U.S. Relations with the People's Republic of China (2006)

U.S. Department of State

Media Note
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
November 21, 2006

Department of State Announces Recipients of New International Fulbright Science and Technology Award

Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes today announced the recipients of the new International Fulbright Science and Technology Award.

Designed to provide top-level students in science and technology with the U.S. government's most prestigious and valuable scholarship, this new Fulbright award for Ph.D. study at America's leading universities was created to attract the most highly qualified young women and men to the world's preeminent higher education institutions. The announcement of the award recipients, following on the first-ever U.S. higher education marketing delegation trip to East Asia and the news that the United States has reversed a post-September 11 drop in student visa demand, underscores our message that the U.S. government and higher education system welcome talented international students.

The award was announced by Under Secretary of State Hughes at the first U.S. University Presidents Summit on International Education in January 2006 convened by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Education Secretary Margaret Spellings.

Winners of this new Fulbright scholarship come from 27 countries. Forty-four percent of the winners are women. Recipients were chosen through a rigorous, multi-tiered, merit-based selection process consisting of in-country competition and review, field and discipline merit review by top-level U.S. academic leaders, and nomination by a blue ribbon Advisory Panel, including a Nobel Laureate and university deans and presidents. Final selection was made by the Presidentially appointed Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. This year's winners come from Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Estonia, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Nepal, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, South Korea, St. Lucia, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, and Venezuela.

The Fulbright Program is the world-renowned, flagship international educational program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (http://exchanges.state.gov/). The Program has provided approximately 275,000 participants with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, to exchange ideas and to contribute to finding solutions to shared issues.

Media inquiries may be directed to Nicole Deaner, 202-203-7613, or Catherine Stearns, 202-203-5107.

2006/1064

Released on November 21, 2006