The Justice

A LIFETIME OF SERVICE: On the 50th anniversary of the Wien International Scholarship Program, four alumni scholars discussed how their Brandeis experiences impacted their current careers in public service.

Among the most important concepts Iroka Joseph Udeinya '76 learned when he arrived at Brandeis from Nigeria were hard work, the pursuit of excellence and how to make meatloaf.

Udeinya was last to speak at the 50th anniversary of the Wien International Scholarship Program, among the members of a panel of four distinguished alumni scholars. The program, established in 1958 by Arthur Laurence Wien and his wife Mae Wien, recruits exceptional students from all over the world to attend Brandeis.

While Udeinya lived in the Foster Mods his junior year, "I learned how to make meatloaf. I also taught my American roommate how to make fufu! [a Nigerian dish] … I became more Americanized as I Nigerianized my roommates."

There are currently 42 Wien scholars from 21 countries studying at Brandeis, according to David Elwell, Director of the International Students and Scholars Office. Eight hundred Wien scholars from 106 countries have attended Brandeis since the program's inception.

The original goal of the Wien program was to "bring people to the United States so that they could bring back stories of the United States to their countries," Peter Malkin, Wien's son-in-law, said in an interview after the panel event.

Admissions officers choose approximately 12 students each year from an international application pool of about 1,000 to enroll as undergraduates. Brandeis used to accept Wien scholars as graduate students but no longer does. While the Wien program used to grant all scholars full scholarships, the program currently allots some students only partial scholarships.

According to Elwell, the University seeks out "not just an academic scholar," but also "unique individuals who see their role as … giving back to the community."

The weekend of events included a speech from the Prime Minister of Iceland, Geir Haarde '73, a presentation by current Wien scholars and a panel of alumni Wien scholars who spoke about their Brandeis careers and current experiences, moderated by Laurence Simon, associate dean of academic planning at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. Wien alumni from countries as geographically distant as Sweden and Ethiopia gathered here at Brandeis to meet up with old classmates, remark on how much Brandeis had changed since they last visited and see their own aspirations as college students reflected in the optimistic speeches of current scholars.

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