Today we celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Fulbright Program for foreign students in Mongolia!
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is an initiative established in 1946 by former Arkansas Senator J. William Fulbright and funded by the U.S. Department of State. The main goal of the program is to strengthen cultural and academic ties between Americans and citizens of other countries.
In 1945, J. William Fulbright, then a senator from Arkansas, proposed a bill to Congress that called for using the proceeds from the sale of surplus military property to create a fund aimed at developing international exchange in education, culture, and science. In the post-war reality, when the United Nations was founded, the Fulbright Program became an important tool for ensuring peace and mutual understanding among nations. The bill included a plan whereby foreign countries could forgive debts in exchange for funding international educational initiatives.
On August 1, 1946, President Harry Truman signed the law, and it was approved at the end of the 79th session of the U.S. Congress. No one could then imagine that Fulbright would become one of the largest educational programs in the world. However, its launch faced a number of difficulties: negotiations with other countries and the allocation of funds were prolonged, and the first agreements were signed only two years later—in 1947 with China and Burma, and in 1948 with the Philippines and Greece. There were also technical and bureaucratic challenges related to the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Department of Justice, as well as other institutions wishing to use these funds for the construction and modernization of embassies abroad. Additionally, the program allowed for tuition payments only in U.S. dollars, which created further complications.
The Fulbright Program, managed by the U.S. government in collaboration with 160 countries, provides unique opportunities for international education and cultural exchange.
Over the past 15 years, with the support of the Mongolian government, more than 130 specialists from this country have received education in the U.S. in fields such as education, healthcare, geology, and mining.
Mongolia and the United States remain reliable partners, collaborating in promoting democracy, effective governance, and shared prosperity through educational exchange and engagement with alumni.
The Fulbright Program for students began its work in Mongolia in 1995, and the program supported by the Mongolian government started in 2010. Since 2022, both projects have merged, creating a unified selection process that supports up to 20 grant recipients annually.
Fulbright provides educational opportunities in various fields, but priority is given to those specified in Resolution No. 115 of the Government of Mongolia. Due to differences in the legislation of the two countries, the program does not support education in medicine or law, except for specializations in healthcare and international law.
Congratulations on 15 years of friendship, educational achievements, and new opportunities!
Tatar S. Maidar
source: MiddleAsianNews
