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Fulbright New Zealand celebrates its 60th Anniversary at Parliament tomorrow by presenting a record number of Fulbright awards to New Zealand graduate students to carry out postgraduate study or research in the United States of America.
The Fulbright programme of educational exchange was started in 1946 by American Senator J William Fulbright as a means to promote world peace by increasing mutual understanding between peoples of different countries. New Zealand was the fifth country to join the programme, in 1948. Initially funded by war reparations owed to the US government after World War II, the Fulbright programme has been jointly funded by the US and New Zealand governments since 1970. Its awards have funded over 1,400 New Zealand students, scholars, artists and professionals to study, teach and research in the United States, and more than 1,100 of their American counterparts to do the same here. Esteemed alumni of the programme include former Prime Minister Sir Wallace (Bill) Rowling, Nobel Prize-winning chemist Alan MacDiarmid, anthropologist Dame Anne Salmond and educationalist Dame Marie Clay. This year's 66 Fulbright New Zealand grantees include 27 New Zealand graduate students who will study and research topics as diverse as population genetics of sperm whales, wireless communications technology, aircraft systems engineering, musical theatre composition, textiles conservation and terrorism. With the exception of three awards funding full PhD or MBA study, Fulbright graduate awards provide up to US$25,000 towards one year of attendance at the US institution of a grantee's choosing. Fulbright grantees are required to return to their home country after completing their exchange in order to share their newfound knowledge and skills. Also awarded this year were 10 American graduate students who have been based at New Zealand universities since the beginning of the academic year in February, and around 30 participants in Senior Scholar programmes for more advanced academics, artists and professionals. Fulbright New Zealand expects a full house at the Beehive Banquet Hall
on Thursday as over 400 alumni and well-wishers turn out to celebrate
its anniversary. The organisation's 60th anniversary celebrations will
also include a major academic conference at the University of Auckland
from 20-22 November, showcasing the success of "Creative Partnerships"
between the programme's partner countries in all sectors of academia,
business and society. ENDS
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