Naureen Nadia Kabir, MALD 2010, Bangladesh and United States
Why I chose Fletcher: There were many things that drew me to Fletcher: the flexible curriculum, the sense of community I got from both faculty and students when I visited, the eagerness of alumni to share their experiences with me—just to name a few. The deal clincher, however, was when I realized that Fletcher wasn't trying to put me into a box. It was incredibly liberating and welcoming to feel my multi-cultural background being not only appreciated, but celebrated, also. The admissions staff, students, faculty, and alumni I spoke with prior to coming to Fletcher genuinely seemed to care about "my story." This feeling of celebrated individuality has continued in my time here. I continue to be amazed by my classmates who bring their own unique experiences to the classroom and am constantly encouraged by faculty to explore my own interests within Fletcher's already interdisciplinary curriculum.
On Fletcher’s International Community: At Fletcher, diversity isn't merely about countries of birth or citizenship. To say that my classmates come from different parts of the world would be an unfair simplification of the Fletcher community. What truly makes Fletcher an international school is the wide-ranging array of international experiences that each person has had before coming to Fletcher, and the commitment to continue on in that tradition.
The international life I see for myself after Fletcher: I come from a family that loves to move from place to place, and prior to coming to Fletcher, I had spent most of my life evenly divided among three vastly different continents, always trying to find my place in the world. At Fletcher, I truly feel as if I've come "home"—I've never before experienced such eagerness and inevitability of leading truly global lives as I have had at Fletcher. Every day I meet students who are already planning their next trips to different parts of the world. One of the things I love about Fletcher is that students aren't forced to focus on just one particular region, and so while I am not sure what my next stop is after Fletcher, my conversations both inside and outside the classroom have reaffirmed my desire to lead a truly international life.
Fields of Study
International Security Studies;
Southwest Asia and Islamic Civilization
Activities involved in at Fletcher
The Fletcher Forum of World Affairs, Global Women, South Asia Society, Fletcher Women in Security
Education before Fletcher
BA, Economics and Political Science, Bryn Mawr College
Professional Experience before Fletcher
Council on Foreign Relations, Legal Affairs, ActionAid Bangladesh
Languages spoken
Bengali;
English;
French;
Swedish
Summer Internship
Independent research and Teaching Assistant, Medford, MA