In 2019, three Cornell undergraduates participated in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ (CALS) first Global Fellows Program based in Hungary. The three students are among the approximately 100 alumni of the Global Fellows Program, first launched in 2016. The program's mission is to provide students with international professional experience in their fields of interest while also fostering opportunities for diverse cultural immersion.
Mark Sarvary, senior lecturer in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, and a native of Hungary, initiated the partnership with his alma mater, Szent István University (SZIU).
“Having a faculty linkage to any of our opportunities adds a dimension that is unparalleled because, in some ways, the opportunity is already vetted,” said Cindy Tarter, associate director of academic exchange and international engagement at CALS. “We have that confidence in Mark Sarvary's experience there, and his connection to a deeper cultural heritage helps amplify the definition of our program,"
Isabella Culotta '22, Logan Goddard '20 and David Ospina '20 spent eight weeks in Hungary over the summer of 2019. The students entered the program without any background in the Hungarian language, but their research programs were conducted in English. They presented their experiences at the 2019 Global Fellows Program Showcase in November.
“There's a lot of value in attracting students to non-traditional European destinations like Hungary," said Tarter. “I think Hungary provides a unique international opportunity for our students, and not just for the types of research opportunities that were possible for them, but as a destination.”
In her remarks at the November showcase, Kathryn J. Boor '80, the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of CALS, reflected on her first international experience in East Africa and Kenya, which "absolutely solidified my career trajectory for the rest of my life."
Goddard, an animal science major placed in the aquaculture lab of Ákos Horváth at SZIU, shared this advice with prospective Global Fellows applicants: "Do your homework on where you are going, in terms of the science side of it. Looking at past research is something I wish I did a little more of. Getting an even broader understanding will make it easier to get straight into your project."
For 2020, three professional internship placements are available in Hungary, fully funded by an Erasmus+ Credit Mobility grant received by Sarvary.
The application and more information can be found at the CALS Global Fellows Program website. The deadline to apply is January 31, 2020.
