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Fulbright Program

The flagship international education exchange program designed to promote mutual understanding between the peoples of the U.S. and peoples of other countries.

The World Wide Fulbright Program

“The Fulbright Program aims to bring a little more knowledge, a little more reason, and a little more compassion into world affairs and thereby to increase the chance that nations will learn at last to live in peace and friendship”

Senator J. William Fulbright

What are the origins of the Fulbright Program?

Just weeks after the dropping of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the late Senator J.W. Fulbright proposed the program which was signed into law by President Truman in 1946, to plant the seeds of peace through international educational exchange.

What’s unique about the Fulbright Program?

  • The concept of binationalism　-　the Fulbright program is based on a partnership between each partner country and the United States.
  • Open competition based on individual merit.
  • Transparency in the Selections process.

ESTABLISHED August 1, 1946
PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES: over 155
TOTAL PARTICIPANTS SINCE 1946 300,000
  • from the U.S.: 111,000
  • from other countries: 183,000
NEW GRANTS AWARDED ANNUALLY: 7,000
FUNDING SOURCES:*
  • U.S. Department of State
  • Partner Country
  • Private Sector Contributions

*"The cost of the Fulbright Program from its inception has been compared to the Pentagon's operating budget for two days."



The Japan-U.S Fulbright Program

COMMENCEMENT IN JAPAN 1952
TOTAL PARTICIPANTS SINCE 1952 over 8,600
  • Americans: over 2,400
  • Japanese: nearly 6,200
NEW GRANTS AWARDED ANNUALLY approx. 100
  • Americans: 50 - 60
  • Japanese: 50 - 60

Grants to Americans

  • Lecturing
  • Lecturing/Research
  • Research
  • Graduate Research Fellow
  • Fulbright Fellows (recent graduates-BA/BS)
  • International Education Administrator

Grants to Japanese

  • Graduate Study
  • Doctoral Dissertation Research
  • Research
  • Journalist
  • Fulrbright Foreign Language Assistant Program
Fulbrighters of the Japan-U.S Program
Nobel Laureates 5
Pulitzer Prize Winners 2
Ambassadors 57
Cabinet Members 6
Members of Parliament 17
Supreme Court Justices 12
Lawyers 120+
Corporate Officers & CEOs 450+
Journalists 220+
Health Science Professionals (Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists, etc) 740+
University / College Presidents 170+
Professors 4,400+
Musicians 60+
Artists / Writers 70+
Architects 100+

*Figures include current and former positions


History of the Fulbright Program in Japan

1949-1952 GARIOA (Government Aid and Relief in Occupied Areas) Program
August 28, 1951 The Governments of Japan and the U.S. sign an agreement to establish an educational exchange program between the two countries with funding from the U.S. Government
1952 GARIOA Program last group
Fulbrighters First Group
1976 25th Anniversary of the Fulbright Program in Japan
February 15, 1979 New Japan-U.S. Agreement on Educational and Cultural Exchange signed; Government of Japan agrees to share costs for the Fulbright program
December 24, 1979 Japan-U.S. Educational Commission established
1982 30th Anniversary of the Fulbright Program in Japan-The GARIOA/Fulbright alumni associations founded
1986 The Japan-United States Educational Exchange Promotion Foundation (Fulbright Foundation) established to institutionalize alumni fundraising
1992 40th Anniversary
2002 50th Anniversary

Program Size of the GARIOA/Fulbright Program in Japan

 

Program Year Japanese Americans
1949-1951* Approx.1,000 n/a
1952-1959 1818 379
1960-1969 2141 391
1970-1979 386 229
1980-1989 657 414
1990-1999 631 512
2000-2008 531 517

*1949-1951 GARIOA Program


FUNDING

  • 1949-1979 U.S. Government only
  • 1980 Cost-sharing with Japanese Government begins
  • 1981 Private Sector Contributions added

THE JUSEC SECRETARIAT

MISSION The promotion of mutual understanding between Japan and the U.S. through the administration of educational exchange programs
ACTIVITIES
  • Fulbright Grant Program
  • Fulbright Alumni Activities
  • Educational Information Services
  • Special Educational Exchange Projects
BOARD MEMBERS 10 members
  • 5 Americans and 5 Japanese
  • 2 government representatives and 3 private sector members from each country

#207 Sanno Grand Building,
2-14-2 Nagata-cho
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0014
TEL: 03-3580-3231
FAX: 03-3580-1217
E-mail: info@fulbright.jp
http://www.fulbright.jp