Fulbright Exchange Students from 29 Countries to Gather at MIIS for Intensive Training

July 20, 2012

Today, 36 students representing the best and the brightest from around the world will gather at the Monterey Institute of International Studies to begin a four-week training program designed to prepare them for a successful experience as Fulbright Program international exchange students.

From July 20 through August 17, these students from 29 countries will attend the Fulbright English for Graduate Studies Program at the Monterey Institute. The program is designed to help Fulbright exchange students make the transition from their native country to the US a positive and successful one by providing them with intensive training in American academic and community culture, academic writing, public speaking, research, and technology.

During the group’s four-week stay in Monterey, the students’ classroom training sessions will be supplemented by cultural and service learning activities including:

• Dinners in the community, with groups of students dining in local families’ homes.
• Attending the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute’s July 21 open house.
• A visit to the Boys & Girls Club in Seaside, where Fulbright students will share information about their careers and countries with local youth.
• Volunteering with one or more local organizations.  

This year’s Fulbright class includes students from: Afghanistan, Chad, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Finland, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Laos, Lesotho, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Russia, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Ukraine and Vietnam.

After completing their training in Monterey, students will attend universities across the country including Cornell, George Washington University, University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest University and Washington State University.

The Fulbright English for Graduate Studies Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs as part of its Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international exchange program supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world, and is administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE).

The Monterey Institute has hosted the Fulbright English for Graduate Studies Program annually since 2009, having previously hosted it from 1997 to 2002.

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