Statement Upon Release of List of 2004-2005 U.S. Fulbright Grantees

I am pleased to release the official list of U.S. Fulbright student grantees for the 2004-2005 academic year. This year, under the nation’s premier exchange program, 1,099 American students have been awarded Fulbright grants to study and conduct research in more than 110 countries throughout the world.

As Fulbrighters, these Americans have important responsibilities. First and foremost, they engage in serious academic study or research abroad. In addition, they will immerse themselves in learning about their new host country and will have opportunities to share their perspectives on the United States with their hosts.

When they return home, these Fulbrighters will share their experiences with their friends, families, and colleagues. Over the past six decades, more than 100,000 Americans have been awarded Fulbright student grants. Established in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the program’s purpose is to build mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries.

Economist Milton Friedman, opera soprano Renee Fleming, Intel CEO Craig Barrett, and Brown University President Ruth Simmons are just four examples of the many distinguished Fulbright alumni. Last week, a foreign Fulbright alumnus, Aaron Ciechanover, received the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, becoming the sixth Fulbrighter in the past five years, and thirty-fourth overall, to be awarded a Nobel Prize.

For a complete listing of the 2004-2005 U.S. Fulbright student grantees, please go to: http://exchanges.state.gov/education/fulbright/recipients/2005/recipients.htm .

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