What is the Fulbright Hayes Program?
Fulbright-Hays Programs: The World is Our Classroom
Only fifty years ago, the geopolitical landscape shifted with the emergence of independent nations and the bipolar struggle for influence in world regions. U.S. leaders were increasingly confronted with the need to understand the Soviet Union, its allies, and the countries of the world in which the Cold War was being played out. Spurred by the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik, federal funding to establish foreign language and area studies programs at U.S. universities was authorized under the National Defense Education Act of 1958, later incorporated into Title VI of the Higher Education Act. To ensure scholars would also receive the critical overseas educational experiences necessary for developing high levels of language and area expertise, the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange (Fulbright-Hays) Act of 1961 was enacted.
The Fulbright-Hays programs, administered by the U.S. Department of Education (ED), are distinct from the Fulbright programs administered by the U.S. Department of State. While both sets of programs serve international education and national security interests, their specific goals and program emphases differ. State Department programs focus on exchange for mutual understanding by bringing overseas scholars and professionals to the United States and by sending U.S. citizens (often with no prior international experience) abroad.
In contrast, the Fulbright-Hays programs at the U.S. Department of Education serve a domestic agenda. Authorized under Section 102(b)(6) of the Fulbright-Hays Act, they support the internationalization of the nation's educational infrastructure by strengthening area and foreign language expertise among current and prospective U.S. educators. They do this in two ways:
by providing critical, advanced overseas study and research opportunities for area and language experts and faculty-in-training; and
by offering experiences and resources enabling educators to strengthen their international teaching.
In nine years on the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, I have had the opportunity to see the extraordinary impact of the Fulbright-Hays programs on participants' lives. They develop a rich understanding of people in different countries and cultures and share their knowledge with other Americans after their return to the United States - especially important in the current international environment. For this reason, it is important to maintain the programs' non-political nature, their focus on educational goals.--Alan SchechterProfessor of Political Science, Wellesley CollegeMember, J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board
Using funds provided by the Fulbright-Hays programs, participants serve as informal cultural ambassadors and engage in an exchange of knowledge and culture while overseas. Fulbright-Hays sends U.S. citizens abroad, but it does not provide reciprocal opportunities for international scholars to visit the United States.
Participants are associated with a domestic education agency rather than foreign policy and therefore enjoy a greater degree of flexibility in their overseas work. Further, Fulbright-Hays programs are targeted primarily (though not exclusively) at educators and future educators. These programs contribute to the U.S. international education infrastructure, supporting ongoing teaching and research about the peoples, cultures, and events that shape today's world. The four Fulbright-Hays programs include: Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA), Faculty Research Abroad (FRA), Group Projects Abroad (GPA), and Seminars Abroad (SA).
