Fulbright: The Village of Potential World Leaders

Fulbright is not just a program where one can get the scholarship to proceed his/her education in his/her respective field of study, but it is the village where future leaders of all corners of the world meet in an atmosphere where understanding and regarding each other’s values such as culture, religion, history, customs, languages and et… is the core attention.

As the founder of this program Senator J. William Fulbright said, “The Fulbright Program aims to bring a little more knowledge, a little more reason, and a little more compassion into world affairs and thereby increase the chance that nations will learn at last to live in peace and friendship.” Obviously, William Fulbright had the idea that it’s necessary for the world nations being led by their leaders to have knowledge, reason and compassion to deal with the world affairs in a way that enhances the opportunity to coexist and accept each other with understanding and without conflicts.

Eventually, the Fulbright program was born after the bill was signed on August 1^st, 1946 by President Harry S. Truman to become a law and provide the platform required for the international individuals to learn and exchange their ideas with others. According to US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, so far 53 Fulbright alumni from 13 countries have been awarded the Nobel Prize. 28 alumni are MacArthur Foundation Fellows. 80 alumni have received Pulitzer Prizes. 29 Fulbright alumni have served as heads of state or government (http://eca.state.gov/fulbright/fulbright-alumni/notable-fulbrighters)

After evaluating the grounds behind Fulbright program we reach the conclusion that indeed this program works as a platform where future leaders gather and meet and learn how to serve and save their countries. And they know that their countries are in fact part of this village where tolerance, acceptance and respect paves the ground for a peaceful and friendly environment.

It worth mentioning that none the above Fulbright scholars knew what would future bring to them but they all aimed high and achieved them. I believe every Fulbrighter will not be head of a state or a noble prize winner but I believe that the opportunity exists equally for every individual. Therefore as part of Fulbright program it is the responsibility of every Fulbrighter to think of himself/herself as a leader not an individual and act as he/she is to lead his/her nation or part of it towards a prosperous and nonviolent future. And that is what Fulbright program aims. Therefore, we aren’t just learners but the potential leaders of our country in the village of Fulbright.