Fulbright Foreign Student Washington Seminar: The Role of the Individual in Civil Society

The annual Fulbright Foreign Student Washington Seminar, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by the Institute of International Education, is taking place February 11-14, in Washington, DC. The seminar focuses this year on the topic “The Role of the Individual in Civil Society.”

This is the first of a series of seven regional programs designed to engage foreign Fulbright students in a dialogue about the challenges and opportunities of living in a civil society. These seminars provide foreign Fulbrighters, who are graduate students selected for their academic achievements and leadership potential, with a forum to discuss issues such as responsibility and leadership in civil society and the Internet as a tool for advocacy and politics.

Speakers include Dr. William Galston, Director of the Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy at the University of Maryland; Mr. Tom Devine of the Government Accountability Project, as well as representatives from the National Federation of Independent Businesses, Fight for Children, and the Center for Democracy and Technology.

Approximately 150 foreign students are participating in the Fulbright Seminar, along with ten recently returned U.S. Fulbright alumni. The students are currently studying at colleges and universities throughout the United States and represent more than 85 countries and diverse fields of study.

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs fosters mutual understanding between the United States and other countries through international educational and training programs. Further information is available at http://exchanges.state.gov. Media interested in this program or the more than 30,000 annual academic and professional exchanges carried out by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs may contact Adam Meier, 202-203-7026, or Catherine Stearns, 202-203-5107.

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