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U-M’s Fulbright tradition flourishes

“Educational exchange can turn nations into people, contributing as no other form of communication can to the humanizing of international relations.” – Senator J. William Fulbright, 1983.

The United States Congress established the Fulbright Program in 1946 – an international exchage program designed to foster understanding between cultures by sending U.S. students abroad to teach, study and conduct research.

Each year students nationwide compete for upwards of 1,500 Fulbright fellowships, and in four of the last six years, more Fulbright U.S. Student fellowship recipients have come out of the University of Michigan than any other institution nationwide.

This year was no exception; Thirty-nine U-M students were awarded Fulbright U.S. Student grants this year. A total of 43 – the highest in U-M’s history – were actually offered, but four students declined to pursue other opportunities. This year’s top producers of Fulbright students include U-M, Yale University with 31, Brown and Stanford Universities each with 24, and the University of Chicago with 23.

“The number of our Fulbright grants speaks to the caliber of our students and their passion for international research and study,” said Ken Kollman, director of the U-M International Institute (II). “Our success in earning these reflects Michigan’s commitment to fostering global and cultural exchanges.”

Three of Michigan’s Fulbright grantees currently contribute to the International Institute’s blog (below), sharing their experiences and observations from assignments in Korea, Jordan, and Germany.

Sharief El-Gabri (B.A., LSA – Political Science, Arabic) is teaching English to high school students in Amman, Jordan; Matt Miller (B.A., LSA – Global Change, History) is teaching English at an all-boys Buddhist middle school in Daegu, South Korea, and Christine Morrison (B.S., LSA – Chemistry) is conducting chemistry research in Karlsruhe, Germany. The blog also includes contributions from students participating in research and internships abroad on International Institute Individual Fellowships.

Visit the International Institute blog to explore more or subscribe.

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