New Mexico State University will host two international students as part of the Edmund S. Muskie graduate fellowship program. Gurban Karimbayli from Azerbaijan and Mykola Novak from Ukraine are the students representing the program.

The Muskie program, part of the U.S. Department of State, is a highly competitive program that boasts a 4 percent acceptance rate. Participants are selected from 12 countries of the former Soviet Union and enroll in a graduate program at one of the many host universities throughout the U.S. Also, these students must take part in 40 hours of community service as well as a full-time internship in their field of study after their first year of grad school.

Karimbayli is enrolled in the public administration graduate program while Novak is in business administration at NMSU.

The program was established following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1992. Celebrating its 20th year, the Muskie program has nearly 5,000 alumni to its credit. It is the program's goal to mold these students into professionals who can contribute professionally in their community.

For more information on the Muskie program visit irex.org/project/edmund-s-muskie-graduate-fellowship-program.