A recent gift to a university in Almaty, Kazakhstan, speaks volumes about the University of Mary Washington’s take on philanthropy and fostering international knowledge.
One U.S. State Department email to Mary Washington Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Stephen J. Farnsworth brought this response: a donation of more than 100 books to al-Farabi Kazakh National University.
Farnsworth and his colleagues – many of whom have studied and taught in places similar to al-Farabi, where resources are limited – liked the idea, too. His personal experiences working with journalists and students in nations of the former Soviet Union made the book drive a “priority project” for him, said Farnsworth, Director of UMW’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies.
“I know firsthand how little of the readily available materials provide students and professionals with American scholarly perspectives on democracy, international development and the U.S. political system,” he said. “These books can help expose these students to English-language research in the U.S. and nations around the world.”
