Dr. Tracey Hidalgo, assistant director in the Office of International Student and Scholar Services, was a recent recipient of the Fulbright International Education Administrators (IEA) award and spent two weeks in South Korea alongside other IEA recipients to learn about Korean education, language, culture and history.
“This opportunity was indeed the type of experience that happens once in a lifetime,” Hidalgo said. “Fulbright awards are very competitive, and it was an honor to be selected as a first-time applicant.”
Dr. Tracey Hidalgo, assistant director in the Office of International Student and Scholar Services, spent two weeks in South Korea in June on a fully funded Fulbright grant to learn about Korean education, language, culture and history.
The Fulbright program is devoted to increasing mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries through international educational exchanges. IEA awards are fully funded opportunities for U.S. higher education administrators to participate intensive two-week seminars abroad to learn about other countries’ higher education systems.
“I had the opportunity to meet with higher education professionals like myself to learn about these institutions and discuss topics,” she said. “Some topics included campus internationalization, the Korean immigration system for students who are foreign nationals, Korea as an education abroad destination and opportunities for collaboration between institutions.”
Scheduled from June 9 to June 22, the trip led Hidalgo to visit 14 higher education institutions throughout South Korea, as well as leaving time to visit historical landmarks such as the Deoksugung Palace, Uam Historic Park and the Jeonju Hanok village.
“I made so many invaluable connections with colleagues in South Korea, which gives me an additional connection to the country and my experiences there,” she said. “Koreans are very friendly and welcoming to foreign nationals. This is something I would have never learned had I not visited South Korea myself.
“I am passionate about cultural understanding and exchange,” Hidalgo added. “Learning more about South Korea and the Korean higher education system will help me better understand the students coming to study in the U.S. and give me the knowledge I need to encourage more students from The University of Toledo to study abroad.”