J. WILLIAM FULBRIGHT FOREIGN SCHOLARSHIP BOARD Annual Report 2007 - 2008 09-20059 Fulbright Report Resized.indd 1 11/20/08 9:19:28 AM 09-20059 Fulbright Report Resized.indd 2 11/20/08 9:19:29 AM 09-20059 Fulbright Report Resized.indd 1 11/20/08 9:19:31 AM Letter from the Chair J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board The Fulbright Program is one of America’s most valuable and effective means for increasing mutual understanding among the people of the world. In a time when public diplomacy has taken on heightened importance and when there is a renewed appreciation for the study of foreign languages and the need for cultures to become better known and understood, international education exchanges are increasingly valued for their lasting contributions. The Fulbright Program stands out among these as the flagship exchange program, attracting new generations of students, scholars, teachers and professionals, even as its distinguished alumni engage in ongoing activities that insure the Fulbright legacy. LETTER FROM THE CHAIR 2 In recent years, an important priority for the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FSB) has been recruitment and outreach activities that engage wider audiences J. WILLIAM FULBRIGHT FOREIGN SCHOLARSHIP BOARD 4 to achieve increased access and greater diversification of the Fulbright Program. We welcome Fulbrighters from all over the world, from rural provinces and small towns as well as from great urban centers, just as we send Americans from all regions of our country abroad. We want participants to come to America — and go out from America — HEADLINES & NEWS 5 leaving positive and lasting impressions on the institutions and communities where they live as Fulbrighters. Achieving these priorities has been very gratifying. In this report, we are happy to share just some of the inspiring YEAR IN REVIEW 10 stories that show the dynamism of the Fulbright Program, accounts of Fulbrighters in the far reaches of the globe making contributions through their exchange activities. We are also pleased that alumni continue to engage communities and build bridges of understanding years after their exchange experiences have concluded. This report WORLD GALLERY features a world gallery of stories with inspiring testimonials and vignettes about Fulbrighters making a difference. In the Western Hemisphere, an American Fulbright-mtvU Fellow to Panama promoted the role of music in mutual Africa 20 understanding by documenting artists of Spanish reggae music there. From Asia, a Fulbright Visiting Scholar from Kazakhstan shared her Muslim traditions in her home country with a variety of audiences at her host institution, a East Asia & Pacific 26 community college in Central Florida. In Africa, a Ugandan Fulbright alumnus and talented woodcut artist uses the inspiring gift of his art to encourage greater awareness about HIV/AIDS. Europe & Eurasia 32 It is inspiring to me to review this collection of stories from the past year and to share them with a wider audience. Near East 40 Having been privileged to serve as the Board’s Vice Chair, and now as its Chair, I have had the opportunity to engage Fulbright grantees and administrators in the United States and abroad in Peru, Bulgaria, Egypt and Greece. I am South & Central Asia 46 always impressed by the enthusiasm, intelligence, and curiosity of the grantees. I am equally impressed by the commitment, dedication and expertise of the administrators. For my part, I have tried to impart something of the Western Hemisphere 52 rich history of the Fulbright Program and the vision of the man whose name it bears. The late Senator Fulbright continues to speak to us in these words, “Educational exchange can turn nations into people, contributing as no other form of communication can to the humanizing of international relations.” In this annual report, we seek to convey FACTS & FIGURES 58 through stories and photographs the essence of these very special grantees who are changing nations into people and who have played a part in making the Fulbright Program a national treasure and a solid investment in our future. Shirley M. Green, Chair Information contained in this report covers activities and events that took place throughout the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board 2007-2008 academic year. Stories and photographs in the World Gallery chapter include current and alumni Fulbrighters from the past several years. Funding figures are for Fiscal Year 2007. 2 09-20059 Fulbright Report Resized.indd 2 11/20/08 9:19:48 AM Letter from the Chair J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board The Fulbright Program is one of America’s most valuable and effective means for increasing mutual understanding among the people of the world. In a time when public diplomacy has taken on heightened importance and when there is a renewed appreciation for the study of foreign languages and the need for cultures to become better known and understood, international education exchanges are increasingly valued for their lasting contributions. The Fulbright Program stands out among these as the flagship exchange program, attracting new generations of students, scholars, teachers and professionals, even as its distinguished alumni engage in ongoing activities that insure the Fulbright legacy. LETTER FROM THE CHAIR 2 In recent years, an important priority for the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FSB) has been recruitment and outreach activities that engage wider audiences J. WILLIAM FULBRIGHT FOREIGN SCHOLARSHIP BOARD 4 to achieve increased access and greater diversification of the Fulbright Program. We welcome Fulbrighters from all over the world, from rural provinces and small towns as well as from great urban centers, just as we send Americans from all regions of our country abroad. We want participants to come to America — and go out from America — HEADLINES & NEWS 5 leaving positive and lasting impressions on the institutions and communities where they live as Fulbrighters. Achieving these priorities has been very gratifying. In this report, we are happy to share just some of the inspiring YEAR IN REVIEW 10 stories that show the dynamism of the Fulbright Program, accounts of Fulbrighters in the far reaches of the globe making contributions through their exchange activities. We are also pleased that alumni continue to engage communities and build bridges of understanding years after their exchange experiences have concluded. This report WORLD GALLERY features a world gallery of stories with inspiring testimonials and vignettes about Fulbrighters making a difference. In the Western Hemisphere, an American Fulbright-mtvU Fellow to Panama promoted the role of music in mutual Africa 20 understanding by documenting artists of Spanish reggae music there. From Asia, a Fulbright Visiting Scholar from Kazakhstan shared her Muslim traditions in her home country with a variety of audiences at her host institution, a East Asia & Pacific 26 community college in Central Florida. In Africa, a Ugandan Fulbright alumnus and talented woodcut artist uses the inspiring gift of his art to encourage greater awareness about HIV/AIDS. Europe & Eurasia 32 It is inspiring to me to review this collection of stories from the past year and to share them with a wider audience. Near East 40 Having been privileged to serve as the Board’s Vice Chair, and now as its Chair, I have had the opportunity to engage Fulbright grantees and administrators in the United States and abroad in Peru, Bulgaria, Egypt and Greece. I am South & Central Asia 46 always impressed by the enthusiasm, intelligence, and curiosity of the grantees. I am equally impressed by the commitment, dedication and expertise of the administrators. For my part, I have tried to impart something of the Western Hemisphere 52 rich history of the Fulbright Program and the vision of the man whose name it bears. The late Senator Fulbright continues to speak to us in these words, “Educational exchange can turn nations into people, contributing as no other form of communication can to the humanizing of international relations.” In this annual report, we seek to convey FACTS & FIGURES 58 through stories and photographs the essence of these very special grantees who are changing nations into people and who have played a part in making the Fulbright Program a national treasure and a solid investment in our future. Shirley M. Green, Chair Information contained in this report covers activities and events that took place throughout the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board 2007-2008 academic year. Stories and photographs in the World Gallery chapter include current and alumni Fulbrighters from the past several years. Funding figures are for Fiscal Year 2007. 2007 - 2008 Fulbright Scholarship Board Annual Report 3 09-20059 Fulbright Report Resized.indd 3 11/20/08 9:20:04 AM J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board Members Serving in 2007 and 2008 President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush met with Fulbright students during their visit to Rome in June 2008. In an hour-long discussion with alumni, participants and supporters of the Fulbright Program as well as U.S. Ambassador Ronald P. Spogli at the American Academy in Rome, the Ms. Shirley Moore Green Ms. Jean Becker Dr. Robert H. Bruininks Dr. John Sibley Butler Dr. Thomas E. Corts President emphasized the importance FSB Chair Chief of Staff President Professor of Management and President Emeritus Retired Federal and State Former President George H.W. Bush University of Minnesota Sociology Samford University of Fulbright exchanges in promoting Communications Specialist Houston, Texas Minneapolis, Minnesota McCombs School of Business Birmingham, Alabama a better understanding of the United Austin, Texas University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas States. Ambassador Spogli is a former member of the FSB. The First Lady met separately with Fulbright English Teaching Assistants (ETAs) and Italian students at the Center for American Studies (CSA). Mrs. Bush congratulated the ETAs on helping to rectify misconceptions about the United States among secondary school students.