Burma-Bucknell Award
The Burma-Bucknell Bowl Award recognizes an organization or University community member (faculty, staff or student) who has made outstanding contributions to intercultural and international understanding. The original Burma-Bucknell Bowl was presented to the University by the president of Burma in 1958 as a symbol of the historic partnership between Bucknell and the nation of Burma.
Nominations should include a summary of the person’s or organization’s overall contributions to intercultural and international understanding. The recipient will be awarded by the University president during a special ceremony in the spring semester. Award recipients are also noted in the Commencement program.
The Bucknell-Burma Connection
In 1858, Maung Shaw Loo left his home country of Burma to study at the University at Lewisburg — becoming the first Burmese person to attend college in the United States and Bucknell’s first international student. Ever since then, Bucknell and the people of Burma have maintained strong bonds, even in the face of political turmoil in the country now called Myanmar.
Shaw Loo’s legacy thrives more than a century and a half later: Students from Burma join almost every Bucknell class and there are now more than 230 international students from all over the world studying here.
Award Criteria
Criteria for an organization
- Members give significant time and energy to help foster a campus climate that welcomes international students and engages United States students in international/intercultural programming.
- Goes beyond what is expected in the mission statement of the organization to promote intercultural and international understanding.
- Affects the campus and the community at a multitude of levels.
- Is recognized for creating or expanding international and intercultural programs and/or services on campus.
- Demonstrates leadership, intercultural sensitivity and a willingness to educate members and provide outreach to others.
- Promotes the ideals of world citizenship and shows commitment to fostering a broader understanding of the world.
- Fosters a high relationship between international students and United States students.
Criteria for an individual
- Gives significant time and energy to promote intercultural and international understanding outside their profession.
- Goes beyond what is expected in their job description.
- Affects the campus and community at a multitude of levels.
- Is recognized for creating or expanding international and intercultural programs and/or services on campus.
- Demonstrates leadership, intercultural sensitivity and a willingness to educate and to be educated.
- Promotes a better understanding of another culture and of one’s own culture within the Bucknell community.
- Promotes the ideals of world citizenship and is committed to fostering a broader understanding of the world.
- Is known to extend themself personally to international students through support and friendship.