The Fulbright U.S. Student Program has awarded grants to a record-breaking number of USF students for the academic year 2022-2023, including one student from the College of Public Health (COPH).

The program provides funding to qualified American citizens who want to study, conduct research or teach English abroad. The program, which partners with more than 140 countries, is open to graduating college seniors, graduate students and young professionals from all backgrounds.

It’s an exciting opportunity for Americans to create connections, take part in cultural exchange and expand their knowledge of life in other countries.

And the same goes for “Fulbrighters,” as the students are called, who come to the U.S. from elsewhere.

We caught up with one such student, Nigar Izmayilova, a Fulbrighter from Azerbaijan, a country that borders Eastern Europe and Western Asia, who is studying for her MPH in healthcare organizations and management at the COPH. While students such as Izmayilova can request which universities they want to attend, it is up to the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Commission to place students.

How did you get interested in public health?

When I was 10 years old, my grandmother, who is my best friend, mentor and the person I always wanted to be proud of me, had a stroke that left her paralyzed for 23 years. Neither then nor now was the public health system in Azerbaijan developed enough to address the consequences of the stroke. I promised myself I’d do my best to expand the existing system when I grew up. Many of the public health policies in Azerbaijan need to be updated. I want to work for the well-being of the people in my country.

Why did you decide to pursue a Fulbright?

I started my public health journey advocating for children with autism. I wanted to make their lives, and the lives of their parents, better. But I didn’t have the proper education. Although many say experience is more valuable than education, I cannot disagree more. I felt that educational gap throughout my career. It wasn’t so much about the skills lacked, but the way people perceived me. I sometimes felt like I was not being heard because of that educational gap. So, I decided to apply to be a Fulbrighter.

What do you think is the importance of international collaboration, especially when it comes to public health?

Globalization is happening daily, and no country (except, maybe, North Korea) can escape from it. Health challenges are no longer challenging only one country–they have become global. COVID-19 was the best example of that. Those challenges can be overcome only if addressed collaboratively.

How will being a Fulbrighter help you in your public health work—either in this country or elsewhere?

First, a “Fulbrighter” is a title that gives you a certain status along with responsibilities. I would say that people, professionals specifically, trust us, and I am dedicated to doing my best to justify the expectations. The U.S. government and people on the committee saw something in me, something that motivated them to give me the award and not to the hundreds of other participants. This is a responsibility for me to carry.

What do you plan to do once you receive your degree?

My lifetime goal is to become the medical advisor to the president of Azerbaijan. But I feel that, first, there is a lot for me to learn and explore. Once I graduate, I’d like to work in the United States for a year and then travel to a third-world country. I am thinking about engaging with a public health project that is happening either in one of the African or Asian countries. My final destination, though, is Azerbaijan. I started this journey with the idea of doing something meaningful for my country and my people.

Story by Donna Campisano, USF College of Public Health