Fulbright Board Steps Down, Citing Interference by Trump Administration
(MENAFN) All 12 members of the board that governs the Fulbright Program resigned on Wednesday, citing what they described as political interference by the Trump administration in the process of selecting scholarship recipients for the esteemed international exchange initiative.
In a joint statement released online, the board accused the administration of overstepping its bounds by blocking scholarships for “a substantial number of people” who had already been selected to either study in the U.S. or represent the country abroad.
The board also revealed that an additional 1,200 international scholars, who had previously received approval to enter the U.S. under the Fulbright Program, are now subject to an unapproved re-evaluation process that could result in their exclusion.
"To continue to serve after the Administration has consistently ignored the Board's request that they follow the law would risk legitimizing actions we believe are unlawful and damage the integrity of this storied program and America's credibility abroad," the statement said.
According to media reports, "The actions come as President Trump and his top aides seek to bend academic institutions to their ideological beliefs." "The administration is trying to withhold federal funding, mainly for science research, from several universities and in some cases is demanding changes to departments."
Established nearly eight decades ago by the U.S. Congress, the Fulbright Program was designed to foster international collaboration and support American diplomatic goals. Each year, the competitive program grants approximately 9,000 awards to students, scholars, and professionals across more than 160 countries and a wide array of academic and professional disciplines.
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