Enjoying the culture of Japan for five months was more than just a vacation to one UT JEM professor and her family- it was an opportunity to study anti-terrorism and discover what being a Fulbright Scholar was all about.
Dr. Catherine Luther [1] began her comparison of Japan and U.S. foreign policies at her host institution, the University of Tsukuba, located north of Tokyo. She spent her time meeting with the country's leaders, sitting in on Parliament dealings and investigating the media coverage of the legislation to broaden her knowledge on Japan's policy making.
"I always had an interest in terrorism, and this was before 9/11," Luther said. After 9/11 the topic became very important to explore, and press freedom was in question, she said.
Luther intends to use her Fulbright experience to write papers about anti-terrorism foreign policies in comparison to U.S. policies and how the public is interacting with the changes.
"I hope it will be a book," she said.
Luther first heard about the opportunity to conduct research overseas under the Fulbright scholarship [2] during a faculty senate meeting.
"It's a great program," she said. "They have it for graduate students and faculty members in teaching and research.
"I can't even describe how amazing the experience was," Luther said, encouraging others to apply for a Fulbright Scholar opportunity. "Even if you just go to another country to teach, it's a great experience to have."
Links:
[1] http://www.cci.utk.edu/user/115
[2] http://exchanges.state.gov/education/fulbright/about.htm