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To further strengthen ties between the Philippines and the United
States, visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and
Cultural Affairs Goli Ameri signed a memorandum continuing the
Fulbright exchange program during her recent visit to Manila.
The Fulbright program is an international
educational exchange program for scholars, educators and
professionals. It is considered one of the most prestigious
scholarship programs and currently operates in 144 countries.
In the Philippines, the program is run by
Philippine American Education Foundation, which celebrated its 60th
anniversary this April. The Fulbright program in the Philippines is
the globe’s oldest continuous Fulbright program.
Since its establishment in March 1948, more than
2,000 Filipinos have traveled to the US under the program while
around 1,000 Americans have come to the Philippines for studies.
Through the exchange of people, knowledge and
skills, the program intends to increase mutual understanding between
the people of the US and other countries.
The Fulbright program provides funds for
students, scholars, and professionals to undertake graduate study,
advanced research, university teaching, and teaching in elementary
and secondary schools abroad.
“Many educational institutions in the US are
very willing to accept students coming from different countries to
promote further understanding of the various cultures in the
academe,” Ameri said.
Ameri was originally from Tehran, Iran. She
arrived in the US in 1974 to study at Stanford University and
credits that it helped her understand America better.
-- Katrice R. Jalbuena
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