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Today, at 3:00PM Eastern Standard Time, the U.S. Department of State and the international Fulbright Scholars Program will host the "Fulbright HBCU Symposium," a virtual event featuring speakers from global education and governmental institutions as well as a series of workshops for HBCU faculty, staff, and stakeholders. Registration is free and can be found here.
The program is an outgrowth the Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leaders Initiative, which was launched in 2019 to recognize Historically Black Colleges and Universities that have demonstrated noteworthy support for Fulbright exchange participants and other Fulbright programs on HBCU campuses. Originally, the program honored 19 HBCUs including Huntsville's Alabama A&M University, Nashville's Fisk University, Atlanta's Spelman College, and Talahassee's Florida A&M University.
According to the U.S. State Department, today's symposium will "spotlight the unique role HBCU students, faculty, and administrators play in representing American higher education and the American experience both in our country and around the world."
The planned workshop sessions are designed to improve working relationships between HBCUs and the Fulbright Program. More specifically, workshops will explore the ways Fulbright can support internationalization at HBCUs while also supporting on-campus global engagement efforts that strengthen global and local networks.
Moderators for today's symposium will include:
Dineo Brinson, Academic Exchange Specialist, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
Matthew Lussenhop: Acting Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
Dr. Ruth Simmons: President of Prairie View A&M University and Fulbright alumna
Dr. Dafina Blacksher Diabate: Director of International Programs, and Fulbright Program Adviser and Scholar Liaison at Lincoln University of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Dr. Leah Creque: Professor of English, Director of Honors Program, and Fulbright Program Adviser and Scholar Liaison at Morehouse College
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program of the United States government and was created to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has given over 390,000 passionate and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds and fields the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to important international challenges.
Fulbright is active in more than 160 countries worldwide and partners with participating governments, host institutions, corporations, and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States. Many of these organizations also provide direct and indirect support. ECA sponsors the Fulbright program, and several non-profit, cooperative partners implement and support the program on the Bureau’s behalf. For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit eca.state.gov/fulbright.