The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs will welcome the inaugural class of Fulbright Public Policy Fellows to Washington, D.C., August 13-15. The Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship will allow fellows to serve in professional placements in foreign government ministries or institutions and gain hands-on public sector experience in participating foreign countries while simultaneously carrying out an academic research project.

The Department created the Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship this year to provide opportunities for U.S. graduate students and young public policy professionals to gain substantive international experience and strengthen the public sector abroad. Over 20 grants were awarded in the fields of public health, education, agriculture, justice, energy, environment, public finance, transportation, and economic development.

Fulbright Public Policy Fellows will serve side-by-side with senior officials in foreign government ministries or institutions in a “special assistant” capacity and undertake research projects directly related to their placements. The first class of Fellows will work in Bangladesh, Cote D’Ivoire, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Thailand, and Tunisia.

Selection for the program was based on academic merit, professional experience, and leadership potential, including rigorous review by a selection committee and an interview with the U.S. Embassy or in-country Fulbright Commission. The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board selected Fellows in partnership with host country governments.

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Government. Since its inception over sixty years ago, it has provided over 315,000 participants chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, to exchange ideas and to contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

Media Contacts: Susan Pittman, PittmanSR@state.gov, (202) 632-6373.