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Dear Eric,
Welcome to the Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology's monthly
electronic news bulletin. This publication is sent to educational
innovators and leaders in scientific and technical fields in the US and
around the world. Please look to the end of this email for information
about the Academy and its mission. We can be reached at
info@fulbrighter.org
The Academy is an independent non-profit overseen by a dedicated group
of volunteers. The Academy receives support from selected Fulbright alumni
groups, businesses, institutions, organizations, foundations, and
individuals interested in developing a network of leaders in science and
technology, but it is not affiliated with the Fulbright Association, the
US State Department or the Board of Foreign Scholars.
The Academy's Mission 
The Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology uses the expertise of
our network of Fulbrighters and leaders in science to address criticial
problems in education, scientific innovation and economic development. Our
projects are primarily funded by foundations who share our mission.
The Academy recently submitted a $340,000 proposal to the Corporation
for National and Community Service, a federally funded entity that seeks
to increase volunteerism in the United States. They are perhaps best known
for the AmeriCorps program initiated by President Clinton. The Academy is
seeking funding from the Corporation and from other foundations for a
unique program that will facilitate volunteerism by Fulbrighters and other
senior leaders in science and technical fields. If funded, the initiative
will start next spring with pilot programs in Indiana, Maine and
Massachusetts.
Marine conservation became a new focus area as a result of input from
our members and likely support from the National Science Foundation and
other funders. We have identified a large group of Fulbrighters who work
on marine issues, including physical and chemical oceanography, fisheries
policy, marine protected areas, coastal management, and marine biology.
The concept paper is being circulated to several foundations, and we hope
to secure funding early next year.
We are also working on programs to increase public awareness of new
research, exciting technologies, and "great scientific ideas" developed by
individuals who live and work in developing countries. Innovators can live
anywhere, but those who reside in the more industrialized countries often
have an easier time getting their message out. The Fulbright Academy will
be identifying and recognizing science and technology innovators from
developing countries and the application of innovations in those
countries.
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Leadership Survey |
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| In order to get feedback on the short-term and
long- term value of Fulbright exchanges, the Academy recently
surveyed two dozen science and technology leaders. Personal phone
interviews were conducted with a mixture of Americans and foreign
nationals from Asia, Europe and Latin America working in academia,
at non-profits, and in the private sector.
There was broad agreement among those interviewed that Fulbright
exchanges are essential and have considerable value to us as
individuals. "It had a profound impact and significantly changed the
course of my career." "It was a major course-chaging event that set
off a chain of events that put me where I am today." "I married a
Malaysian." "My whole family went along [to New Zealand], and now my
kids want to go to college there too."
The Fulbright program has created lasting ties that yield
positive benefits in countries around the world. More than half of
those interviewed had follow-up meetings and projects that grew out
of their Fulbright, including an initiative to raise $27 million to
create a food & agricultural science instititue in Indonesia.
(Some people think big.)
Through the interviews, we have also set out to achieve a
separate part of our mission -- serving as a bridge between
individuals who have similar personal and professional interests. We
established several linkages within the small group of individuals
covered by the study and between them and other members of the
Academy. We look forward to hearing from you and strengthening this
aspect of our mission. |
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Recent Scholars in the US |
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| To help raise the stature of scholarship in
other countries, here is a brief overview of some work done by
recent Fulbrighters to the United States. The data comes from the
2003-2004 visiting scholars section of the CIES website (see weblink
below).
** Mohamad Roumie, Head of the Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission
Accelerator Laboratory in Beirut, conducted research on the use of
nuclear analytical techniques for determining trace elements in
environmental and biological samples. ** Rauf Israfilov, Head of the
Geology Institute Hydrogeology Laboratory at the National Academy of
Sciences of Azerbaijan, conducted an integrated assessment of urban
water resources. ** Dr. Martin Frederico Soto Jimenez, Professor in
the Department of Marine Sciences at the National Autonomous
University of Mexico, examined biogeochemical cycles of trace metals
in sub-tropical marshes. ** Ekaterini Souvermezoglou, a researcher
at the National Center for Marine Research in Athens, researched
lower trophic level ecosystem functioning in a section of the
Mediterranean. ** Divas Basnyat, a consultant to the Water and
Energy Commission Secretariat in Kathmandu, conducted research on
river basin planning and management.
** Ming Jen Tan at the School of Mechanical and Production
Engineering, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, is
researching factors and impediments to promoting innovation and
entrepreneurship. ** Luciano Chiang Sanchez, Chair of the Department
of Mechanical Engineering, Catholic University of Chile in Santiago,
worked on the application of autonomous unmanned vehicles in mining,
forestry, and agriculture. ** Alejandro Lozano Guzman, Director of
the Queretaro State Council of Science and Technology in Mexico,
examined crashworthiness and rollover stability of tanker trucks. **
Dr. Lev Asatryan, an Emergency Room Physician at the Yerevan City
Emergency Hospital in Armenia, is conducting a comparative
perspective of medical ethics. ** Dr. Aslaug Helland, an oncologist
at the Norwegian Radium Hospital in Oslo, is studying breast cancer
radition therapy.
Each year some 800 faculty and professionals come to the US on
Fulbrights. Many of those listed above are still in the US; their
Fulbright experience ends in the spring. Please click at the link
below to find scholars in your discipline or in your country of
interest.
How to Contact
Visiting Scholars »
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Successful Meeting in DC |
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 The Fulbright Association's 26th
Annual Conference was a great success for the Association as well as
for the Fulbright Academy. Their meeting provided an opportunity for
our board members to meet as a board, to meet with other
Fulbrighters, and to meet with staff at many Washington-based
organizations.
The highlight of the weekend was Mireya Mayor, who spoke at the
Association's plenary luncheon on Saturday. Ms. Mayor is a
primatologist who went on a Fulbright to Madagascar in 2001. While
there, she was approached by filmmakers from National Geographic. In
her talk, she described the successful partnership that has
developed as a result.
Mayor is an expert on certain lemurs found in northern
Madagascar, including the most critically endangered primates in the
world. Her discovery of a new primate species, combined with the
wonderful images and sponsorship by National Geographic, led to the
creation of a new nationl park in Madagascar. In addition, their TV
series, Ultimate Explorer, has led to a greater public understanding
of science, what scientists do, and why nature conservation is
important.
National
Geographic News »
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United Nations Fulbright Fellows |
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 The first class of 20 UN
Fulbright Fellows from developing countries and selected countries
of Eastern Europe is currently at the United Nations in New York. As
reported in an earlier newsletter, the UN created a Fellows program
this year, and foreign nationals who are in the US on a Fulbright
can apply for a fellowship.
The UN Fulbright Fellows program will help to build new sources
of UN leadership, furthering the power of the Fulbright Program to
educate leaders and lay the foundation for global problem solving.
The Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology has been asked to
work with the Fellows, starting with an invitation to speak to them
about developing international networks in the internet age and the
benefits of such networks.
The UN Fulbright Fellowship Program is funded by a grant from the
United Nations Foundation/Better World Fund and administered by the
Institute of International Education (IIE).
More
on the Fulbright Fellows »
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Marine Conservation - Fulbright Activities |
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 Policy and research relating to oceans and
coasts often leads to international work. The oceans contain many
unknowns, with fascinating discoveries each year in biology,
chemistry, climate studies, engineering, geosciences, and other
scientific disciplines. So it is not surprising that many
Fulbrighters work on marine and coastal issues.
The Fulbrighters listed below work on different aspects of marine
issues. Dr. John Montgomery, Chair of Marine Science at the
University of Auckland, has worked for many years on the fascinating
sensory biology of sharks. In the Philippines, Dr. Angel Alcala is
the Director of the Angelo King Center for Research and
Environmental Management at Silliman University. In Poland, Dr.
Kazimierz Furmañczyk heads the Laboratory of Remote Sensing and
Marine Cartography at the Institute of Marine Sciences in Szczecin.
The Nature Conservancy's Marine Initiative has two Fulbrighters -
Mike Beck, Senior Scientist, and Rob Wilder, Coordinator of TNC's
Community Based Restoration Program. Dr. Healy Hamilton is Head of
the Center for Biodiversity Research and Information at the
California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Numerous faculty
and students in the marine program at the University of California,
San Diego and the world-famous Scripps Institution for Oceanography
(part of USCD) have Fulbright connections, including the Director,
Dr. Charles F. Kennel.
On the east coast, the University of Rhode Island has a
concentration of Fulbrighters in their Department of Marine Affairs.
Fulbright scholars Mahar Gorospe of the Philippines and Jodi Sangari
of Indonesia recently chose to use their scholarships to study at
URI. Abdul Halim, a native of Indonesia who earned a Fulbright in
2000, studied fisheries management at URI, and a recent doctoral
candidate, Elizabeth Matthews, was a Fulbrighter as well. "There are
just a few places in the country to study marine affairs, and URI
has developed a niche of prominence in this subject area," explained
Professor Richard Burroughs, chairman of the department.
As noted in the lead story, the Fulbright Academy is actively
seeking a role in the field of coastal and marine conservation. We
look forward to working with scholars and researchers, such as those
listed above, in the coming years.
FAST Marine
Program »
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Fulbright News |
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| The Fulbright Teacher and Administrator
Exchange Program seeks U.S. high schools/school districts to host
English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers from Morocco in
March-April 2004. We are particularly interested in high
schools/school districts with ESL programs. Application deadline is
December 19. Please contact Roberta Croll, Outreach Specialist for
the Fulbright Teacher and Administrator Exchange at 202.314.3527.
The multidisciplinary conference "Central Asia on the Paths of
Transformation" has been postponed, and new dates are April 23-25.
The conference, to be held in Tashkent, is organized by the
Fulbright Associatin of Uzbekistan in partnership with NATO, USAID,
the Fulbright Academy and others. For more information, visit
http://fulbright.freenet.uz/conference.html.
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Some New Members of the Academy |
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| The Spanish Research Centre for Energy,
Environment and Technology (CIEMAT) has agreed to be a supporter of
the Fulbright Academy. As a public research and technology agency,
CIEMAT's mission is to develop alternative energy sources, find
solutions to improve the use of resources and energy generation
systems, and solve the problems of Spanish companies regarding
energy and its effects on the environment. Dr. Fernando Sanches
Sudon, the Director of International Relations, Foresight and
Evaluation, can be reached at fernando.sanchez@ciemat.es.
Dr. Cornelis Verweij is a professor in the Department of
Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology at the Free University (VU)
Medical Center in Amsterdam. His research focuses on genetic
differences in the innate immune system that contribute to diseases,
such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. As a senior
Fulbrighter scholar to the US, he worked in the lab of Dr. Peter
Brown at Stanford University in California.
Dr. Edward Friedman is the Director of the Center for Improved
Engineering and Science Education at the Stevens Institute of
Technology in Hoboken, NJ. He has been examining the use of computer
technology in math and science education for years, including as a
Fulbrighter at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in 1992. In July
2003, SIT signed a memorandum of understanding with the Escuela
Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL), a prestigious technical
university based in Guayaquil, Ecuador, to "promote and expand
international understanding, development and friendship by
stimulating and supporting educational, professional and
inter-cultural activities and projects among students, academic
staff, and professional, technical and administrative staff of ESPOL
and Stevens." Dr. Friedman's Center for Improved Engineering and
Science Education (CIESE) has collaborated over the past several
years with ESPOL on the implementation of a curriculum and
technology-based teacher professional development pilot program
funded by the Inter-American Development Bank.
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Educational Outreach & Sponsors |
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 Do you have an initiative that could benefit
from a partnership with the Fulbright Academy? Can we help promote
one of your programs or the results of your work? Through our
networks we can bring your work and your message to new
constituencies.
Please tell us how we can help you, and send us your story. We
want to share your plans, your successes and your intellectual
contributions with others.
The Academy continues to work on developing partnerships with
businesses and organizations around the world. We have received
several small grants to support our outreach, but additional support
is needed. Please consider joining as an individual or as an
organization. The links to our website are below.
To make a
donation »
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