Fulbright Programme not shut: USEFP

ISLAMABAD: The United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) on Friday denied reports about the termination of the Fulbright Programme for Pakistanis.

In a statement, the USEFP said a number of US government-funded exchange programmes, including Fulbright Programme, remained in place and were available to Pakistanis. “Fulbright participants in the United States continue to receive their stipends. Assertions that the Fulbright Programme has been terminated or that students will be left stranded in the United States are false,” it said following the recent termination of the Global Undergraduate Exchange Programme in Pakistan after 15 years of operation.

The Fulbright Programme has a solid foothold in Pakistan, offering generous funding for Master’s and PhD courses, along with a fellowship for Foreign Language Teaching Assistants. The foundation also denied any changes in the status of Pakistani students currently participating in the Global UGRAD.

It said that 54 Pakistani students who were presently studying in the United States under the Global UGRAD-Pakistan Programme would be allowed to complete their academic exchange as scheduled. “They [Pakistani scholars] will continue to receive their stipends and all benefits associated with the programme,” the foundation said, easing widespread concerns about potential disruptions to their studies.

It said it as well as Washington remained committed to promoting the strong and enduring people-to-people ties between the US and Pakistan. “The United States proudly hosts 11,000 Pakistani students at American universities, and we encourage Pakistanis to continue to choose the United States for higher education opportunities.” The USEFP also said the US Department of State was conducting a strategic global review of US exchange programmes to ensure close alignment to administration priorities. “As we receive further information on the status of US government-funded exchange programmes, we will keep you updated,” it said.