The US Mission in Nigeria has held a luncheon for alumni of the prestigious Fulbright programme to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the scholarship.
Held in Lagos, the luncheon was attended by both former and current scholarship recipients from across Nigeria.
In her remarks during the luncheon, the US Consul-General, Ms Claire Pierangelo who described the Fulbright alumni Association in Nigeria as one of the most active and organised, encouraged them to keep giving back to their communities and making impacts
Assuring the alumni association of support, Ms Pierangelo also wants the association to upscale the Fulbright mentorship in the Country so that more Nigerians in other fields, apart from science can benefit
She said “I also encourage you to upscale the Fulbright recruitment mentorship across Nigerian Universities to help us support stronger candidates in the fields of arts and social sciences, most of the applications received every year are sciences inclined or science based, but we really want to be able to expand to these other areas and fields and you are our Frontline in the recruitment process.
In order to upscale these activities, I encourage you to look for funding from local and international partners”.
She advised Nigerians interested in securing the Fulbright scholarship grants to keep tabs on the US Mission’s social media handles as the application would be opening soon.
In her remarks, the President of the Fulbright Alumni Association in Nigeria, Professor Adele Garkida noted that the programme has a life-long impact and has also been helping scholars in Nigerian Universities to compete favourably with their international counterparts.
“Right now, our students can write papers to international conferences and get accepted, I remember that before I went for my Fulbright year, I was sending abstracts and they get rejected, not because they were not good enough, but because of the facilities we had, so, the exchange programme has been able to help us bridge that gap and what we really need to train, mentor students both undergraduate and post-graduate” Prof Garkida said.
Some of the current Fulbright scholars on exchange programme including a Professor of Business and economics
Steve Onyewu and a medical researcher, Anu Ajao described it as exciting.
Since 1946, Fulbright which is the U.S. Government’s flagship educational and cultural exchange programme, has been operational in over 160 countries to facilitate international educational and cultural exchanges among leading and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, and professionals from all fields.
The programme is designed to promote peace through dialogue, foster communication and relationship across the World.
There are over 350 active Fulbrighters in Nigeria, while over one thousand Nigerians have benefitted from the prestigious international exchange programme.
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