“I feel thrilled,” Esa says. “I am proud to receive the Fulbright as an American citizen. It is equally important for me as the first time I voted in 1996.”

Esa, who serves as president of the Maryland Foreign Language Association, is a Palestinian with dual Israeli and American citizenship who earned a Ph.D. from the University of Heidelberg and is fluent in four languages.

The intensive two-week seminar, which will be held in May at locations in Germany and France, will examine political, social, economic and cultural aspects of life with Muslim minorities in Europe.

Germany and France have each between 3- and 4-million Muslim inhabitants. In Germany, the majority is of Turkish origin and in France most have an African background.

The program will focus on the question of integration and will touch on issues such as immigration laws, values, education, family, religion, and fundamentalism. Participants will have the opportunity to speak with leading experts in government and research institutions, with state and local administrators and politicians as well as with representatives from various Muslim groups.

“I expect to acquire firsthand knowledge from and establish a human connection to Muslims in Germany,” Esa wrote in his proposal. “In addition, I hope that I can meet people with whom I can stay in touch beyond the two weeks and, hopefully, one day invite them to visit our institution and build human bridges between them and the USA to foster better understanding and a profound exchange of ideas.”

Esa plans to use what he learns in future courses, prepare presentations for the campus community, and reach out to all German teachers in the United States through professional organizations and national conferences.