Renewed Fulbright Program Agreement opens opportunity to more Mongolians
SocietyUlaanbaatar /MONTSAME/. On January 27, the United States and Mongolia reaffirmed their shared commitment to providing high quality educational opportunities for Mongolian students and to building lasting linkages between U.S. and Mongolian institutions by signing the renewed Bi-national Fulbright Foreign Student Program agreement.
Notably,
this renewed agreement formally terminates a collateral requirement previously
imposed on the program participants, thus opening the scholarship to all
eligible Mongolian students, regardless of economic status.
The signing ceremony was attended by U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia Michael Klecheski and Minister of Education and Science of Mongolia Enkh-Amgalan Luvsantseren.
“Today’s ceremony is a perfect way to mark this particular day,” said Ambassador Klecheski, “because cooperation in education has been a core element of these 35 years of diplomatic ties.”
The
Fulbright program opened in Mongolia 28 years ago. The first Mongolian
Fulbright Visiting Scholar traveled to the United States in 1994, and the first
Mongolian Fulbright Foreign Student in 1995. Since then, the United
States has supported nearly 400 Fulbright exchanges between our two countries.
In 2009, the United States and
Mongolia initiated discussions to establish a bi-national Fulbright Foreign
Student Program and signed the agreement on December 15, 2010. Since then, the
program has enabled more than 100 Mongolians to pursue graduate studies in the
United States in a wide range of fields, including education, environmental
science, public health, geology, engineering, and more.
“Indeed,
I’d like to emphasize that these 100 young people are making valuable
contributions to Mongolian society and the economy, becoming leaders of their
sectors,” said Minister Enkh-Amgalan.
As
part of our commitment to education and exchange, the United States offers
around 120 scholarships and exchanges every year in Mongolia – an investment of
over $2 million annually in our shared future.
The
Fulbright Program creates connections in a complex and changing world. Led by
the United States government in partnership with 160 countries worldwide,
Fulbright offers unparalleled international educational and cultural exchange
experiences. Our diverse and dynamic network of scholars, alumni, and global
partners fosters mutual understanding between the United States and partner
nations, advances knowledge across communities, and improves lives around the
globe.
The
United States and Mongolia remain committed to strengthening the bonds between
the peoples of our two great nations to promote peace and prosperity for all.
The U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar