Oberlin Shansi Selects Two-Year Fellows

Seven graduates have been selected to teach and work at partner institutions throughout Asia as Oberlin Shansi fellows.

An independent, nonprofit organization based at Oberlin, Shansi’s goal is to promote understanding and communication between Oberlin and Asia. Founded in 1908, it is among the oldest educational exchange programs in the United States.

The two-year fellowships support recent graduates’ learning and teaching in partner institutions and non-governmental organizations in China, India, Indonesia, and Japan. Starting this summer, the new group of seven fellows will join eight others who are currently finishing their first year of the program.

“These seven new Shansi Fellows are an outstanding group of Oberlin College and Conservatory graduates who are about to embark on a journey that will change their lives,” says Gavin Tritt, executive director of Oberlin Shansi. “Like more than 400 Shansi fellows who have preceded them, they will learn about the power of exchanging ideas and experiences. They will have the opportunity to learn about Asia and themselves, and to share their lives with the communities they will join.”

Tritt says that exchanges such as the two-year fellowships, and Shansi’s Visiting Scholars program at Oberlin, foster openness, encourage mutual exchange and learning, and empower generations of Asians and Americans to look at their world in new and inspiring ways.

The seven Shansi fellows for 2014-2016 are:

Ariel Powell ’14, J.F. Oberlin University in Machida, Japan

Christian James ’14, Jagori Grameen (nonprofit organization) in Himachal Pradesh, India

Leila Goldstein ’14, Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh, Indonesia

Ursula Friedman ’14, Beijing Normal University in Beijing, China

Nathan Michaelson ’13, Shanxi Agricultural University in Taigu, China

Theo Carney ’14, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, China

Robina (Ruby) Saha ’14, Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Read more about the new and current fellows here.