Senior Nick Anderson has been selected as one of 18 Luce Scholars for the 2009-2010 program. Launched in 1974, The Luce Scholars Program is aimed at a group of highly qualified young Americans in a variety of professional fields. It is unique among American-Asian exchanges in that it is intended for young leaders who have had no prior experience of Asia and who might not otherwise have an opportunity in the normal course of their careers to come to know Asia or their Asian counterparts. The program provides stipends and internships for eighteen young Americans to live and work in Asia each year.
Nick is one of three UNC-Chapel Hill students selected this year. Only three colleges and universities previously have had three winners in the same year: the University of Chicago in 1974, Wellesley College in 1976 and Yale University in 2008. All are private institutions; Carolina is public.
The three recipients pull Carolina past Harvard to become first in the nation in the number of Luce Scholars since the program began in 1974. Since then, the foundation has chosen 30 Carolina students for the honor. This year, 55 colleges and universities nationwide nominated 111 candidates for the Luce.
Nick is "thrilled" by this opportunity: "I want to be in a dynamic, challenging place, so the chance to learn an Asian language and culture is perfect for my goals...In many ways, the Luce is the logical extension of my experiences with the Robertson Scholarship -- crossing cultural boundaries, being challenged in new situations, and having great experiences with the help of generous resources." He hopes to work with company/non-profit involved in energy/environment in China, Taiwan, or Indonesia.
Luce Scholar candidates are nominated by 67 colleges and universities, including Duke and UNC-Chapel hill. After an initial interview conducted by either a member of the foundation's staff or a former Luce Scholar, 45 finalists meet with one of three selection panels who choose the 18 Luce Scholars. Placements and support services for the Luce Scholars are provided by the Asia Foundation, an organization with field offices throughout Asia. The program begins in August and concludes the following July.
Luce Scholars have backgrounds in virtually any field - other than Asian studies - including medicine, the arts, business, law, science, environmental studies, and journalism. Placements can be made in the following countries in East and Southeast Asia: Brunei, Cambodia, China and Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
In spite of its name, the Luce Scholars Program is experiential rather that academic in nature. Some Scholars have been attached to Asian universities in teaching or research capacities, but none of the participants is formally enrolled as a student in a college or university and no academic credit is extended.
Internships are arranged for each Scholar on the basis of his or her specific interest, background, qualifications, and experience. These work assignments run for approximately ten months-from September until July of the following year and are intended primarily as learning opportunities for the Scholars. Certainly it is hoped that a Scholar will be able to make a professional contribution to the host organization, but equally important is a willingness to learn some of the many things that Asia has to teach.
To learn more about the Luce Scholars Program, please visit their Web site at http://www.hluce.org/lsprogram.aspx.
To learn more about the other UNC-Chapel Hill recipients, please read their press release at http://uncnews.unc.edu/news/students/three-from-carolina-win-luce-scholarships.html.
