Farah Al Chammas, recipient of the Anders Uhrskov Leadership Scholarship, attends Emory University and is studying at DIS Copenhagen in the Medical Practice & Policy Program for the Spring 2018 Semester.
The Anders Uhrskov Leadership Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship established to award students who have demonstrated leadership on their college campuses at home and who are dedicated to enhancing and building upon their global leadership and critical thinking skills while at DIS.
Farah is the founder and Co-President of Refugee Revive, a growing student organization at Emory University that creates opportunities for integration and economic empowerment of Syrian refugees in Clarkston, Georgia. Currently, sixteen student leaders tutor 127 ESL college students from the refugee community, host monthly dinners lead by two refugee women who share their favorite recipes and stories from their homes, and organize awareness and fundraising campaigns.
Farah reflected on her time at DIS Copenhagen so far, saying,
“While part of me is regaining appreciation for the U.S. by observing the diversity scene and sentiment in Denmark, another part of me wants to stay here forever because Copenhagen reminds me so much of Damascus, Syria where I was born and raised. Walking in the old alleys and smelling the history in this city wakes up memories of home in my heart, not to mention all the Lebanese restaurants that play Fairuz (my mom’s ever favorite singer).”
When asked how she will get involved in the community while abroad, Farah shared her plan to engage with the local culture to learn how one of the happiest countries in the world functions to the best of its people. “Although I know I will miss my team, I would not even consider this study abroad experience if I was not sure of their ability to transition successfully. Most importantly, I know that living in another different culture will further expand my world perspective and allow me to express my leadership genes to return to my home university with a fresh, forward-facing perspective.”
Hannah Fink, recipient of the Jacob Buksti Memorial Scholarship, attends Hamilton College and studies at DIS Copenhagen in the Terrorism & Counter Terrorism Program for the Spring 2018 Semester.
The Jacob Buksti Memorial Scholarship is a merit-based award that honors a beloved former DIS faculty member, Jacob Buksti. Jacob built a strong legacy in modern Danish politics and made a deep impact on the hundreds of DIS students he taught from 2003 to 2016. Jacob served the Social Democratic Party as a parliamentarian, party spokesperson, and Minister of Transportation during an impressive political career, and he was deeply devoted to sharing his work and passion with students. He loved being a politician and, even more than the theories and policy study that fueled his coursework, was passionate about the living, breathing game of European domestic and international politics.
Like Jakob, Hannah has combined her two passions: Politics and communications. As the leader of two grassroots organizations, Hannah has expanded beyond the boundaries of her classes and into the extracurriculars to which she devotes her time. Hannah is the Co-President and Media Chair of the Women’s Center, a student-run activist and educational space dedicated to effecting progress on Hamilton’s campus. Hannah is also a founding member of Hamilton SMART (Sexual Misconduct Assault Reform Task Force), where she created a structure that not only lobbies the U.S. administration with recommended policy changes regarding approaches to sexual assault, but also helps foster a culture of advocacy and support.
When reflecting on her goals for the semester, Hannah said “I hope to engage not only my DIS classmates in political discussion, but also other Danes as well. Having a well-rounded opinion that is informed by other global perspectives is invaluable when constructing a dialogue around a policy issue.”
Congratulations to Farah & Hannah! We are looking forward to seeing all that they accomplish this semester
Back to all news