Nov 22, 2021
As we near Thanksgiving and the year’s end, we are grateful for and reflect on a most memorable recent day – one that holds great significance as we launch into 70th anniversary celebrations of Fulbright Germany in 2022.
Fulbright Day: Germany – our own commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the global Fulbright Program - brought together a wide range of people in both Germany and the U.S. on October 6, 2021 for a day of exchange and learning among peers, as well as across generations and borders.
Throughout the entire day, nearly 11,000 middle and high school students at 218 different schools in 46 states across the U.S. met virtually (and a few in-person!) with volunteer speakers sharing their experiences of living, studying and working in Germany during our “Meet-A-German” event. For more, including a video montage documenting the many encounters throughout the U.S. that day, please see our special page dedicated to this project.
While in the U.S. thousands of students gained first-hand impressions of German culture, a simultaneous discussion round in Berlin explored how to carry the transatlantic relationship into the future. Moderated by Fulbright Germany’s new executive director, Dr. Cathleen Fisher, a hybrid speaker panel discussed “The Fulbright Network: Strengthening Collective Action on Complex Global Issues” at Berlin´s EUREF-Campus.
The panel discussion reached deep into the experience, “hope and innovation” of a journalist, a workforce entrepreneur and a science diplomat.It showcased how Fulbright exchanges have equipped grantees and alumni with a network and the cross-cultural skills to address global challenges over the past 75 years. It also challenged all involved with Fulbright to do more, to engage with those who may never have the opportunity to study or work in another land, to more inclusively share the gift of a Fulbright experience and to collectively find solutions to some of today’s compelling challenges, which require cooperation at the international, regional, and societal level.
Here you may view the panel discussion in its entirety.
Fulbright Germany marked the 75 years during which the global Fulbright program has been making an impact on the world with events representative of the unique Fulbright experience, yet looked ahead to how the Fulbright program can adapt and “think higher, feel deeper” to make its impact more sustainable, inclusive and accessible - all while remaining true to its mission.
