In a culmination of the eight-week Hubert H. Humphrey Pre-Academic Program, 30 Humphrey Fellows presented their research at a three-day forum at the University of Kansas. Fellows represent 21 countries: Algeria, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Burundi, Cambodia, China, Cote d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Panama, Sierra Leone, South Korea, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. They gave 15-minute presentations on topics that highlighted their area of academic interest and field of study. Each speaker drew an audience of 25-40 guests, with engaging Q&A sessions following each presentation. 

Presentation topics at this year’s forum covered a wide range of research from around the world, such as:

• Protecting the legal rights of intravenous drug users in accessing HIV/AIDS prevention services in Tanzania;
• The benefits of agritourism for rural Tibetan women;
• Cambodia’s national economic development policy support for women-led microbusinesses;
• Interventions to control animal brucellosis in Punjab, Pakistan;
• Blockchain technology’s influence on the West African Monetary and Economic Union; and
• The need for the Korean Navy and Coast Guard to build electric-powered patrol ships

Organized by KU International Short Programs in partnership with the KU Applied English Center,  the Humphrey Pre-Academic Program facilitates an intensive English language and professional training that prepares fellows to transition into their year-long Humphrey Fellowship.  

This past year, graduate students Emily McGinnis and Kellie Del Signore partnered with Humphrey Fellow Annette Nantumbwe as they participated in Cornell’s Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management’s Student Multidisciplinary Applied Research Teams (SMART) Program. SMART is a two-semester consulting program where groups of undergraduate and graduate students develop strategic plans for social enterprises around the world. Their project supported the growth of T.I.A. Bee Products Ltd, a women-owned apiary business based in Mauritius, which works with beekeeping collectives across East Africa. Known as “Bees with Stories,” it is the first brand of bee products exclusively sourced from Africa that centers around the idea that beekeepers deserve the spotlight for their diligent work in managing hives, as well as a bigger percentage of the profit made in selling bee products. As a Ugandan woman with a wealth of prior agribusiness, financial, and start-up experience, Ms. Nantumbwe’s input grounded the graduate students’ recommendations, greatly enriching their contributions to the organization. 

“Her technical, cultural, and geographic experience was critical to the project’s success, but her kindness, patience, and uplifting spirit made her a joy to work with. Kellie and I learned so much from Annette, and we were gifted an incredible new friend and colleague. We hope to continue working with her for years to come. We are immensely grateful to the Humphrey program for enabling this opportunity for exchange and collaboration!”

- Emily McGinnis, MPS ’22 (Global Development)

Humphrey alumnus Anatolii Marushchak organized and moderated a roundtable to discuss  “Interaction Between Civil Society and State Bodies for Countering Disinformation at Wartime” with the National Academy of the Security of Ukraine and the CRDF Global. During the round table, representatives of state authorities, public organizations, mass media, and international experts discussed countering disinformation in wartime and why civil society and government interaction are essential. The Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, Yehor Dubynskyi, gave a welcome speech and shared the latest results of the Ministry of Digital Transformation’s interaction with civil society. Participants learned about the key achievements of Ukraine in the field of information security, the best foreign practices in combating misinformation, the legal framework of civil society, and government collaboration in this area. This event is part of the public initiative “Truth and Security,” which organizes joint scientific and practical activities, conducts training, particularly regarding countering disinformation, and supports activities aimed at integration into the European Union, NATO, and UN ecosystems.

Mr. Marushchak was a Humphrey Fellow from 2020-2021 at American University Washington College of Law. He is currently the Co-founder and Strategic Adviser of the International Information Academy in Ukraine. 

A recipient of the Humphrey Alumni Professional Development (PD) grant, Humphrey alumnus Dr. M. M. Aeorangajeb Al Hossain undertook a capacity enhancement training from July 5-16 at Nagoya University in Japan, focused on cutting-edge water depurative technology. These water production and purification technologies are highly suitable for low and middle-income countries like Dr. Hossain’s home country, Bangladesh, where drinking water is polluted with toxic elements. For years, he has collaborated with the faculty at Nagoya University Japan to develop a patented hydrotalcite (MF-HT) based technology that could depurate polluted water at a very low cost. With the PD grant, he visited Nagoya University, met with his colleagues to discuss the applicability of the patented technology, and conducted a practical demonstration of the water-depuration process. More importantly, they have started to organize a pilot project in Bangladesh that will deploy this technology, improve the water quality, and minimize threats to public health in Bangladesh.

Dr. Hossain was a Humphrey Fellow from 2020-2021 at Emory University. He is an expert in analytical chemical research, molecular biology, and fieldwork epidemiology to evaluate human health risk for toxic elements.