The Universidad de Alcalá hosts the Fulbright Orientation Sessions for the fifth consecutive year
As a result of the close collaboration between the Fulbright Commission and the Instituto Franklin-UAH, on September 10th and 11th the Universidad de Alcalá hosted 2024 the orientation sessions for the 192 U.S. Fulbright grantees, who will participate as university professors, predoctoral researchers, master's students and conversation assistants during the 2024-2025 academic year in both Spain and Andorra.
The inauguration of the event was attended by the Vice President for Students, Enterpreunership and Employability of the Universidad de Alcalá, Eva Senra; the Counselor for Public Diplomacy of the U.S. Embassy in Spain, Jon Piechowski; the Head of the Support Unit of the Directorate of Cultural and Scientific Relations of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), Diego Mayoral Gil-Casares; and the Executive Director of the Fulbright Commission, Alberto López San Miguel.
The main purpose of this program is to provide interns with the skills needed to ease their adaptation to the Spanish culture. During the event, logistical issues such as finding housing, bank management and other administrative procedures were addressed, as well as cultural and social aspects that they may not be accustomed to. In addition, they were offered opportunities to participate in social and volunteer activities, thus complementing their academic experience.
The grantees will be distributed throughout different regions of Spain and Andorra, and will carry out academic and research projects in a variety of areas. Among them there will be English language assistants, predoctoral researchers, master's students and U.S. professors with experience in their respective disciplines.
Fulbright Program worldwide
The Fulbright Program is the most widely recognized of all exchange scholarship programs worldwide at the graduate level. It is carried out between the United States and more than 160 countries and aims to promote the mutual understanding of nations through cultural, educational and scientific exchange between people. Since its creation in 1946 by U.S. Senator James W. Fulbright, the program has awarded exchange scholarships to more than 400,000 people.
In recognition of its international character and its commitment to fostering the values of cooperation and understanding, the Fulbright Program was recognized with the Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation in 2014.
Fulbright Program in Spain
Since 1958, the United States and Spanish governments have relied on this program to promote cultural, educational and scientific exchanges between the two countries, with tangible and remarkable results.
Those citizens who have had the opportunity to benefit from a Fulbright scholarship have contributed to the economic, scientific and cultural development of both societies, building personal and professional bridges that endure over time and establishing long-term partnerships that foster tolerance and mutual understanding between the two countries.
The Fulbright Commission is responsible for managing the scholarships in Spain, which have benefited more than 10,000 people–6,136 Spanish grantees and 4,545 U.S. grantees–many of whom are now prominent members of society with recognized professional prestige.
The Commission is binational, managed by representatives of both countries and co-chaired by senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation and the U.S. Embassy in Spain and Andorra. It is supported by funds allocated each year by both governments and also has the support of several ministries, regional governments, universities and major companies.