The Fulbright Program
Carol Bender continues to give back to the community serving as President of the Arizona Chapter of the Fulbright Association
What gives meaning to your life? Is it family, friends, spiritual beliefs, something else? For me, in part, it is working for causes I believe in and giving back to programs that have impacted my life. Once such program is the Fulbright Program.
The Fulbright Fellowship was introduced in Congress by Senator William Fulbright in 1945 as a means of using surplus war property to fund the ‘promotion of international good through the exchange of students in the fields of education, culture and science.’ Senator Fulbright believed that cultural and educational exchange would lead to a greater appreciation of other countries and their people thus contributing to global understanding and a more peaceful world for all. The Fulbright Program came into existence in 1946 and currently operates in more than 160 countries.
The Fulbright Program now encompasses a suite of programs including opportunities for American faculty members and students to study, to teach and to do research abroad as well as opportunities for foreign nationals to study and to do research in the United States. The Fulbright Program also enables the exchange of precollege teachers and a chance for recent college graduates to spend a year abroad teaching English, as well as opportunities for mid-career professionals and artists. In short, the Fulbright Program provides a wide range of opportunities for a wide range of individuals interested in contributing to enhancing global understanding. The program is widely respected and life changing for those of us who have been awarded a Fulbright.
I had two Fulbright Fellowships-one to Japan (1997) and one to India (2011). In both instances I was able to visit educational institutions and learn about the culture of each country. The things I learned and the contacts I made on my Fulbrights were important in myriad ways. Thus, when the opportunity arose in the summer of 2022 to be the President of the Arizona Chapter of the Fulbright Association, I did not hesitate.
The Fulbright Association is a private non-profit organization that exists to support the goals of the Fulbright Program through bringing together US Fulbright alumni and visiting Fulbrighters from other countries. The Arizona Chapter of the Fulbright Association is a state-wide organization and includes faculty, students, teachers, artists, and other professionals from all parts of Arizona.
The past year has been both challenging and rewarding as the Chapter revitalizes after a period of inactivity during the first two and a half years of the Covid epidemic. We are building momentum though and I hope that UBRPers and UBRP alumni in Arizona will be among those joining us in our future Fulbright Chapter activities.
For more information about the Fulbright Program go to: https://fulbrightprogram.org/
For more information about the Fulbright Association, with which the Arizona Chapter is affiliated, go to: https://fulbright.org/