Educational Exchange

• The China-US Fulbright Program
• The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program  
  
  
  

The China-US Fulbright Program

Fulbright Program Description
To date, over 46,800 people from over 155 countries have taken part in this internationally acclaimed educational exchange program named after its founder Senator J.W. Fulbright. Funding for the program comes from an annual appropriation made by Congress and participating governments. Host institutions, both in the U.S. and abroad, contribute through cost-sharing, salary supplements, tuition waivers and University housing. The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State under policy guidelines established by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FSB).

Each “Fulbright Program” is designed to meet binational needs and interests related to the host country. In China, it is jointly administered by the Educational Exchanges Office of the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy and the Division of American and Oceanian Affairs of the Department for International Cooperation and Exchange in the Ministry of Education in Beijing. The Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC), authorized by the China Ministry of Education and the U.S. Embassy, is responsible for the promotion and organization of the selection process for the Fulbright Grants for Chinese Scholars and the placement of American grantees at Chinese institutions. The Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) in Washington D.C. assists with the recruitment of American scholars and placement of Chinese scholars at American universities. The Institute for International Education (IIE) in New York assists with the recruitment of American students and the placement of Chinese students at American universities. IIE's Beijing Office assists in negotiation of placements for American students in Chinese universities.

A Fulbright grant embodies the principles of binational governance, equitableness and open competition. The objective of the grant is not only to enable the grantees to pursue a particular field of study but also to develop professionals who can contribute to promoting better understanding between China and the United States. Upon returning to China or the U.S., Fulbrighters are expected to contribute directly or indirectly to the relationship between the two countries through their professional and personal activities.

The Fulbright Program in China 
From its beginning, the Fulbright Program in China has been making history. On November

10, 1947, the very first Fulbright agreement in the world was signed with China. Since the normalization of U.S.-China relations, and the renewal of the Fulbright Program in China in 1979, well over 1800 Chinese and American scholars have participated in the program.

In 2004, the number of Chinese Fulbright grants nearly doubled following an agreement reached between the Chinese Ministry of Education and the U.S. Department of State to expand the U.S.-China Fulbright Program and share in the cost of funding individual Chinese Fulbright grants. The U.S. Government also increased its funding of the Fulbright Program, resulting in an increase to over 100 Chinese grantees going to the U.S. (40 Visiting Research Scholars, 40 Foreign Language Teaching Assistants, 20 Ph.D. Candidates and 7 Scholars in Residence), and the number of U.S. grantees coming to China increasing to almost 100 (65 Recent Graduates and Graduate Students, 23 Lecturers and 9 Researchers). The number of Chinese universities participating in sending or receiving Fulbright lecturers has also dramatically increased, from 41 universities in 2003 to 125 institutions in 2006. This growth in the Fulbright Program is a clear reflection of the importance that the governments of both countries put on U.S.-China bilateral relations.

The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program 

The Humphrey Program brings accomplished mid-level professionals from developing countries to the U.S. for a year of study and related practical experience. Humphrey Fellows are selected based on their potential for leadership and their commitment to public service in either the public or the private sector. The Humphrey Program fosters a mutual exchange of knowledge and understanding about issues of common concern in the United States and the Fellows’ home countries. The Program offers Fellows valuable opportunities for leadership development and professional engagement with Americans and their counterparts from many nations.

The Humphrey Fellowship Program was initiated in 1978 to honor the memory and accomplishments of the late United States Senator and Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey.  Since 1978, more than 3,700 Fellows from over 140 countries have participated in the program, including over 100 from China. Approximately 160 Fellowships are awarded annually.

In China, the U.S. Embassy is the sponsor of the Humphrey Program. The first Chinese Humphrey alumnus attended this program in 1982. By the end of 2008, a total of 103 Fellows have participated in the program in China.