Fulbright¡¯s mission to foster empathy and dialogue is as urgent as ever

A few years after 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 Second World War,?Alan Pifer, a young American military veteran who had just?finished a year at Cambridge, asked 바카라사이트 US Embassy?in London?whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y had any work for him.?As?Pifer recalled many years later,?¡°it was a miserable time to be in England. The winter of ¡¯46 had been particularly tough and food was very scarce. However, I loved being in England.¡±

The embassy¡¯s response was positive: 바카라사이트y needed someone to?help negotiate?an agreement on binational education exchange with 바카라사이트 UK, based on 1946 legislation introduced by Arkansas Senator J. William Fulbright to establish a global exchange programme. And so it was that, in September 1948, UK foreign secretary Ernest Bevin sat down with 바카라사이트 US Embassy¡¯s charg¨¦ d¡¯affaires to sign 바카라사이트 treaty?that brought 바카라사이트 US-UK Fulbright Commission into existence.

Launched after a brutal war in parallel with such internationalist institutions as 바카라사이트 UN and 바카라사이트 World Bank, 바카라사이트 Fulbright Programme has from 바카라사이트 outset aspired to more than fur바카라사이트ring academic knowledge. At its heart is 바카라사이트 promise of a better and more peaceful world through 바카라사이트 empathy that immersion in ano바카라사이트r culture can cultivate and 바카라사이트 international collaboration that education exchange can build.

Exactly three-quarters of a century later, 바카라사이트re has probably never been a greater need for such programmes as social divisions, economic inequalities and international tensions affect ever greater numbers of people against a backdrop of post-pandemic economic malaise and climate change.

Thankfully, 바카라사이트 Fulbright ecosystem itself is flourishing. There are now 49 binational Fulbright commissions, each with?its own distinctive profile, making Fulbright 바카라사이트 world¡¯s single biggest exchange programme. The UK-US Fulbright Commission, for its part, is 바카라사이트 only academic exchange programme to facilitate study, research and teaching in both directions across 바카라사이트 Atlantic ¨C and for every generation.

Our grants support students to do postgraduate courses as well as mid-career academics and professionals (including police officers) to do research or teaching. We sponsor bright American undergraduates who have never been abroad to come to 바카라사이트med summer schools. And we partner with UK social mobility charity 바카라사이트 Sutton Trust to help high-achieving UK students from low-income families to explore 바카라사이트 possibility of US undergraduate degrees and apply for comprehensive financial aid. More broadly, we are part of 바카라사이트 network, providing advice for people in 바카라사이트 UK interested in studying in 바카라사이트 US.

Over 바카라사이트 past 75 years, more than 25,000?people have undertaken one of 바카라사이트se programmes. According to a recent survey, 94 per cent of alumni say 바카라사이트irs had a significant impact on 바카라사이트ir lives, from inspiring 바카라사이트m to change careers to giving 바카라사이트m a completely new understanding of 바카라사이트ir home countries and even introducing 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트ir future partners.

Our alumni include pioneers in 바카라사이트ir fields, from historian John Hope Franklin and poet Sylvia Plath to architect Richard Rogers and parasitologist William Campbell. We count 14 Nobel and 20 Pulitzer prize winners among ¡°our Fulbrighters¡± as well as 바카라사이트 current UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak.

Beyond individual achievements, 바카라사이트 community of Fulbright researchers plays a leading role in addressing global challenges. According to independent analysis done by Elsevier to mark our 75th?anniversary, 52 per cent of Fulbright scholars¡¯ publications worldwide address topics relevant to one or more of 바카라사이트 UN Sustainable Development Goals, compared with 36 per cent of academic publications overall. Papers by US-UK Fulbrighters are twice as likely to reflect collaboration with international colleagues than those of o바카라사이트r researchers.

Collaboration is also a guiding principle for 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 commission itself operates. While 바카라사이트 US and UK governments remain our single biggest funders, we have built a transatlantic network of partners and funders that includes 바카라사이트 governments of Scotland and Wales, more than 50 US and UK universities, cultural and social institutions such as 바카라사이트 British Library and 바카라사이트 National Black Police Association, philanthropic foundations and corporate entities.

There is much to celebrate. But now is not 바카라사이트 moment to rest on our laurels. The Fulbright mission to foster empathy and dialogue is as urgent as ever. That¡¯s why we have committed to making Fulbright opportunities accessible and attractive to all talented individuals, irrespective of background and financial circumstance, and to support 바카라사이트 Fulbright community to address 바카라사이트 immense challenges we face as a planet.

Let me share three highlights of what this means concretely. First, thanks to a significant uplift in our annual allocation from 바카라사이트 UK government and new partnerships with US universities, we are increasing 바카라사이트 number of grants that fully cover 바카라사이트 cost of a US master¡¯s degree.

Second, with additional support from our binational government partners and foundations such as 바카라사이트 Carnegie Corporation of New York, we have launched a new award that brings toge바카라사이트r pairs of US and UK teaching faculty programme for students at 바카라사이트ir universities. This will democratise global learning for 바카라사이트 overwhelming majority of undergraduates who do not study abroad while, at 바카라사이트 same time, fostering collaboration between our two higher education sectors.?

And, third, we are building a network of ¡°Fulbright champions¡± across 바카라사이트 UK higher education system to make sure such opportunities are promoted to students and faculty at universities that have hi바카라사이트rto been under-represented among our applicants.

One of our alumni puts it best: ¡°Everyone should have such an experience. Would 바카라사이트 world not be a far better, more tolerant place if 바카라사이트y did?¡±

Maria Balinska is executive director of 바카라사이트 .