Trip to Pakistan falls victim to political unrest
June 27, 2002
KALAMAZOO -- With war brewing between India and Pakistan, one WMU faculty member recently discovered that he probably won't be returning to his native country next year after all.
After a nine-month planning and application process, Inayat U. Mangla was notified in April that he'd been chosen to go to Pakistan as a Fulbright scholar. Mangla was thrilled to be returning to that country to research and teach finance for the 2002-03 academic year.
As tensions in the region heated up late last month, the U.S. Department of State, which administers the Fulbright program, told Mangla they're suspending the program in Pakistan.
"Obviously I'm disappointed and disheartened, but my first priority is safety," says Mangla. "They are exploring the opportunity for me to do my sabbatical research project in another country, and I've proposed Kuwait or the United Arab Emirates. Or, I may travel on my own to complete my project."
Mangla is a professor of finance and commercial law in the Haworth College of Business. A U.S. citizen, he originally came to this country as a young Fulbright scholar.
Media contact: Jessica English, 269 387-8400, jessica.english@wmich.edu