ABOUT THE FULBRIGHT SCHOLARSHIP
The Fulbright Scholarship was named after its founder, Senator William Fulbright. He had a unique idea he thought would help heal the world in the aftermath of WWII and in1946 the Fulbright Scholarship was born.
In the chaos that followed the end of the second world war, Senator Fulbright believed it was time for an international cultural exchange. Today the Fulbright Scholarship is fully operational in 155 countries and it would be hard to argue that Senator Fulbright’s vision hasn’t been fully realized.
For anyone who doubts the depth of impact of the Fulbright Scholarship one just needs to look at some of the measurable results. 43 Fulbright alumni have won Nobel Peace Prizes and 78 have won Pulitzer Prizes.
Each year the Fulbright Scholarship sponsors 8,000 grants. Over 300,000 people have participated in the Fulbright Scholarship program since its inception.
Senator Fulbright’s goal was to humanize international relations. He wanted to bring knowledge, reason and compassion to world affairs.
It’s instructive to look at how many international students are studying in the United States today. There are currently 690,923 students from other countries who are studying at American colleges.
While it is true that most of these students come to the United States to study business, it is also true that even this is a part of and contributes to the realization of Fulbright’s vision. With 128,000 Chinese students studying in America, one can only imagine this would help with the Fulbright Scholarship vision of global understanding.
Along with a number of notable Fulbright Scholarship winners there are some recognizable faces as well. These include actor John Lithgow, poet Sylvia Plath and U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
The Fulbright Scholarship is available to students, scholars, teachers and professionals. It has made and is still making a huge difference in classrooms and boardrooms across the world.
Business can be another way to increase mutual understanding between nations. In addition to the 128,000 Chinese studying in this nation there are 105,000 Indians, a good number of South Koreans, Japanese, Mexicans and Canadians.
Much of this growth has come from the original blueprint of the Fulbright Scholarship. It is certainly easier to understand one’s neighbors when one has a little money in one’s pocket.
The Fulbright Scholarship may be the ultimate merit scholarship. Fulbright Scholars continue to prove their merit long after they have left the Fulbright Scholar Program.
Senator Fulbright had studied abroad himself as a Rhodes Scholar at England’s Oxford University. To this day, the Fulbright Scholarship Program remains one of the most prestigious award programs anywhere in the world.
William Fulbright received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1993, two years before his death. At the time he presented Senator Fulbright the award, President Clinton called the Fulbright program “ the dream and legacy of a great American.”
The Fulbright program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of States Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. A variety of partner governments, corporations and foundations provide additional support for the Fulbright Scholarship Program.