We are delighted to share in this blog post about a recent unique crossover experience between our Graduate Fellowship and CAMCA Fellowship programs this past fall. During our Fall 2023 CAMCA Fellows’ travel week, half of the cohort visited Salt Lake City, Utah through our program’s partnership with the Open World Leadership Center. In Salt Lake City, Open World tapped local international visitors organization, Utah Global Diplomacy, to organize the Fellows’ stay and programming. Given the service-oriented and internationally-minded nature of many of our Graduate Fellowship Network members, it was no surprise that one of our Graduate Fellows was actually currently serving as the Chair of the Board of Directors of Utah Global Diplomacy and had jumped at the chance to host one of our CAMCA Fellows during their visit.
This Graduate Fellow is Dr. Kimberly Madsen, whom we supported throughout her PhD studies from 2018-20 at Indiana University, and also serves as an inaugural member of our Graduate Fellowship Alumni Leadership Council. In Salt Lake City, Kimberly graciously hosted one of our recent Kyrgyz Fellows, Dastan Omuraliyev. Back in the Kyrgyz Republic, Dastan is a serial entrepreneur. He is the Co-Founder of a top agroindustrial development business association and the Founder and former CEO of the largest domestic juice manufacturer in the country. Dastan was included in Forbes Asia’s 2019 “30 Under 30” list as a promising young entrepreneur to watch, among his many other notable professional accomplishments.
Given this pleasant convergence of our two Fellowship Networks, we asked Kimberly and Dastan to share some top takeaways from their time together. Thank you, Kimberly, for opening your home and city to our CAMCA cohort and for making this exciting Fellow crossover possible!
What impact did this visit have on you?
Kimberly: “This visit made me realize that I need to be more engaged and knowledgeable on issues that involve Central Asia. It is an important region that has interesting ties into other areas I’ve studied. I lived in Russia and focused on Russia and Ukraine during my graduate studies in Slavic Languages and Culture and Public Diplomacy, as well as on the Balkans during my doctoral studies. However, I had done very little research on Central Asia. After spending a few days with the CAMCA Fellows and learning more about the interesting work they are doing, I know I want to become more involved in the region.”
Dastan: “Visiting Salt Lake City was definitely an eye-opening experience. I was very curious to find out what Salt Lake and the broader state of Utah were like in terms of their economy, demographics and business climate and I was pleased to learn many positive and interesting facts and figures about the state. I had heard a little bit about Utah and can recall watching the Winter Olympic Games that were hosted there in 2002, but that was about all of my exposure prior to visiting. I really learned a lot during our short time there and was fortunate to make new friends and business contacts, and most of all, I was once again reminded how diverse America is within its own vast borders.”
What was a favorite memory from the visit?
Kimberly: “We had so many wonderful moments while the Fellows were in Utah, including a trip to Park City and showing them the beautiful canyons and mountains. One of my favorite moments was staying up late talking with Dastan about our families, interests, and careers. We really connected over shared values and passions, and his encouragement to reengage in diplomacy was the nudge that I’ve needed to see how I can be more involved. I’m planning on attending the CAMCA Regional Forum in Bishkek next June and can’t wait to catch up!”
Dastan: “My favorite memory is the Sunday that we spent together with my hosts, Kimberly and her family, along with the other Fellows and their host families as we drove around the surroundings of Salt Lake, visiting Park City and Sundance and just enjoying the beautiful weather and scenic nature. During these trips you learn a lot about new people that you meet and the place that you’re visiting from getting to interact with locals. You usually don’t have that kind of exposure when traveling as a tourist or on business, so we were privileged to be shown the best local, authentic spots through our terrific hosts.”
What is the most interesting thing that you learned from one another?
Kimberly: “It takes very little time to make meaningful connections. Dastan is someone I consider a close friend, and whose opinion I value highly. His drive and commitment to excel are a great example to me of what I want to do with my own life. I was so impressed with his commitment to his family and how he involves them in the important things in his life. This visit reinforced the importance of maintaining friendships with people who you can learn from and who believe in you and want to see you excel.”
Dastan: “I would say that it was really interesting to learn about the unique Utah business community and culture, including the Mormon community. There were a lot of lessons to be learned in how they have worked to diversify their economy and to be considered the best economy out of all the 50 states in the U.S. for the past decade. I also appreciate how Utah works to position itself as an exporter of goods and services not just within the U.S., but to many international markets. It is very impressive for a state with a population of just 3.4 million people.”
We also asked Kimberly the following:
Why do you believe it is important for American citizens to cultivate relationships with people from different cultures and countries?
“It is vital that we as Americans connect with people from other cultures and countries because it teaches us that we are much more alike than we are different. In an increasingly global world, I believe that we will solve problems better as we engage in political, business, and interpersonal relationships. The CAMCA Fellows end their time with a substantial project where they focus on how they can come together to address real issues and engage in meaningful opportunities to move their countries forward. I think we can benefit from that same spirit of cooperation as Americans. I saw the deep relationships that were built, as well as the opportunities and ideas that were generated during official meetings and through more informal conversations. The Fellows and all who met with them came away with better connections and ideas of how to move forward, whether that was with a business prospect, adapting policies and approaches, or building friendships. The sharing of best practices that happens as we engage with the rest of the world only strengthens what we are able to accomplish as individuals and as a country.”
What led you to become involved with your local international host organization?
“I love international work. Much of my studies have focused on Russia, Ukraine, and the Balkans, and I knew I wanted to continue to be engaged globally when I decided to move closer to family in Utah. I serve as the Board Chair for Utah Global Diplomacy, where we are able to host international delegations, and it has helped me to remain active in engaging with people from other communities and cultures. It makes my and the lives of my children so much richer as we learn from those who visit our state. In turn, we are able to show them what life is like in the U.S. This kind of cooperation helps as we work toward greater security as a country, and as we seek to grow our economy. It also has a very real impact on us personally.”
We also asked Dastan the following:
Did you find any surprising similarities between Utah and the Kyrgyz Republic?
“Absolutely! First of all, our nature is quite similar. Second of all, both Salt Lake City and Bishkek are located at a high elevation (SLC at around 4,000 ft and Bishkek at 2,600 feet). Thirdly, the climate is dry in both places. Fourth of all, families are quite large in both places. And last but not least, both places have lots of wonderful people."
What lessons or insights from your time in Utah will you be bringing back to the Kyrgyz Republic?
“My main insight from our trip to Salt Lake City is that it’s very much possible to diversify your economy in a matter of one or two decades and to become independent from extractive industries, like mining. I also learned that being small in terms of population size can actually be an advantage. And once again, I saw in action what a strong, small business economy means for the whole of the economy. Utah has around 460,000 businesses registered, which is approximately one business for every eight people. Such an extensive small business community makes the economy stronger and more resilient, especially during times of economic crises.”
Last, Kimberly offered a final reflection:
"This was an especially meaningful experience for me. I received the Rumsfeld Foundation Graduate Fellowship support for two years during my Ph.D. work and appreciate the generous support of the Foundation. It’s been my pleasure to serve on the Alumni Leadership Council the last two years, and it was amazing to bring these two programs together through this visit! We have so much to learn from and offer to each other. I would love to see us build more ties between the two Fellowships when possible and will take what I learned from them as we continue to guide the direction of the Graduate Fellowship Program. I really appreciate getting a small taste of how incredible the Foundation's CAMCA Fellows are through hosting Dastan in my home, having the other Fellows over for dinner, and exploring Utah with them. I hope to continue this connection through the years!"