The Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology (FAST) is an international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging Fulbright scholars and other leaders in partnerships that advance science and society. Membership is open to Fulbright scholars, hosts and friends and to institutions having an interest in our work.

Overview of this months newsletter ** Opportunities - conferences & programs ** The FAST Press Service - getting your story out ** Four New Institutional Members - USA, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, & Mexico ** News From Members ** The Climate Ethics Survey

Lecture Aboard Cruise Ships - Fulbright Alumni with strong public speaking skills and expertise in worldwide destinations are needed. Through FAST and Sixth Star, there are many opportunities to sail as a "Guest Lecturer" onboard ships sailing everywhere from the Mediterranean to French Polynesia to destinations closer to home such as the Panama Canal, Caribbean and Alaska. Aboard ship, you give several one-hour presentations during a week-long cruise about the region where the ship is sailing, focusing on its history, culture, etc. In exchange for these services and a small placement fee, the Lecturer and one guest receives a free cruise, sailing in a passenger stateroom with all the amenities of the ship. Sixth Star Entertainment currently has more than 50 Fulbright scholars on their roster, and they are seeking more. It's a tremendous opportunity for expert speakers to enjoy a working vacation. For more information and to apply, contact Lynda at (954) 462-6760 ext. 222 or visit www.SixthStar.com. Sixth Star is an institutional member of FAST.

Seeking proposals to speak/present at the World Conservation Forum – Barcelona, October 2008. The World Conservation Forum take place during the IUCN-World Conservation Congress, the world’s largest and most diverse environmental event. The IUCN Congress will be in Barcelona from 5 to 14 October 2008. An expected 8,000 attendees will share, debate, negotiate and commit to putting diversity and sustainability at the heart of decision-making around the world. [FAST is applying to be an institutional member of the IUCN.] The online system to submit contributions to the World Conservation Forum is up and running. You must register online at www.IUCN.org to submit a proposal. The first submission deadline is 31 July 2007.

CIES is accepting applications for the Fulbright Scholar Program German Studies Seminar on “Science and Society: The Impact of Science on Policy Formation”. The two-week program on June 9-20, 2008 will focus on the formation of policies in current issues at the core of modern society such as climate change, food technology, gene technology, stem cell research and the broad scope of education. The seminar will also examine the multiple interests which structure relations between national governments, economic corporations, political and supranational bodies as well as research and development institutions. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. Scholars from U.S. universities, colleges and community colleges who hold full-time teaching appointments and meet other academic requirements (Ph.D., Ph.D. candidacy or other equivalent degree or qualifications) are eligible. The application deadline is November 1, 2007.

FAST is seeking proposals for panels and presentations at our 3rd Annual Conference, which will be in Boston. on February 14-17, 2008 (Thurs-Sun). The Conference theme is "Fulbright Scholars: Energy & Innovation." We will explore both meanings of the term "Energy" - (1) the energy and intellectual capacity of Fulbright scholars to innovate and make changes in many different scientific fields, and (2) the work of Fulbright scholars in the field of energy, such as innovations in electricity production, transportation and issues relating to climate change. To propose a panel for the conference, please submit a proposal (the topic, the names of likely speakers, etc) to FAST no later than August 1, 2007. As always, our programs not limited to Fulbright scholars; anyone may propose a panel or participate in the program.

Many of our members have interesting stories to tell – innovative research, new discoveries, and important developments. In order to get the message out, FAST has become a member of a press service, which allows us to distribute your press releases to over 4,000 subscribing science journalists worldwide.

Here is how it works: You draft a press release and submit it to FAST via email (info@FulbrightAcademy.org). We review the press releases and distribute a news story to the journalists through NewsWise.com. The journalists read the release, and then some write a story about your work (at least that is how it is supposed to work). Please note that the story must have a connection to FAST, Fulbright scholars or international science. FAST reserves the right to select and edit the stories prior to distribution. This new FAST service is currently limited to our institutional members, who have the opportunity to submit two stories each between now and the end of 2007.

In the meantime, all of our individual members and newsletter subscribers have a chance read and receive the wires from NewsWise, either daily or twice-weekly. The NewsWise service contains press releases from some 500 research and higher education institutions in North America and beyond. The press releases are placed into one of four groups: Medical News, Science News, Liberal Arts/Social Sciences News and Business News. You can get all four, or just a selection.

This issue highlights four new institutional members. The full list members, along with links to their webpages, can be found by clicking on the link below.

The Arab Science & Technology Foundation (ASTF) seeks to bring together Arab scientists from inside and outside the Arab world with the aim of utilizing local and expatriate expertise to serve economic and scientific development. ASTF promotes collaborative research projects and investment in S&T. It also has a venture capital fund and provides support to entrepreneurs – for example, the finals of the Made in the Arab World Business Competition will be on November 3-4, 2007 in Egypt. The membership discussion was initiated by Dr. Khalid Temsamani, a Morocco-based member of our International Advisory Council and a 1993 Fulbright Scholar at the University of Miami.

The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) supports and promotes high-quality undergraduate student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship. CUR believes that faculty members enhance their teaching and contribution to society by remaining active in research and by involving undergraduates in research. It has several divisions, including biology, chemistry, geosciences, mathematics and computer science, physics and astronomy, psychology, social sciences. CUR has some 900 members in the United States – including many institutions that prepare future Fulbright scholars. The membership was initiated by Dr. Al Conklin of Wilmington College and a 1998 Fulbright Scholar to the University of Zimbabwe.

The International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences at the University of Karachi. The Center is home to the single largest doctoral program in Pakistan for chemistry, with over 250 Ph. D. students. The main areas of research and development and training of students include natural product chemistry, protein chemistry, pharmacology, computational medicinal chemistry, and plant biotechnology. It also houses programs on plant biotechnology, molecular medicine and the Industrial Analytical Center, which provides analytical and consultancy services to over 350 industries in Pakistan. The membership was initiated by Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, the Director of the Center’s Chemistry Institute and a 1998 Fulbright Scholar at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (Metropolitan Autonomous University) is a public university in Mexico City. Established in 1974, the UAM is the major university for Mexico City, with four campuses and degrees in most major fields. The membership discussion was initiated by Dr. Patricia Ramírez Romero, a professor at the UAM and a 1992-97 Fulbright Scholar in the United States. Active in the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry ( SETAC), Dr. Ramírez Romero was nominated to come to the FAST 2nd Annual Conference in Panama by the Fulbright Commission in Mexico, and her registration and accommodation was funded by a grant to FAST from Panama’s National Secretariat for Science, Technology and Innovation.

Representing a key segment of FAST supporters, the institutional members provide a unique forum for the business sector, the academic and NGO communities, and the government to discuss international innovation, scientific cooperation and exchange. Representatives from these institutions receive discounts and invitations to participate in exclusive meetings with leading Fulbright scholars, scientists and executives. Institutional members also receive special bulletins and recognition at our events. The dues are $250-$1,000/year.

The American Research Center in Tunis (CEMAT) has received a grant from the Council of Overseas Research Institutes to support a digital library initiative in Tunisia. The grant will allow them to complete a survey of library resources in Tunis, to catalog a private collection of some 1,200 books and 9,000 old photographs and negatives, primarily of Tunisia and the the holdings of the Institut des Belles Lettres Arabs Library, which includes important holdings on social sciences. CEMAT is affiliated with the American Institute of Maghrib Studies (AIMS), an institutional member of FAST.

Dr. Emmanuel Babatunde of Lincoln University in Pennsylvania will be leaving for Mozambique this month for a three-week assignment as a Fulbright Senior Specialist Programmer to give a series of lectures and workshops on science, technology, culture and development of the society at the Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo, Mozambique. Lincoln University is an institutional member of FAST.

Dave Hanley, a Fulbrighter at the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh in 2000 is at Shelfari. "Shelfari is YouTube, only for books", says Dave, now VP of Marketing. "We want people to discover each other through the books that they read." Shelfari's goals include increasing readers throughout the world and 'enhancing the reading experience'. Dave thinks it is the perfect gathering spot for Fulbrighters and for others who love to read: "I always found Fulbright scholars to have no shortage of opinions. This must be the place for them." You can view Dave's bookshelf at www.shelfari.com/dhanley.

Dr. Lillian Trager of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside (UWP) has died of pancreatic cancer. She was an early supporter of FAST, having joined in 2003 when we sent out our very first mailing to 1,000 Fulbrighters. Lillian had been a Fulbright scholar at Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria in 2000-2001, where she lectured and conduced research on social anthropology and African contemporary art. Having great passion for her work and her colleagues, she asked that the efforts of her life to be perpetuated through a fellowship program for undergraduate juniors at UWP interested international studies. Please contact FAST if you would like to join us in making a donation to the Lillian Trager Summer Fellows Program for International Studies.

A young Fulbrighter who attended our Conference in Berlin invites you to take part in a "Climate Ethics" survey. In 2006, Jennifer Helgeson was a grantee at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences; she is now at Oxford, conducting an online research survey to gather public attitudes toward some ethical questions related to the economic analysis of climate change.

“There is currently an academic debate on the way economic analyses of climate change deal with risk, inequality and time,” says Jennifer and her research partner Håkon Sælen. “It is our view that this debate should not be monopolised by economists, philosophers and other academics. Therefore, we seek to include the views of the wider public. If the survey proves successful, it will very likely be followed by a larger government-funded study.”

By taking our short pilot survey, you will help inform one of the most important debates related to climate change ethics and economics. You will be given the opportunity to provide your email address so that we can send you the results of the project. The survey contains 32 questions, and takes approximately fifteen minutes to complete. It requires no prior knowledge of climate change or economics. All responses will be treated anonymously and will only be used for academic purposes.

The Fulbright Academy was started in 2003 by people like you. We have individual and institutional members in some 50 countries and nearly every US state.

Many Fulbrighters are in interesting positions in government, industry and academia. We would like to hear from institutions and Fulbright scholars to see what role our organization can play in the international policy arena. We also would like to share your news with others in the Fulbright community.

FAST is a non-profit 501-c-3 membership-based organization that serves scientists, executives, and scholars worldwide. The Fulbright Academy is not affiliated with the US State Department, the US Fulbright Association or the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Our sponsors and supporters include individual and institutional members such as universities, corporations, government agencies and foundations.