge and best practices, with nearly

45% of fellows

since 2005 hailing from outside their country’s capital city.

E

stablished by the United States Congress following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Muskie Program aims to promote mutual understanding,

build democracy, and foster the transition to market economies in Eurasia through intensive academic study and professional training.

Over the past 20 years, the program has supported graduate students and professionals from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

In the last two decades, the Muskie Program has produced nearly 5,000 alumni across the region. Today, these alumni are high-ranking diplomats and healthcare reformers, anti-corruption activists and education advocates, business leaders and well-known journalists. In their diverse career paths, these thousands of alumni embody U.S. Senator Edmund S. Muskie’s legacy of public service, making key contributions in sectors vital to their countries’ economic and democratic growth.

The Muskie Program targets practitioners who, through the fellowship, will gain skills and knowledge in fields that are often not available in their home countries, allowing them to make an immediate difference in the public, private and non-governmental sectors upon their return. Eligible fields of study for the program are business administration, economics, education, environmental management, international affairs, journalism and mass communication, law, library and information science, public administration, public health, and public policy.

During their training in the United States, Muskie fellows also complete substantial community service in their American host communities. Service projects have included providing skilled pro bono hours in mentoring local small businesses, counseling homeowners on the brink of foreclosure, and developing partnerships between American schools and counterparts abroad.

Upon completion of their first academic year, fellows complete an internship in their professional field, thereby gaining American workplace experience and technical skills, bringing an international perspective to the workplace, and allowing employers to expand their global connections. Practical training experiences have provided fellows with opportunities such as supporting financial forecasting for a Fortune 500 company, facilitating public-private partnerships for emergency management preparedness, and working with legislators at both the state and federal level.

Following the program, Muskie alumni are eligible to apply for small grants to conduct community service projects, organize conferences or trainings, or collaborate with an American academic colleague to provide advising and training in their home countries. Muskie fellows and alumni develop professional and personal connections with Americans, strengthening relationships between individuals and institutions in the United States and their home countries and facilitating lasting sustainable collaboration.

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BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND ECONOMICS

Muskie alumni in the Business Administration and Economics fields bolster the transition to free-market systems and steer economic reforms in their countries. In Ministries of Finance, Fortune 500 companies, and small businesses across the former Soviet Union, Muskie alumni are working to ensure citizens at all levels benefit from economic growth.

BUILDING TRANSPARENCY Cash can open the door to corruption, says Geniyat Issin, a Muskie alumnus striving for greater transparency and accountability in Kazakhstan’s financial sector. As a Country Manager at MasterCard, Issin works with financial institutions, regulators and government officials to eliminate reliance on cash transactions.

“Studies in different markets prove that the less cash we have in the country, the more transparency it brings, and the wealthier the country is overall,” said Issin. He is excited to be part of a team that improves people’s lives by making payments “safe, simple and smart.”

Last year, Issin teamed up with other members of Kazakhstan’s Alumni Leaders League, a local alumni-led organization, to raise awareness of transparency issues on a broader level. The group produced two videos illustrating the effects of corruption throughout society, winning awards in a Soros Foundation social advertising competition. One of the videos shows the impact of corruption on consumers as sellers are forced to incorporate the cost of bribes in the price of food.

Issin says his experience with American academic culture changed his perceptions of corruption. In the United States, “buying a higher education diploma is something not heard of…while in our country we accept it as normal,” he said. Issin wants Kazakhstan to develop higher ethical standards, especially in education.

“I see corruption as the main impediment to development of our country,” he said. “I was glad that I could do something valuable in sending a message on the necessity of curing ourselves from this ailment.”

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The less cash in the country, the more transparency [and] wealthier the country is overall.”

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If you can read, you can function just like a sighted person.”

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EDUCATION AND LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE

Muskie alumni in the Education and Library and Information Science fields are broadening access to information, expanding opportunities and improving instruction for people with special needs, bringing new perspectives on diversity into the classroom, and reforming national education policy.

PROMOTING INTEGRATION Electricity shortages provided an unlikely beginning to Elnura Emilkanova’s career as an educator for the blind. Experiencing the challenges of functioning in the dark turned her into a passionate advocate for blind and visually impaired people in Kyrgyzstan, many of whom lack the training needed to read, travel and independently perform other everyday tasks.

As an Education fellow, Emilkanova learned about adaptations and integration for the blind. She also fostered connections between educators and advocacy groups in the United States and her home country. With help from her U.S. host university community, she facilitated a trip for the principal of a Kyrgyz school for blind and visually impaired children to visit learning centers in Louisiana and to attend a conference sponsored by the National Federation of the Blind.

“I wanted to bring her and show her how the cane and Braille give an opportunity to be equal,” Emilkanova said. “If you can read, you can function just like a sighted person.”

Emilkanova’s colleague returned to Kyrgyzstan with 100 new canes, slates and styluses for the students at her school. While the donated equipment may someday be replaced with newer technology, the knowledge and relationship Emilkanova developed as a Muskie fellow will benefit the blind in Kyrgyzstan long after the equipment is no longer in use.

Emilkanova remains dedicated to bringing other educators from Kyrgyzstan to the United States for courses at the Louisiana Center for the Blind. “I want to help people from my country to get training,” she said. “We just need a handful of people who are passionate about integration.”

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JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATIONS, LAW, AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Muskie alumni in the Journalism and Mass Communications, Law, and International Affairs fields strengthen the media, influence political and legal processes, and advance diplomatic infrastructure and international relations required for democracy. Alumni are running independent media outlets, reforming legal frameworks to safeguard human rights, and leading international organizations and institutions.

REPORTING INDEPENDENTLY After 10 years of working for Armenia’s state media institutions, Artak Aleksanyan’s journalism career might have continued in a similar vein until retirement. Everything changed though when a Muskie fellowship gave him the skills and the drive to start his own media business. Today, Aleksanyan runs a successful independent production company that has broken the mold of topics covered by Armenian television.

One of Aleksanyan’s most successful programs is Witness: Real Stories, a reality show featuring young Armenians and the incidences of corruption they encounter day to day. Witness has become one of the most popular youth television programs in the country and has expanded to cover youth unemployment, healthy lifestyles, and youth participation in public life.

Aleksanyan is equal parts citizen advocate and savvy businessman. “My decision [to cover these topics] was based on our chances to be successful—to do something that nobody does and be good at it,” he said. “There is a huge gap in, and public demand for, ‘smart’ programs [with] social content.”

Aleksanyan’s company, Banadzev, also produces Briefing: Straight Question, a government accountability talk show featuring public officials, as well as Armenia’s only investigative journalism program, the most-watched Saturday show on television.

As Banadzev grows, Aleksanyan dreams of moving into a new, bigger studio, but his goals extend beyond his own company. He sees his role in building a more tolerant and transparent Armenia and training a new generation of journalists to carry on public dialogue.

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There is a huge gap in, and public demand for, ‘smart’ programs [with] social content.”

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When we demand accountability from people in power, we are fighting for a prosperous, safe, and honest life.”

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PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND PUBLIC POLICY

Muskie alumni in the Public Administration and Public Policy fields lead in the management, decision-making and policy formation in both government and public sectors, developing alternative approaches to tackle current societal challenges.

Many alumni have gone on to high-ranking government positions, including President of the Republic of Georgia, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to the United States, and Vice Prime Minister of Kazakhstan. Others are working to promote good governance at the local level through non-governmental organizations.

DEMANDING ACCOUNTABILITY Stamps of secrecy have been placed on nearly every single city plan in Ukraine since Soviet times, leaving citizens in the dark. Without knowing what might be built next door, or if the government plans to take over their property for public use, families are afraid to invest in improving their homes. Without city plans, Ukrainians also struggle to hold their leaders accountable to international standards for providing public parks and green space.

Muskie alumnus and citizen rights activist Volodymyr Shcherbachenko is fighting to change that. The local NGO he founded, the East Ukrainian Center for Civic Initiatives, is working to gain public access to city plans in more than 20 cases throughout the country. Shcherbachenko’s group recently scored a major victory when city plans were declassified in Luhansk.

Public knowledge is a powerful tool for action. For example, in Odessa, when citizens obtained a draft city plan, they learned that officials planned to reconstruct one of the city’s oldest districts and move its residents to an area situated on a contaminated former water treatment site. The residents were able to begin protesting the plan and to engage officials in civic dialogue.

Interning at the city council and attending public hearings on land issues as a public policy fellow in Kansas helped Shcherbachenko realize openness is possible in local government. A passionate transparency advocate, he is now teaching other organizations and individuals throughout Ukraine how to utilize new legislation to advocate for their housing rights.

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ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH

Muskie alumni in the Environmental Management and Public Health fields are broadening access to services and leading policy reforms that impact the health and quality of life for citizens in their countries.

IMPROVING CARE To receive chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer, Lidia M. faced a four-hour journey every month from her village to the Oncology Institute in Moldova’s capital, Chisinau. While her body responded well to the drugs, Lidia, 62, soon quit treatment, citing the long trip and related costs. The cancer spread, and while Lidia has since resumed chemotherapy, her doctors fear she gave up vital ground in her fight.

Sadly, Lidia’s case isn’t unique, but Muskie alumna Svetlana Cotelea is working to change that. As the head of the Planning and Regionalization of Integrated Health Services Department in the Ministry of Health, Cotelea leads a project to decentralize oncology treatment. The initiative will establish two regional chemotherapy centers to serve Moldovans like Lidia who live outside of the capital, cutting down travel time and providing access to potentially life-saving care. Cotelea is also developing publicprivate partnerships to increase access to quality health care. The Ministry is currently implementing its first national public-private partnership for diagnostic imaging services, and plans to select a private company to build a new radiotherapy center.

Networking with health professionals from other countries helped Cotelea envision reform for Moldova and “develop a strong sense of conviction in what I do,” she said. “Participating in the Muskie program gave me a unique opportunity to become familiar with democratic models of healthcare management and populationbased interventions in the healthcare sector,” she said, noting that many of these approaches are being incorporated in Moldova’s national health policy.

Cotelea received support from an Alumni Careers in Public Service (CAPS) grant, which provides stipends to alumni working in the public sector. “I am motivated by a strong commitment to public service as well as a belief in social responsibility,” she said. “I am finally in a position where I can make a solid and long-lasting contribution to an important and much-needed change in our society.”

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I am motivated by a strong commitment to public service.”

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MUSKIE’S IMPACT “ Being a Muskie fellow means being a locomotive full of fresh energy, ever-growing potential, unconventional ideas, multiple approaches to challenges of today and tomorrow, and unfading optimism well-grounded in reality.”

—2007 Fellow

Business Administration and Economics Total Business Administration Fellows: 913 Total Economics Fellows: 569 KEY ALUMNI

Vache Gabrielyan, Economics, Minister of Finance, Armenia Elmaddin Dadashov, Business Administration, Chief of Department, Downstream Projects Management at SOCAR, Azerbaijan Roman Assilbekov, Business Administration, Private Sector Head of Asset Management Division, Halyk Finance, Kazakhstan

Janybek Omorov, Economics, International Consultant on Energy/External Adviser to Minister of Energy, Kyrgyzstan Rustam Bekmuradov, Business Administration, Private Sector Development Specialist, Deloitte Consulting LLP, Turkmenistan

“I learned more about the U.S. financial system in my internship with Merrill Lynch during my fellowship. I draw on concrete examples and cases about the U.S. financial system in my lectures.”

—2003 Fellow

Education and Library and Information Sciences Total Education Fellows: 518 Total Library and Information Sciences Fellows: 376 KEY ALUMNI

Vahagn Marabyan, Library and Information Sciences, Executive Director, Cafesjian Museum Foundation Armenia Aliya Sarsembinova, Library and Information Sciences, Director at Nazarbayev University Library, Kazakhstan

Artem Pozdniakov, Education, Administrative Director, Kyiv Economics Institute, Ukraine Gulnur Esenalieva, Education, Director of Financial Aid Office, American University in Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan

“It gave me an experience and knowledge in my field and I am happy to apply it here. I conduct comparative research and make policies which later to be presented to governmental institutions and Ministry of Education.” —1992 Fellow

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PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS: Cover: Artur Roscolenco; page 3: Timothy Gibson; page 4: Elnura Emilkanova; page 7: Jason Vuong Do; page 8: Elizabeth Knight; page 11: Artur Roscolenco; design: m-Art

Journalism and Mass Communications, Law and International Affairs Total Journalism and Mass Communications Fellows: 265 Total Law Fellows: 479 Total International Affairs Fellows: 313 KEY ALUMNI

Mikhail Saakashvili, Law, President of Georgia Talant Sultanov, International Affairs, Vice-President at American University in Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan

Vitalie Diaconu, International Affairs, First Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova

Giorgi Papuashvili, Law, President of the Constitutional Court, Georgia

Marina Zinovieva, Law, Managing Director and Founder, LegaLife LLC, Russia

“Having gone through my studies in the U.S., I feel now more attached to the ideas of promoting, respecting, and fulfilling human rights in the world. It increased my capacity to deal with the most important human rights issues relevant to my country’s local context and significantly strengthened my background on the issues of human development” —2009 Fellow

Public Health and Environmental Management Total Public Health Fellows: 252 Total Environmental Management Fellows: 160 KEY ALUMNI

Khatuna Gogaladze, Environmental Management, Minister of Environmental Protection, Georgia

Bermet Sydygalieva, Public Health, Chief Specialist, Ministry of Health, Kyrgyzstan Nikolay Matveev, Public Health, Professor, Russian National Research Medical University, Russia

“The skills to analyze and present evidence based, scientific arguments helped to be convincing and draw attention of decision makers from Ministry of health to important issues in primary care.”

—2008 Fellow

Public Administration and Public Policy Total Public Administration Fellows: 880 Total Public Policy Fellows: 94 KEY ALUMNI

Ainur Nurtay, Public Administration, Chief Executive Officer, Central Asian Center for Civil Society Research and Development (RDC), Kazakhstan Yerbol Orynbaev, Public Administration, Vice Prime Minister, Kazakhstan Elin Suleymanov, Public Administration, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to the United States

Marina Ayvazyan, Public Administration, Manager, Patient Advocacy, Johnson & Johnson, Russia Favzia Nazarova, Public Administration, Deputy Director, Public Foundation Nota Bene, Tajikistan Juma Akiyev, Public Policy, Country Representative, Exxon Mobile, Turkmenistan Volodymyr Shcherbachenko, Public Policy, Head of Board, East-Ukrainian Center for Civic Initiatives, Ukraine

“I have learned to identify and value the opportunities for personal and professional development, as well as opportunities for community and economic development that exist in my home country.

I have come to understand the importance of citizen participation in public policy, especially through grassroots efforts.” —2007 Fellow

The Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State, and implemented by IREX. www.irex.org/programs/muskie