Kellogg International Scholar Joshua Pine ’19 has been selected to receive the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship sponsored by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to study in China during the spring 2017 academic term.
Pine, a political science and Chinese double major with a minor in Catholic social teaching, is one of four recipients from Notre Dame to receive the scholarship, the most Gilman Scholars selected from Notre Dame in a single competition.
As a Kellogg international scholar, Pine works as a research assistant for Faculty Fellow Karrie Koesel, analyzing questions on China’s college entrance exam to better understand trends in Chinese political education. In his own research, he is broadly interested in the intersection of politics, religion, and international development in China.
“Joshua represents the best and brightest of Notre Dame—blending his interest in the politics of China with faith, service, and social justice,” says Koesel. “I am delighted that he has received a prestigious Gilman International Scholarship to study at Peking University.”
“Participating in the Kellogg International Scholars Program has inspired me to take the initiative in my academic exploration and to open my eyes to new perspectives,” says Pine.
“I hope that my experience studying abroad will help me to better appreciate how China views the world and that it will empower me to serve as a bridge of understanding and as an ambassador of the common good.”
While in China, he will be enrolled at Peking University and take classes alongside Chinese students. He hopes to study international relations and especially US-China relations.
Gilman Scholars receive up to $5,000 to apply toward their study abroad or internship program costs. Scholarship recipients have the opportunity to gain a better understanding of other cultures, countries, languages and economies, making them better prepared to assume leadership roles within government and the private sector.
Congressman Gilman, for whom the scholarship is named, retired in 2002 after serving in the House of Representatives for 30 years and chairing the House Foreign Relations Committee.
“Study abroad is a special experience for every student who participates,” he said. “Living and learning in a vastly different environment of another nation not only exposes our students to alternate views, but also adds an enriching social and cultural experience.
“It also provides our students with the opportunity to return home with a deeper understanding of their place in the world, encouraging them to be a contributor, rather than a spectator in the international community.”
The University’s Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement (CUSE) provides students across the University with opportunities for research, scholarship, and creative projects; promotes applications to national fellowship programs; and prepares students in their application process.
The Kellogg Institute for International Studies, part of the University of Notre Dame’s new Keough School of Global Affairs, is an interdisciplinary community of scholars and students from across the University and around the world that promotes research, provides educational opportunities, and builds linkages related to two topics critical to our world—democracy and human development.