This year Southeast Community College celebrates its fifth year of collaboration with International Research and exchange Program (IREX).

The cooperation between IREX and SCC maintains unique cross-cultural interactions among American students and those ones sent to SCC by IREX. Starting in 2006, there have been 16 international students sent by IREX to SCC.

IREX is an international nonprofit organization providing thought leadership and innovative programs to promote positive lasting change globally.

For the 2010 –11 academic year, there are three IREX students from different countries sent by IREX to study and share their experiences at SCC.

Parviz Jamalov, or Tajikistan, is studying Journalism. Farid Tuayev, of Azerbaijan, is focusing on Business and Management communications. Tamar Chubabria, of Georgia, the former Soviet republic, selected the International Affairs program at SCC.

Each of these students had to experience and pass very competitive selection to win the IREX grant and study in the United States.

The Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD) in Eurasia and Central Asia is one of 83 programs launched by IREX. This program provides opportunities for full-time undergraduate students from Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russian Federation, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan to spend one academic year of non-degree study at a US university or community college.

Participants are selected through an open, merit-based competition. All fellows must attend classes full time, perform community service in their host city and complete a part-time internship during one year in the USA.

Finalists are selected according to their academic records, TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), interview and essay scores.

Current IREX students at SCC are call themselves “fortunate” to study in here while some IREX alumni from SCC claim that “they are still in a relationship with Beatrice and SCC.”

Tuayev says that he found people of Nebraska very hospitable and kind and that it helped him to adjust.

Tuayev expects that during one year in SCC “he can become more mature and professional in his major to use his gained experience wisely in his home country.”

The biggest difficulty he has faced so far is the independence that all UGRAD fellows undergo during one year in United States.

“It was a little difficult for the first two weeks I spent away from my family,” he said, “but it is getting better and better now. I want to thank IREX and SCC for giving such a great chance to study in the USA and to have multicultural communications with the people of America.”

Alex Lebedev of Moldova, a Global UGRAD program alumni at SCC, said, “It was unbelievable to be a student at SCC.  For me, SCC always will remain something special. It was the place where I learnt a lot of new things like piano and golf, the place where everybody is willing to help you … and where being an international student is a big honor.”

While at SCC, Lebedev studied Journalism, writing articles and taking pictures for The SCC Challenge and says that “Nebraska stays in his heart.”

The Dean of Student Services Dr. Thomas Cardwell helped to bring the IREX programs to SCC.

He explained that, “IREX is my favorite program.

While traveling to different countries I could observe various cultures and lifestyles. Afterwards, I decided to launch cross-cultural interactions among American and international student.

The cultural diversity enables the students of SCC to broaden their global outlook and learn another culture through interacting with international students.”

Dr.Cardwell emphasized that “IREX does a spectacular job managing this program and I hope they continue to manage it well into the future.

It is very gratifying to see the exchange students go on to be quite successful in their lives and academic and professional lives.”

Cardwell also works as a host advisor, helping foreign exchange students to adapt and succeed in American community.

Another host advisor who works with IREX students is Student Retention Officer Margarita Feyerherm.

Feyerherm said had been in “the same boat” with international students, as she is a native of Colombia.

“I have something common with exchange students,” she said.

“I can relate their experience to my own and give them some helpful advices as they undergo the same difficulties like I did.”

She said she appreciates the college’s partnership, adding, “IREX develops our campus by bringing international diversity to it.

I enjoy working with IREX students because they usually come well-prepared and interested in sharing their experience to us.”