Throughout his time as a college student, Ivory Coast scholar Casimir Komenan dreamt of the opportunity to conduct scholarship at a higher education institution in the United States. He got that opportunity this year, when he spent six months at the University of Arkansas conducting research as a Fulbright Visiting Scholar.

Komenan, an associate professor at Felix Houphouet-Boigny University in the Ivory Coast, researched at the U of A from April to October for his project on acclaimed South African and Nobel Prize winning author J.M. Coetzee. Specifically, the project examines how four of Coetzee's works - Elizabeth Costello, Slow Man, Diary of a Bad Year, and The Childhood of Jesus - represent "innovative world writing" characterized chiefly by globalized and innovative settings and writing rooted in literary, philosophical and cultural traditions.

The U of A was the a perfect setting to conduct this research, given the campus's supportive academic environment which enhanced his work. Specifically, Komenan found the Mullins Library a wealth of resources and information.

"The Mullins Library proved to be a true gold mine, a source of invaluable scientific articles, dissertation theses, books and book chapters, from which I took many notes relevant to my research topic, which allowed me to write the first and second drafts of my monograph on Coetzee's four selected novels," he said. "The availability of the freshly published resources on the studied works of fiction turned out to be helpful in the composition of the monograph on the 21st century cosmopolitan prose phenotexts by the well-known Afro-Australian novelist."

He also audited a class from professors including Jarvis A. Young, assistant professor of African American literature, on "Topics in African American Literature and Culture," where he gained a deeper appreciation of American literature.

But Komenan's Fulbright experience also extended beyond academia. He participated in cultural exchange with local residents through the iFriend program and attended campus activities coordinated by the Office of International Students and Scholars. He also traveled during his time in the States, visiting the Omaha Zoo, Walmart Museum in Bentonville, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and landmarks in New York City, among others.

He credited Dr. Lindsey Aloia, associate dean in the Graduate School and International Education and his faculty associate and research mentor, for facilitating his experience at the U of A.

"I was deeply impressed by how Dr. Aloia assisted in helping me start my postdoctoral research at the Mullins Library," he said.

Following his Fulbright experience, he plans to publish his findings in a three-volume monograph, introduce his research in seminars at universities abroad, and organize an international conference to engage with the broader academic community. He also aims to return to the United States in 2027 as part of the Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Program.

"Casimir's time as a visiting scholar at the University of Arkansas exemplifies the Fulbright Program's mission by fostering meaningful academic collaboration and cultural exchange," Aloia said. "During Casimir's time in Fayetteville, he enriched the academic community, bridged diverse perspectives, and strengthened global connections through sharing his research and culture with our campus."