Richard Harrod, a doctoral candidate in the Department of History, has been named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar for 2024-25. The award, granted by the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Program, will allow him to research the history of education in the Sultanate of Oman.
Focusing on the period from the late-1930s to the mid-1990s, Harrod will explore the role of modern education in the emergence of the nation state and how its development contributed to Omani national identity. Unlike previous studies, which have highlighted the role of students, Harrod will analyze how educators and their institutions “implemented, reproduced and changed the curricula that impart the ideals of the nation.”
“I will show that teachers and administrators both worked within the guidelines of the government, but also responded on their own initiative to unique challenges and inculcated their own understandings of citizenship and national mission,” Harrod added.
Fulbright is the U.S. government’s leading international educational exchange program. It is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and those of other countries.
Last year, 12 WashU alumni were named Fulbright U.S. scholars, and at least six Arts & Sciences faculty members have received the honor since 2015. More than 120 WashU faculty and staff members have been named grantees since 1959, according to the program website.
