Derek Ren '24

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Derek Ren '24 has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program award to serve as a Fulbright English teaching assistant (ETA) in Kazakhstan for the 2024-2025 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Improving English language literacy is a vital component of Kazakhstan's political, economic and social development. Since gaining independence in 1991, the country has enacted The Trilingual Education Policy to modernize its education system, prioritizing language culture. As a result, multilingual learning programs are now the foundation of new educational models, providing a strong base for future progress.

The Fulbright Program supports these initiatives by fostering international partnerships and cultural exchange between the U.S. and other nations. In his role as a Fulbright ETA Award recipient, Ren will conduct English language learning courses at the university level, engaging students with interactive activities that emphasize both linguistic proficiency and cultural awareness. His community engagement project will focus on facilitating cross-cultural exchange through a club at his host institution or his local American Corner, where students and community members can explore American and Kazakh cultures through workshops, conferences and mixers.

Ren also plans to collaborate with faculty members at his host institution or regional think tanks on a research project focused on educational strategies, public health policies and international relations. As a human biology and society major at UCLA, his interdisciplinary background has driven his pursuit of a career in medicine with a global perspective. This Fulbright experience will deepen his understanding of global health and how policy influences healthcare delivery. Ren is also interested in International Relations, so the Fulbright Scholarship will enable him to volunteer with local or state organizations to expand his understanding of these topics while serving as a cultural ambassador abroad.

More than 2,000 Fulbright U.S. students — recent college graduates, graduate students and early career professionals from all backgrounds — pursue graduate study, conduct research or teach English in schools abroad each year.

They are recognized alongside more than 800 faculty, researchers, administrators and established professionals who teach or conduct research in affiliation with institutes abroad annually through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Fulbrighters form ongoing research collaborations and lay the groundwork for future partnerships between institutions.

Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds with the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. Fulbrighters exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections, and work to address complex global challenges. Notable Fulbrighters include 62 Nobel Laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 80 MacArthur Fellows, 41 heads of state or government, and thousands of leaders across the private, public, and non-profit sectors.

Fulbright is a program of the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. Government. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the program, which has operated in over 160 countries worldwide. In the United States, the Institute of International Education implements the Fulbright U.S. Student and U.S. Scholar Programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of State.