South Brunswick High School teacher Samantha Saldanha-Kuncharom is a two-time Fulbright Scholarship recipient.
In the summer of 2023, she will travel abroad to Taiwan with a select group of faculty after receiving a Fulbright Fellowship in “Group Projects Abroad” at the College of New Jersey, according to South Brunswick High School’s (SBHS) Department of Social Sciences.
“When I return, I hope to first look at our curriculum to see where this information fits, and then share my experience and knowledge with my professional development colleagues,” Saldanha-Kuncharam said.
She is no stranger to the Fulbright scholarship.
A 20-year veteran of the South Brunswick school district, who teaches high school global studies and comparative management in higher education, he previously received a Fulbright scholarship in 2006.
That year, Saldanha-Kuncharam traveled to India to study the impact of globalization on the country.
As the Fulbright runner-up, Saldanha-Kuncharam will be in Taiwan in July for the summer of 2023.
All expenses for accommodation and travel, as well as excursions to many cultural sites, are covered by the grant.
According to TCNJ’s Department of World Languages and Cultures, the purpose of the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad program is to provide faculty, staff, and students and graduate students with the opportunity to conduct individual and group projects abroad for research and teaching in modern foreign languages and local studies.
“We chose Taiwan as the location for this Fulbright-Hayes Study Abroad to better understand how Taiwanese education and core cultural values have contributed to the effectiveness of their national public health policies,” said Celia Liu, project director and faculty member at the Department health care. World Languages and Cultures at TCNJ.
She added that Taiwan offers a case study of how leadership can build on core values in implementing its anti-COVID policies and how Taiwanese cultural practices contribute to the effectiveness of these policies.
The program consists of a series of preparatory workshops, a four-week stay abroad in Taiwan organized by the National Taiwan Normal University, and post-departure workshops on curriculum reflection and reform.
Those selected for the four weeks in Taiwan will be able to use content gathered from existing curricula they have developed or create a new curriculum.
