At a press conference announcing the 2014 Fulbright Program, U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Officer Kathryn Schalow said, “We are proud that Pakistan has the largest Fulbright program in the world, and also one of the oldest. Our agreement initiating the program was signed on September 23, 1950 – and the first Pakistanis and Americans traveled each way in the same year. It was one of the very first agreements of its kind and has since been extended to 155 countries around the world.”
The U.S. Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) administers the Fulbright Program. Executive Director Rita Akhtar echoed Ms. Schalow’s sentiments and encouraged students from all over Pakistan to take advantage of the Fulbright Program in 2014.
In addition to the approximately 200 who will depart in the fall of 2013, 391 students currently study in the United States on Fulbright awards. This is one example of the U.S. government’s long-term commitment to the education of Pakistanis, and to increasing mutual understanding between both countries. Since USEFP’s inception more than 61 years ago, nearly 4,000 Pakistanis and more than 800 Americans have participated in USEFP-administered exchange programs. The Fulbright Program is one of many U.S.-government funded educational, professional, and cultural exchange programs that build people-to-people ties among Americans and Pakistanis.
Women, minorities, people with disabilities, and students from FATA, Balochistan, and all of Pakistan’s provinces are strongly encouraged to apply. All disciplines are eligible, with the exception of the field of clinical medicine. Applicants studying energy, water, and agricultural disciplines are strongly encouraged to apply. More information about this program, as well as standardized testing and free educational advising services can be found on the USEFP website at
www.usefpakistan.org
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