Exchange Programs
Fulbright Foreign Student Program
"Man's struggle to be rational about himself, about
his relationship to his own society and the other peoples
and nations involves a constant search for understanding
among all peoples and all cultures -- a search that can
only be effective when learning is pursued on a worldwide
basis."—Forward from The Fulbright Program:
A History
The Fulbright Foreign Student
Program is an international scholarship program sponsored
by the United
States Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs (ECA). The Fulbright Program, named for the
late Senator J. William Fulbright, was established by the
U.S. Congress in 1946 "to increase mutual understanding
between the people of the U.S. and the people of other countries."
Nearly a quarter of a million individuals have participated
in the Fulbright Program since it began in 1946.
Under a cooperative agreement with the United States Department
of State, AMIDEAST administers the Fulbright Program for
students from the Middle East and North Africa. Students
from Algeria,
Bahrain,
Egypt, Iraq,
Jordan,
Lebanon, Libya,
Morocco,
Oman,
Saudi
Arabia,
Syria, Tunisia,
UAE,
the West Bank/Gaza,
and Yemen
are placed in graduate programs at universities across
the United States. Since the early 1970s, AMIDEAST has
brought
more than 1,000 Fulbright students to the United States.
AMIDEAST headquarters staff in Washington, DC works with
AMIDEAST field office staff to provide in-country assistance
to Fulbright applicants, grantees, and alumni. In coordination
with the United States Department of State, as well as binational
Fulbright Commissions and host-country officials, AMIDEAST
field office staff guides Fulbright nominees through the
selection and predeparture process. AMIDEAST field office
professionals advise candidates on university placements;
administer appropriate examinations such as the TOEFL®,
GRE®, and GMAT®; provide document
translation services; and conduct predeparture orientation
sessions in coordination with Commission and U.S. Embassy
personnel. Field office staff also facilitates activities
planned by, and for, Fulbright alumni.
AMIDEAST headquarters staff places nominees at U.S. universities
and monitors their progress throughout their grant period.
To ensure timely completion of academic requirements, headquarters
staff meets personally with grantees, their faculty, and
other university representatives each year during campus
visits. Toward the end of their grant period, AMIDEAST Fulbright
grantees are invited to Washington, DC for a three day workshop
hosted by AMIDEAST. This "reentry" workshop is
designed to prepare grantees for the cultural adjustment
they will undergo as they return to their home countries.
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