VOA标准英语2010-International Fellowships Program Helps D

Unlike others, this program deliberately¹ chooses among qualified² applicants³ who are members of marginalized or disenfranchised groups in their societies.

Emily Lause | Washington, DC 13 April 2010

 

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International Fellowships Program

The International Fellowships Program (IFP), which recently commemorated⁴ its ten year anniversary, has reason to celebrate. The program provides postgraduate⁵ fellowships for emerging leaders from marginalized or excluded communities throughout Africa, the Middle East, Russia, Asia, and Latin America.  Thus far, IPF has selected nearly 4,000 fellows in 22 countries and will have supported approximately 4,300 when selections conclude in 2010. VOA’s Carol Castiel recently spoke⁶ with the program’s executive director, Joan Dassin, about the positive impact the program has had on the fellows and their respective communities.

 

Unlike most international scholarship programs which target the educated “elites,” IFP deliberately chooses among qualified applicants who are members of marginalized or disenfranchised groups in their societies.  These groups differ from country to country.  In Latin America, it may mean students of indigenous⁷ or African heritage, many of whom comprise the poorest social classes.  In Africa, it may mean targeting females or students from a less privileged ethnic⁸ group.   Whatever their “disadvantage,” those chosen to pursue graduate work all share a common trait that accounts in part for the program’s success:  they possess a deep commitment to returning to their home countries to apply their newly acquired skills and knowledge.

“It’s very fascinating to see the hunger that people who have been such pioneers have for learning and what they are willing to sacrifice in order to take advantage of the opportunity awarded by our fellowship,” says Dassin. She goes on to observe that “The academic success of the students makes very clear that people from marginalized or disadvantaged backgrounds can succeed academically with the proper forms of support.” Grantees are allowed to pursue a variety of fields of study in universities anywhere in the world.  IFP accepts only 5 percent of applicants, which makes the program one of the most competitive in the world.

 

In 2001, the Ford⁹ Foundation granted IFP $280 million, intended for a ten year life span. Dassin is hoping that the program’s success has produced a model for other partners to use in the future.  IFP works with national governments, multi-lateral donors¹⁰, universities, and private sector¹¹ funders.  According to Dassin, the model is such a success that “the Brazilian government has just approved the first-ever affirmative action [program] at the post graduate level based on our program.”  Dassin says that there are many other elements of IFP that can be replicated¹² in different countries and different ways.

The strength of the program is also demonstrated through IFP’s alumni associations. Dassin believes that the international connection among the alumni is the real “legacy” of the program. “We are supporting the creation of these associations so they can become an organizational force for social justice.”

 

1 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

2 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

3 applicants   

申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
• He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。

4 commemorated   

v.纪念，庆祝( commemorate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Lincoln commemorated the soldiers killed in the battle in his address. 林肯在演说中表扬阵亡将士。 来自辞典例句
• You'll be commemorated for killing a spy, and be specially discharged. 你们每杀一个间谍将会被记录到特殊档案。 来自电影对白

5 postgraduate   

adj.大学毕业后的，大学研究院的；n.研究生

参考例句：

• I didn't put down that I had postgraduate degree.我没有写上我有硕士学位。
• After college,Mary hopes to do postgraduate work in law school.大学毕业后， 玛丽想在法学院从事研究工作。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

8 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

9 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

10 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

12 replicated   

复制( replicate的过去式和过去分词 )； 重复； 再造； 再生

参考例句：

• Later outplant the seedlings in a replicated permanent test plantation. 以后苗木出圃栽植成重复的永久性试验林。
• The phage has replicated and the donor cells have lysed. 噬菌体已复制和给体细胞已发生裂解。