06 October 2006
Fulbright Program celebrates 50th Year in Argentina
Ambassadors from U.S. and Argentina praise Fulbright achievements
Washington -- The 50th anniversary of the Fulbright Program in Argentina was celebrated at the Argentine embassy in Washington October 5, where Argentine Ambassador José Octavio Bordón and newly confirmed U.S. Ambassador to Argentina E. Anthony Wayne joined current Fulbright recipients and alumni to honor the program’s achievements.
Wayne, in what he called his first opportunity to speak publicly as ambassador since the U.S. Senate confirmed his appointment in July, praised the Fulbright Program for its ability to “cement relationships and bring understanding” between countries.
The Fulbright program is the flagship of the international educational programs sponsored by the U.S. government. It was designed to "increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries." The program has provided more than 250,000 U.S. and foreign participants the opportunity to study and teach in one another's countries, exchange ideas and develop joint solutions to shared concerns.
The program was launched in 1946 through the efforts of Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, who thought that a greater appreciation and understanding among nations would increase peace and stability around the world.
The Argentina program, begun in 1956 with the creation of the Argentine Fulbright Commission, has given 4,500 Argentine and U.S. citizens the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research in both countries. The commission is administered by a board of directors chaired by the U.S. ambassador and comprises five U.S. and five Argentine board members.
Over time, the program has increased in popularity and competitiveness. The program now receives 10 well-qualified applications for each available grant. The grants come in the form of eight different types of scholarships for students, teachers, researchers and lecturers from both countries.
MEASURES OF SUCCESS
Bordón described his admiration for the great “transfer of knowledge” between the United States and Argentina that has resulted from the Fulbright grants, and called the commitment of an Argentine recipient to return home as a “crucial aspect” of the program for Argentina. This return, he said, ensures that both countries benefit from the exchange.
Mariano Turzi, a Fulbright Scholar from Buenos Aires in his second year of graduate studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, says he is eager to “to share and compare” his experiences with other students when he returns to Argentina after receiving his master’s degree in strategic studies.
“Every day there is something new, something different,” said Turzi of his experiences in the United States. He said that he pursued a Fulbright grant in order to receive a graduate education in a context that would allow him to “see the world and how other people think … their mindsets and beliefs.”
PROGRAM’S FUTURE IN ARGENTINA
At a panel discussion as SAIS earlier that evening, Executive Director of the Argentine Fulbright Commission Norma Gonzalez Centeno reported a marked increase in the interest of both Americans and Argentines in relations between their two countries.
The number of U.S. students studying in Argentina has tripled in the last few years, Gonzalez said. She attributed the increase to a combination of factors that have made Argentina more appealing: the quality of education, a culture and life style attractive to students, and the word-of-mouth advertisement by students who have had good experiences in Argentina.
On the Argentine side, Gonzalez said, growing interest in the United States is illustrated by the growth of applications to the Fulbright Program. One seminar about contemporary American issues, launched by the Fulbright program in 2005, attracted more than 700 applications from Argentina.
“With globalization,” said Gonzalez, “we [Argentines] will have to start learning more about the rest of the world.”
In addition to administering the grant program, the commission also operates a reference library and an advisory service for people interested in learning about graduate study in the United States.
Additional information about the Fulbright Program in Argentina is available on the commission’s Web site.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
