03/24/2009
Two A&S Students Awarded Heidelberg Scholarship
The University of Kentucky Office of International Affairs (OIA) and the College of Arts and Sciences have announced that two A&S students have been awarded the prestigious UK-Heidelberg University Scholarship for the 2009-2010 academic year.
The two students are Margot Wielgus and Jane Garland. Wielgus is a graduate student in the Department of Philosophy. Garland, who was an alternate for the UK-Heidelberg University Scholarship in 2008, is a junior majoring in German and English secondary education.
The University of Kentucky has participated in a student exchange program with Heidelberg University for over half a century. Since the early 1950s, scholarships have been awarded annually based on academic excellence, maturity, open-mindedness and adaptability, as well as readiness to learn from education abroad and ability to communicate in German.
Heidelberg University, the oldest university in Germany, was founded in 1386. It is considered to be at the center of modern research and study in Germany. Today, the university has about 26,000 students, among them more than 5,000 international students.
"I am very excited to have the opportunity to study at the University of Heidelberg next year with the generous Heidelberg Exchange Scholarship," Wielgus said. "The University of Heidelberg has an excellent philosophy program. I'm planning to spend time attending lectures, improving my German skills for philosophy and conversation, and learning about German culture. Two of my colleagues who have already received their Ph.D.'s in the UK philosophy department (Kevin Harrelson and Bob Sandmeyer), also received this grant in years past and I have heard many positive things about their experiences."
“The UK-Heidelberg University partnership is one of the nation’s oldest student exchange programs and is an outstanding example of the benefits of international educational exchange,” said David Bettez, OIA director of external relations. “Over the years, dozens of UK students have enjoyed studying at one of the world’s great universities in Heidelberg. In turn, we have gained from having some highly talented German students join us here in Lexington. The University of Kentucky has hosted international students for nearly a century, with the first mention of students from Germany, South Africa, Japan and Siam (present-day Thailand) appearing in a 1912 UK yearbook.”
The Office of International Affairs encourages the internationalization of the campus, curriculum and community at the University of Kentucky. OIA facilitates international activities both on and off campus by providing leadership, coordination and service. UK has welcomed international students for more than seven decades, and OIA offers guidance and support to hundreds of international students, staff, faculty and scholars each year. The office also advises U.S. students and other members of the campus community who study, work, teach and travel abroad.