Applications sought for Fulbright programme

USEFP says Graduate Record Examination a must for all applicants

ISLAMABAD:

The United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) has invited aspirants to apply for the prestigious Fulbright Student Programme 2024.

Funded by the United States Government, the Fulbright programme in Pakistan is the world’s largest in terms of financial contribution.

According to a statement, the highly competitive and merit-based scholarship covers graduate study, including tuition, maintenance, insurance, and air travel.

The application is available at www.usefp.org, with a deadline of April 12, 2023.

USEFP has sought applications in all disciplines, including energy, water, agriculture, health, education, environmental science, and climate change. While clinical medicine is not included in the Fulbright programme, non-clinical public health applications are encouraged. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required for all applicants. Under the new scoring system, a minimum score of 145 is required in the verbal and quantitative sections of the exam.

“The Fulbright programme is the United States' premier academic exchange programme, connecting people and nations and fostering mutual understanding since 1946”, noted the US Embassy’s Country Public Affairs Officer Will Ostick.

“The US mission to Pakistan is proud to support one of the largest programmes in the world and we look forward to meeting this year's candidates for this prestigious academic exchange,” he said.

For the academic year 2023, USEFP received 1,157 applications and selected a record number of 217 Pakistanis for the Fulbright programme.

“We are proud to share that of these grantees, 60 percent are women. In the past two decades, 2,568 Pakistanis have been awarded these scholarships to study, conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns,” he added.

In a message to potential applicants, USEFP Executive Director Rita Akhtar encouraged talented students and working professionals to learn more about the programme.

“Graduate programmes in the United States are the best in the world. Anyone who is academically ambitious and wants to work for the social and economic improvement of Pakistan should consider applying,” she said.

Fulbright is a merit-based programme, but merit encompasses hopes and plans for the future and not just past achievements, the officials said adding that therefore, people who have big dreams but, so far, few opportunities should not count themselves out.

USEFP is a bi-national commission established in 1950 by the governments of the United States and Pakistan, the statement stated and added that since its inception, more than 9,000 Pakistanis and over 935 Americans have participated in USEFP-managed exchange programmes.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 13^th, 2023.