Rice students selected for Stanford U.S.-Russia Forum

By Dixita Viswanath     9/11/13 7:00pm

Two Rice University students were selected to participate in the Stanford U.S.-Russia Forum, a program that allows students at American and Russian universities to meet, discuss, and work on policy proposals and initiatives together, according to senior lecturer of Russian Jonathan Ludwig.

According to Ludwig, Jones College senior Rohan Shah and Brown College junior Irene Oh were selected to represent Rice University in this forum and will be the first Rice students to do so.

Ludwig said the program was started at Stanford University in 2008 and has expanded to include more than 150 students from over 20 Russian and American universities.

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Ludwig said any student, undergraduate or graduate, from any major can apply to the program. He said participants are selected through a competitive application process conducted by Stanford. The ongoing program will last until April 2014.

"This program gives Rice students an excellent opportunity to play a role in policy formation with and concerning Russia and indicates that Russia is still a very important country in the world, both to work with and to keep an eye on, as we see today relating to Syria," Ludwig said. 

Oh said she was a Gateway Summer Fellow and previously worked in the Embassy of Korea in Kazakhstan during the summer. She said she is excited to represent the United States as a non-citizen.

"I am very honored to represent Rice in this bilateral forum," Oh said. "I think it will provide abundant opportunities to promote both in the U.S. and abroad how amazing our Rice community is."

According to Oh, the program consists of three parts: the Moscow Conference, a collaborative research project and the Stanford Conference. Each student will be a part of a team comprised of two Russian students, two American students, a professional mentor and a student mentor, Oh said. Each project will culminate in a research paper on a policy recommendation.

Shah, a previous Gateway Study of Leadership fellow, said he believes the forum will expand the impact policy makes in science.

"The Stanford U.S.-Russia Forum will allow me to further develop my knowledge and understanding of health policy and economics spheres while surrounding myself with like-minded, passionate peers from both the U.S. and Russia," Shah said. "I am excited for the prospect of working with my peers as I broaden my own worldview and understanding of creating effective and meaningful policy."

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