Embassy Recent Events
Malian University Students Learn “What it Means to be an American”
On May 13, 2009, Public Affairs Officer Stephanie Syptak engaged more than 75 Malian university students on the topic of “What it Means to be an American.” The Masters’ level English students, all of whom are training to be teachers of English in Mali, were fascinated to learn that Americans prefer to identify themselves by ideas, rather than ethnicities, and expressed great admiration for a society that encourages independence, education, and creativity. The debate included interesting questions on issues as diverse as divorce rates and treatment of elders, while a discussion of American pragmatism also provided a moment for self-examination of what Malians are capable of achieving in Mali.