ISLAMABAD: The United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) on Saturday has announced the 2023 Fulbright Student competition.
According to USEFP, the application form is available online at www.usefp.org, with a deadline of May 11, 2022. The competition is part of the prestigious Fulbright Program, which is the flagship scholarship of the U.S. Department of State, offered in 160 countries.
The program fully funds graduate degree study at leading U.S. universities, including tuition, maintenance, insurance, and air travel. Upon completing their degrees, returning Fulbright participants contribute to Pakistan’s development and growth by teaching at Pakistani universities or otherwise engaging in important civic and government service. Since 2005, Pakistan’s Fulbright Program has been the world’s largest in terms of financial contribution from the U.S. Government.
In 2022, USEFP received 1,191 applications. After a rigorous selection process, 213 grantees (138 Master’s and 75 PhDs) from 51 different universities were selected. Out of this number, the Government of Pakistan partners with the United States to annually fund 25 of the PhD students.
In a message to potential applicants, USEFP Executive Director Rita Akhtar encourages anyone who is eligible, plans to work for the social or economic improvement of Pakistan, and dreams of studying in the United States to consider applying. “Fulbrighters,” she notes, “come from all over Pakistan, about half are women, some are working professionals and others are fresh graduates, and a number are differently-abled,” she noted.
The scholarship is merit-based, with merit defined broadly and not simply restricted to grades and test scores. “Just as leadership in the United States cuts across the full range of American society, so too does the Fulbright program, which takes a broad view of what constitutes high achievement and leadership,” as noted by the Embassy’s Cultural Attache, Farah Chery-Medor.
“The U.S. Mission is proud to support this rigorous, competitive program that builds solid connections between Americans and Pakistanis, and seeks applicants with diverse academic interests and extracurricular activities.” While all disciplines except clinical medicine are eligible, USEFP especially welcomes applicants in the disciplines of energy, water, agriculture, health, education, environmental science, and social sciences.
Please note that while clinical medicine is not included in the Fulbright Program, non-clinical public health applications are encouraged. USEFP is a bi-national commission established in 1950 by the governments of the United States and Pakistan.
Since its inception, more than 9,000 Pakistanis and over 935 Americans have participated in USEFP-managed exchange programs. Its mission is to promote mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of Pakistan through exchange programs.