All 12 members of the board are supervised Honorable Fulbright Scholarship He resigned on Wednesday in protest of the Trump administration’s interfering with the choice of recipients, according to the statement.
a statement It was published online by board members, and the administration said it had taken the board’s authority by rejecting the award to “slightly many people” already selected. Another 1,200 award recipients who had already been approved to come to the US are undergoing an unauthorized review process that could lead to their rejection, board members said.
“To continue serving after the administration has consistently ignored the Board’s demands to comply with the law will risk legitimate actions we believe are illegal and risk damaging the integrity of this renowned program and the credibility of America overseas,” the statement said.
Congress established the Fulbright program almost 80 years ago to promote international exchange and American diplomacy. The highly selective program awards approximately 9,000 scholarships annually to students, academics and professionals in the United States and over 160 other countries.
Messages seeking comment remained at the State Department, which runs the scholarship program.
His resignation was first reported by the New York Times.
Intervention from the Trump administration undermined the program’s merit-based selection process and insulation process from political influence, board members wrote.
“We believe that these actions are not only inconsistent with the law, but also opposed to Fulbright’s mission and the values that Congress has designated in the law, including freedom of speech and academic freedom,” the statement said. “It is our sincere hope that Congress, the Courts and future Fulbright committees will prevent the administration’s efforts to deteriorate, dismantle or eliminate one of our country’s most respected and valuable programs.”
The recipients are selected in a one-year process by nonpartisan staff at the State Department. The winners who cancel the award are in areas such as biology, engineering, medical science and history, board members said.
The announcement comes as the Trump administration step up scrutiny of international students in several respects. The administration has expanded its basis Rescising the legal status of foreign studentsand recently Scheduling for new interviews has been paused For student visas that increase the screening of social media activities. The government is also moving to block foreign students from Join Harvard Just as Ivy League School puts pressure on adopting a series of reforms.
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