Speeches and Remarks
Remarks by Ambassador David C. Mulford
at the 55th Anniversary of the Fulbright Exchange Program
U.S. Educational Foundation in India
New Delhi
February 2, 2005
As prepared for delivery
Thank you all for coming today to honor the occasion of the Fulbright program's 55th anniversary in India.
The Fulbright Program, which was the impetus for the agreement signed in 1950 by Prime Minister Nehru and U.S. Ambassador Henderson that created the United States Educational Foundation in India, or USEFI, is as critical as ever. Fulbright fellowships focus on teaching, research or professional development projects, meaning that they impact directly on mutual understanding.
Some of you may know the emphasis I place on people-to-people exchanges, such as Fulbright between India and the United States. Living and studying overseas is usually a life changing experience. Certainly it was for me first as a Rotary fellow in South Africa, and later with both Woodrow Wilson and Ford Foundation fellowships. These exchanges are one of our most effective means to promote mutual understanding and strengthening common bonds. This I saw later when I was at the Treasury and so many of the government officials I met around the world had been educated at American universities.
The bonds between India and America have never been stronger - both President Bush and Prime Minister Singh have described the relations between our countries as being the best ever, with better things to come. It is no coincidence that at the same time there are record numbers of Indians studying in the U.S., Americans are coming here on Fulbrights, and a host of other programs. There is no better long-term investment in the U.S-India relationship than educational interchange.
The United States has made a serious commitment to this investment. The U.S. Government has funded Fulbright and other fellowships for over 15,000 participants since 1950. Fulbrighters come from all walks of life: government, business, media, education, culture, science, law and the arts - many holding eminent positions in academia and public life. Just the other day, for example, my wife Jeannie and I hosted a tea for a group of American supporters of the Harvard University Art Museums. I was pleased to learn that one of the group's leaders -- Kimberly Masteller -- was a Fulbright PhD student here in India a few years ago. And now, she shares her knowledge of Indian art and culture as an assistant curator at Harvard's prestigious Arthur Sackler Museum.
Likewise, the curator of the Jodhpur Fort who so kindly showed us around last weekend had just recently returned from a Fulbright exchange in Washington.
Recognizing the importance of academic exchange, the U.S. government has provided financial support for USEFI since its inception. As many in this audience know, P.L. 480 rupee funds financed the program for over forty years. When those funds were exhausted USEFI was primarily supported by Department of State funding and extended through cost-share partners to help carry out its mission. We are now exploring with the Government of India the possibility of some cooperative funding from the Government of India and we very much hope this will become a reality soon.
New Department of State initiatives are broadening the scope of the Fulbright Program in India so that our programs support more critical disciplines. Schoolteachers are one such group. In 2005, Indian and American educators will participate in the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program. Next summer, under the South Asian Teacher Training Project, Indian and Pakistani English language teachers will learn new strategies for teaching English, as well as seeing firsthand American culture and society at George Washington University. They will continue to collaborate through follow-on seminars in both India and Pakistan.
With nearly 80,000 Indians studying today in the United States, USEFI has its hands full with another important service, student advising. During the past year, the advising centers for USEFI around the country received 280,000 inquiries about study in the U.S. The center here in New Delhi made over 62,000 contacts in a single year - and that figure doesn't include the number of people who accessed USEFI's website.
Like Indians, we Americans are proud of our diversity and place great importance on the value of education. We know that families of modest means in India must have a shot at quality education. In addition to Fulbright, 14 outstanding Indian undergraduate college students from disadvantaged backgrounds will enroll in U.S. colleges this year to pursue their Bachelors degrees in the liberal arts and sciences under the Partnerships in Learning Undergraduate Studies Program (PLUS), an initiative facilitated by USEFI.
Finally, a word about civic duty, leadership and volunteerism. Around the world, Fulbright students, teachers, and scholars are involved in community outreach. At the recent annual Fulbright mid-year conference in Kerala, the Fulbrighters from the U.S., India and neighboring South Asian countries worked with local schools, clinics and NGO's, planted trees and contributed to the tsunami relief effort. One U.S. Fulbrighter -- Seema Shah -- traveled to Tamil Nadu on her own, visited children shelters and helped kids cope from their losses through counseling. To me, such spontaneous gestures reflect the finest traditions of the Fulbright program.
USEFI is celebrating its Foundation Day by showcasing the talents of its Fulbright scholars. The art exhibit, which I am about to open, is entitled "Confluence" and features the work of four Indian Fulbright artists. After we walk through the exhibit, we will have the opportunity to hear American Fulbright student Rehana Kheshgi, who has studied both Western opera and Indian Hindustani music. In this exhibit and performance, we see examples of the mutual understanding, academic excellence and dedication bringing our societies closer together.
In closing, let me close with wishing USEFI and all its friends a happy 55th anniversary. May you continue to succeed, prosper and change people's lives for years to come.
Thank you.