Fahiya Rashid Receives HAUS Scholarship

16 November 2016

American student studies at the Heidelberg University in the Master's programme South Asia Studies

Photo: Rothe

Fahiya Rashid and the Rector of Heidelberg University, Prof. Dr. Bernhard Eitel

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American student Fahiya Rashid, who is currently studying in the interdisciplinary master’s in the South Asian Studies programme at Heidelberg University, is this year’s recipient of the Heidelberg University U.S. (HAUS) scholarship. Following her bachelor’s degree in International Studies at the University of California, Irvine, the 25-year old has come to Heidelberg’s South Asia Institute (SAI) in October. Her studies focus on political science, South Asian history and development economics. The scholarship provides support for the winter semester 2016–2017 amounting to 5,000 US dollars. The President of Heidelberg University, Bernhard Eitel, handed her the certificate during a small ceremony.

Fahiya says that she is delighted to receive the scholarship for her studies at Ruperto Carola, where she has already met many people from various countries and cultures. Her studies at the South Asia Institute and experiences made with other cultures will prepare her for her professional goal of working as a foreign service officer for the United States. “I would like to build bridges between different cultures,” explains Fahiya. As an American of Bangladeshi descent, Fahiya wants to explore how societal and economic factors have contributed to the steady increase in terrorist activities in Bangladesh and what can be done to address it. Prof. Dr. Rahul Mukherji will be supervising her master thesis, for which she has already carried out research in Bangladesh.

Special thanks go to the American alumni who donated to the HAUS scholarship, which is given to one student each year for the winter semester. It is aimed at students in the U.S. who will study in Heidelberg for an exchange or degree program. Bachelor’s students receive 3,000 US dollars, while master’s students receive 5,000 US dollars.