|
 The
Fulbright Program, the U.S. government's flagship
program in international educational exchange,
was proposed to the U.S. Congress in 1945 by then
freshman Senator
J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. In the aftermath
of World War II, Senator Fulbright viewed the
proposed program as a much-needed vehicle for
promoting "mutual understanding between the
people of the United States and the people of
other countries of the world." His vision
was approved by Congress and the program signed
into law by President Truman in 1946.
Fulbright grants are made to U.S. citizens and
nationals of other countries for a variety of
educational activities, primarily university lecturing,
advanced research, graduate study and teaching
in elementary and secondary schools. Since the
program’s inception, approximately 279,500 participants—chosen
for their academic merit and leadership potential—with the opportunity
to exchange ideas and to contribute to finding solutions to shared issues.
Of these participants, 46,100 have been overseas
academics and professionals who have conducted
research or taught in U.S. universities as Fulbright
Visiting Scholars, and more than 44,400 U.S. faculty
and professionals who have engaged in similar
activities abroad.
Both U.S. and Visiting Fulbright Scholars lecture
or conduct research in a wide variety of academic
and professional fields ranging from journalism
and urban planning to music, philosophy, business
administration and zoology.
The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the United
States Department of State, Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs. Under a cooperative agreement
with the Bureau, the Council for International
Exchange of Scholars (CIES) assists in the administration
of the Fulbright Scholar Program for faculty and
professionals.
The primary source of funding for the Fulbright
Program is an annual appropriation made by the
United States Congress to the Department of State.
Participating governments and host institutions
in foreign countries and in the United States also contribute
financially through cost-sharing and indirect
support, such as salary supplements, tuition waivers
and university housing. The Congressional appropriation
for the Fulbright Program in fiscal year 2006
was $184.6 million. Foreign governments, through
their binational commissions or foundations, contributed
an additional $50.4 million directly to the Fulbright
Program.
Both public and private agencies in the United
States assist in the administration of the Fulbright
Program. Overseas, it is sponsored by binational
Fulbright Commissions or by the Public Affairs
Section of the U.S. Embassies. The Presidentially
appointed J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship
Board is responsible for the final selection of
all Fulbright grantees and the supervision of
the Fulbright Program worldwide.
The Fulbright Program encompasses a variety of
exchange programs, including those for faculty
and professionals. A brief explanation of and
link to each program is provided below.
- The U.S.
Fulbright Scholar Program sends 800 scholars
and professionals each year to over 140
countries, where they lecture or conduct research
in a wide variety of academic and professional
fields.
- The Visiting
Fulbright Scholar Program awards grants
to foreign scholars to come to the United
States to lecture or conduct postdoctoral
research. Nearly 800 scholars come annually
for an academic year or term.
- Pre-Doctoral
Fellowships are offered to U.S. and foreign
graduate students and graduating seniors.
Nearly 800 Americans are studying abroad with
either full or partial support from the Fulbright
Program. Similar awards are offered each year
to foreign graduate students for support at
U.S. universities.
- The
Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program provides
opportunities for mostly one-for-one exchanges
between U.S. and foreign elementary, secondary
and postsecondary teachers.
- The Hubert
Humphrey Fellowship Program was established
in 1979 to bring accomplished mid-career professionals
from developing countries to the United States
at a mid-point in their careers for a year
of study and related professional experiences.
Fellows are selected on the basis of their
potential for national leadership in the fields
of public administration and public policy
analysis, public health, agricultural development
and planning and resource management.
- The College
and University Affiliations Program seeks
to establish linkages between U.S. universities
and institutions overseas through the exchange
of faculty and staff. Begun as a pilot project
in Africa in 1982, the program became worldwide
in 1983. These linkages focus on the social
sciences, humanities, business administration
and the arts. Since the program's inception,
over 350 institutional grants have been awarded.
- A portion of the Fulbright program, the Fulbright-Hays
Foreign Area and Language Training Programs,
is administered by the U.S. Department of
Education’s Office of International Education
and Graduate Programs. Funds are awarded to
Americans individually or to U.S. institutions
to support research and training efforts abroad
focusing on non-western foreign languages
and world area studies.
|
