More money for Fulbright scholarships

In a bid to strengthen academic links between Scotland and the US, The Scottish Government has awarded £180,000 to the US-UK Fulbright Commission.

The Fulbright Commission will receive the money over three years and use it to foster cultural and education bonds between the two countries.

The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong learning, Fiona Hyslop, praised the investment and said the move was indicative of a country intent on furthering its academic credentials both abroad and at home: “[The funding] will improve the universal employability of participants from Scotland while also enabling home institutions and employers to benefit from skills and knowledge of those returning from overseas or those visiting Scotland on an exchange.”

The commission offers the opportunity for qualified US and UK nationals to carry out exchange programmes, not only in scholastic fields but in social practice too. Later this year, as part of the Fulbright Research Fellowship, the Scottish Police are supporting two police candidates to go and research good practice in the US.

With the economic climate firmly in mind during government policy-making, this latest investment is no different. Ms Hyslop outlined the necessity of increased learning and skill gathering: “The Scottish Government is determined to create a self-confident, outward-looking Scotland and to increase the skills of our people to help the nation emerge strongly from the current economic downturn.”

With over 12,000 British scholars and almost 10,000 from the US already having benefited from the scheme, Ms Hyslop believes this funding will serve to increase Scottish participation: “The commission has a key role to play in promoting the educational links between Scotland and the USA and offering grants for students, academics and professionals to undertake exchange opportunities to enrich their knowledge and skills.”

Established in 1948, the US-UK Fulbright Commission holds as its principal aim—in the words of its founder US Senator William J. Fulbright—the erosion of "the culturally rooted mistrust that sets nations against each other."

Dr Alistair Elfick, a former Fulbright scholar and reader in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Edinburgh, praised the investment: “I'm glad to see Scotland investing in academic mobility. I think as a nation we hold education in high regard and historically I think we've punched much above our weight in technological innovation. This funding can only help to sustain the excellence of Scots academia and help to foster our trans-Atlantic links.”

Dr Elfick stressed the worth of having stronger links with America. He said: “The US is home to a large percentage of the world's leading research institutions, being able to access this expertise, learn from them and translate this knowledge back to research in Scotland is of great academic and economic value.”

The commission offers a range of opportunities, from study scholarships to lecture or research fellowships.

Penny Egan, director of the Fulbright Commission, welcomed the funding and stressed the importance of the Fulbright philosophy: “We are so pleased, in our 60th anniversary year, to be working more closely with the Scottish Government to strengthen the opportunities for academic exchange with the USA. Fostering these—leadership, learning, and empathy between cultures—was and remains the purpose of the international scholarship program."

The Fulbright programme is one of two major bi-national academic awards exchanges between the US and the UK, offering awards to postgraduates, fellowships and grants - the other being the Rhodes scholarship. It was designed specifically to enrich its participants and harness excellent educational practices between nations.

The commission receives the majority of its funding from the UK and US government however; it also receives funding from charities, educational institutions, business’ and the US embassy in London.

Notable alumni include Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman, Charles Kennedy and the author Ian Rankin.