The Boren Awards are an initiative of the Defense Language and National Security Education Office (DLNSEO), which aim to increase experts in the languages and cultures of nations which were underrepresented in the number of U.S. students studying there. Applicants are asked to write essays on the significance of their proposed country, region, and language to U.S. national security as well as their own goals to work in federal service. Recipients are committed to working for the federal government for at least one year after their program concludes.
This year, two Chinese Flagship seniors were selected as Boren recipients to fund their capstone year in Taiwan. Libby Nemitz studies Global Studies and Asian Middle Eastern Studies, with a minor in Political Science. Julia Dlugosch studies Finance with minors in Economics and AMES-Chinese. The Chinese Capstone year consists of one semester of intensive language study, and one semester of internship offered by Flagship overseas. This last component to the UMN Flagship curriculum prepares students to elevate their Mandarin Chinese proficiency level to superior, along with receiving federal certification. Both seniors are planning to complete their capstone year Taipei Capstone Center.