Rwanda's English Learner Becoming MIT Professor
2021-11-28
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1Purdue University chemistry professor Jianguo Mei is from China.
2He has been teaching students in the United States for over 10 years.
3Mei knows it is important to communicate effectively with his students in English.
4Sometimes he has trouble today.
5That, he said,
6is one reason why his old student Aristide Gumyusenge will be an excellent professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT.
7Gumyusenge, who grew up in Rwanda, will start his career at MIT in January.
8He is only 30 years old.
9Gumyusenge is an assistant professor of materials science and engineering.
10He recently finished advanced research at Stanford University in California.
11If Gumyusenge does a good job over the first five years,
12 he will have a chance to be a permanent professor at MIT.
13In an interview with VOA,
14 Gumyusenge said he is looking forward to opening the Organic Materials for Smart Electronics lab at MIT.
15He is currently looking at students for his research team.
16Growing up in Rwanda, Gumyusenge understood the importance of education.
17His father was a teacher, after all, but he never thought about teaching.
18"Even after high school, I still thought I was going to medical school," Gumyusenge told VOA.
19He arrived in the U.S. in the autumn of 2011 after receiving a scholarship to Wofford College in South Carolina.
20He was part of the Rwanda Presidential Scholars Program.
21Gumyusenge said it was not until he started his advanced degree work at Purdue University in Indiana
22that he thought about a career as a university professor.
23He is planning to continue the work he did at Purdue and Stanford on engineering electronic devices.
24He said some of the things people see in movies set in the future,
25where people are wearing "smart suits and smart devices," are getting close to becoming real.
26He gave an example of a contact lens that can measure the amount of sugar in the body.
27"We're trying to make electronics that can be more compatible with the body, both mechanically and chemically."
28Gumyusenge is working to create materials
29that can move electricity in the same way that metals in computers chips do now.
30He said the next thing is for engineers and chemists
31to work together so they can make products that work better with the body.
32But research is only part of his job.
33He needs to work with students, and that is where Mei said Gumyusenge is strongest.
34"Aristide's training in English probably helps him," Mei said, adding:
35"he handles the language much better than I do."
36Mei pointed out that Gumyusenge had to work as a teaching assistant during his time at Purdue,
37both giving lessons and helping students in the laboratory.
38It can cause a lot of worry for teachers who do not speak English well.
39"Undergrad students demand much more, actually, than grad students," Mei said,
40noting that his own difficulty with English is not as much of an issue in his work with Ph.D. students.
41Gumyusenge speaks English very well. How did he learn?
42Growing up in Rwanda,
43after his country's civil war ended,
44one of his favorite things to do was to listen to English-language broadcasts on the family's radio.
45Whenever he had the chance, he listened to the VOA Learning English programming.
46Gumyusenge said he arrived in the United States as a teenager
47able to speak well and understand American English accents thanks to the programs.
48He said the slower speed of the Learning English broadcasts
49helped him learn quickly compared to news and music programs in English.
50"The actual learning program, the speed was adjusted so that people like myself can pick it up.
51You don't get that once you hit the ground here [in the U.S.].
52Really thankful for the program and I really appreciate all the work that you all are doing."
53In Rwanda, he was able to learn to read English,
54but it was hard to find people who could speak without an accent.
55The announcers for English-language programming in Rwanda had an accent.
56So, VOA, he said, helped him learn American accents.
57Speaking English, he said, "can help you get a job."
58In addition, Gumyusenge said, a lot of science videos are in English,
59so students can learn quite a bit on their own by following them.
60At Wofford, he found a way to talk with American students.
61One topic he learned so he could have a conversation? The Star Wars movies.
62He understood it would be important for him to learn how to speak confidently with Americans.
63At first, he just listened and tried to speak the same way as his schoolmates.
64"I guess I was lucky because I got here when I was 18 to 19.
65So, I still had some flexibility, I guess, in the brain, to allow myself to learn."
66While Gumyusenge does not have a strong accent now, "you should have met me in 2011," he said.
67What does he say to international students at American universities today?
68Do not hold on too tightly to your old life at home.
69Experience life in America while you have the chance.
70"I know people who get here and change nothing about their daily routine," he said.
71"They live as if they're still living in Kigali or Lagos."
72He continued:
73"Be open. Allow for people to approach you. Don't close doors too early.
74America is such a diverse place, you're going to meet people from different backgrounds.
75And you never know who's going to have an impact on you."
76I'm Dan Friedell.
1Purdue University chemistry professor Jianguo Mei is from China. He has been teaching students in the United States for over 10 years. 2Mei knows it is important to communicate effectively with his students in English. Sometimes he has trouble today. 3That, he said, is one reason why his old student Aristide Gumyusenge will be an excellent professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT. 4Gumyusenge, who grew up in Rwanda, will start his career at MIT in January. He is only 30 years old. 5Gumyusenge is an assistant professor of materials science and engineering. He recently finished advanced research at Stanford University in California. 6If Gumyusenge does a good job over the first five years, he will have a chance to be a permanent professor at MIT. 7In an interview with VOA, Gumyusenge said he is looking forward to opening the Organic Materials for Smart Electronics lab at MIT. He is currently looking at students for his research team. 8Growing up in Rwanda, Gumyusenge understood the importance of education. His father was a teacher, after all, but he never thought about teaching. 9"Even after high school, I still thought I was going to medical school," Gumyusenge told VOA. 10He arrived in the U.S. in the autumn of 2011 after receiving a scholarship to Wofford College in South Carolina. He was part of the Rwanda Presidential Scholars Program. 11Gumyusenge said it was not until he started his advanced degree work at Purdue University in Indiana that he thought about a career as a university professor. 12He is planning to continue the work he did at Purdue and Stanford on engineering electronic devices. He said some of the things people see in movies set in the future, where people are wearing "smart suits and smart devices," are getting close to becoming real. 13He gave an example of a contact lens that can measure the amount of sugar in the body. 14"We're trying to make electronics that can be more compatible with the body, both mechanically and chemically." 15Gumyusenge is working to create materials that can move electricity in the same way that metals in computers chips do now. He said the next thing is for engineers and chemists to work together so they can make products that work better with the body. 16But research is only part of his job. He needs to work with students, and that is where Mei said Gumyusenge is strongest. 17"Aristide's training in English probably helps him," Mei said, adding: "he handles the language much better than I do." 18Mei pointed out that Gumyusenge had to work as a teaching assistant during his time at Purdue, both giving lessons and helping students in the laboratory. It can cause a lot of worry for teachers who do not speak English well. 19"Undergrad students demand much more, actually, than grad students," Mei said, noting that his own difficulty with English is not as much of an issue in his work with Ph.D. students. 20Gumyusenge speaks English very well. How did he learn? 21Growing up in Rwanda, after his country's civil war ended, one of his favorite things to do was to listen to English-language broadcasts on the family's radio. 22Whenever he had the chance, he listened to the VOA Learning English programming. Gumyusenge said he arrived in the United States as a teenager able to speak well and understand American English accents thanks to the programs. 23He said the slower speed of the Learning English broadcasts helped him learn quickly compared to news and music programs in English. 24"The actual learning program, the speed was adjusted so that people like myself can pick it up. You don't get that once you hit the ground here [in the U.S.]. Really thankful for the program and I really appreciate all the work that you all are doing." 25In Rwanda, he was able to learn to read English, but it was hard to find people who could speak without an accent. The announcers for English-language programming in Rwanda had an accent. So, VOA, he said, helped him learn American accents. 26Speaking English, he said, "can help you get a job." In addition, Gumyusenge said, a lot of science videos are in English, so students can learn quite a bit on their own by following them. 27At Wofford, he found a way to talk with American students. One topic he learned so he could have a conversation? The Star Wars movies. 28He understood it would be important for him to learn how to speak confidently with Americans. At first, he just listened and tried to speak the same way as his schoolmates. 29"I guess I was lucky because I got here when I was 18 to 19. So, I still had some flexibility, I guess, in the brain, to allow myself to learn." 30While Gumyusenge does not have a strong accent now, "you should have met me in 2011," he said. 31What does he say to international students at American universities today? Do not hold on too tightly to your old life at home. Experience life in America while you have the chance. 32"I know people who get here and change nothing about their daily routine," he said. "They live as if they're still living in Kigali or Lagos." 33He continued: 34"Be open. Allow for people to approach you. Don't close doors too early. America is such a diverse place, you're going to meet people from different backgrounds. And you never know who's going to have an impact on you." 35I'm Dan Friedell. 36Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Susan Shand was the editor. 37What do you think about Aristide Gumyusenge's journey from Rwanda to MIT? What can you learn from him? Tell us in the Comments Section and visit our Facebook page. 38_________________________________________________ 39Words in This Story 40scholarship - n. an amount of money that is given by a school, an organization, etc., to a student to help pay for the student's education 41contact lens - n. a thin piece of round plastic that is worn on the eye to improve vision 42compatible - adj. able to exist together without trouble or conflict : going together well 43adjust - v. to change (something) in a minor way so that it works better 44accent - n. a way of pronouncing words that occurs among the people in a particular region or country 45global - adj. involving the entire world 46flexibility - n. capable of being changed 47approach - v. to move or become near or nearer to something or someone 48diverse - adj. made up of people or things that are different from each other 49impact - n. a powerful or major influence or effect