hello and welcome to a short webinar by
the Fulbright Commission in Brussels
today we would like to introduce you to
the Fulbright Program and the grants
available for belgium and luxembourg
citizens in the 2018-2019 application
cycle in this webinar we'll discuss the
history of the Fulbright Program provide
an overview of the study and research
grants available for Belgian and
Luxembourgish citizens and introduce you
to the application process in September
1945 the freshman senator from Arkansas
J William Fulbright introduced a bill in
the US Congress that called for the use
of proceeds from the sales of surplus
war property to fund the promotion of
international goodwill through the
exchange of students in the fields of
Education Culture and science one year
later President Harry Truman signed to
the Fulbright Act into law the first
exchanges between the United States and
Belgium occurred two years later in 1948
today seventy years after its creation
Fulbright is the most widely recognized
and prestigious international exchange
program in the world supported for more
than half a century by the American
people through an annual appropriation
from the US Congress and by the people
of partner nations the program working
with universities schools by national
Fulbright Commission's government
agencies nongovernmental organizations
and the private sector actively seeks
out individuals of achievement and
potential who represent the full
diversity of their respective societies
and selects nominees through open
merit-based competitions since the
program began in 1946 more than three
hundred and seventy thousand
fulbrighters participated in the
Fulbright Program coming from and going
to more than 160 countries the Fulbright
Commission in Brussels offers grants for
Belgium's and Luxembourgers to study
lecture and conduct research in the
United States available grants include
study and research grants for students
and scholars the foreign language
teaching assistantship program through
which young teachers and language
assistance can teach French Dutch or
German at a u.s. University the study of
the United States Institutes for
secondary school teachers and current
undergraduate students and even grants
for mid-career professional journalists
I'd like to invite my colleagues to tell
you a little more about the grants
available the Fulbright Commission
offers grants for Belgian and Luxembourg
students will be pursuing graduate study
or research in the United States this
usually takes the form of a master's
degree program or up to nine months of
research as part of an ongoing doctoral
degree grants are also available at the
postgraduate level for scholars that is
applicants who already have completed
the PhD to lecture or conduct research
at an incredible us institutions while
most students apply for funding for a
full academic year with the minimum stay
of four months
scholars may propose a research day with
the duration assured of three months
through the Fulbright foreign language
teaching assistant program Belgians and
Luxembourgers are placed at an American
University to teach French German or
Dutch applicants should either be
students in or have studied languages
secondary education literature and
related fields or else upper secondary
teachers of German Dutch or English with
fewer than three years of professional
experience successful candidates will
have a demonstrated interest in
educational and international exchange
plans to teach at the secondary level
upon return and high English proficiency
this program lasts for the entirety of
the school year or about nine months and
students are expected to live on campus
and integrate into the University
community the Fulbright Commission
administers two unique summer programs
for student leaders and for secondary
educators these study of the u.s.
institutes are commonly known as Susy
programs study of the US Institutes for
student leaders are five to six week
academic programs for foreign
undergraduate students between the ages
of 18 and 25 designed to improve their
understanding of the United States and
to develop their leadership skills
institutes include a four-week academic
residency consisting of interactive
classroom activities discussions
lectures readings site visits and
workshops one week of educational travel
to a different region of the United
States leadership skills building
activities community service and
opportunities to interact with their
American peers on
college campus each Institute includes
approximately 20 participants from
selected countries study of the US
institutes for secondary educators our
postgraduate level academic program for
secondary educators designed to
strengthen curricula and to improve the
teaching about the United States in
academic institutions abroad these
Institute's are comprised of a five-week
academic residency and one to two weeks
of educational travel to a different
region of the United States during the
Institute's scholars engage in rigorous
academic coursework and panel
discussions interact and establish
networks with American scholars need
with experts in respective disciplines
visit civic institutions and in some
cases participate in research symposia
and conferences lastly the Fulbright
Commission and the University of
Missouri are offering a scholarship for
a Belgian or luxembourgish citizen with
at least five years of experience in
journalism between mid-august and mid
December grantees receive the
opportunity to audit two classes at the
masoorie journalism school and to
participate in guest lectures and
roundtable discussions with students and
scholars grantees are allowed to
seminars and courses to audit from a
list of available courses offered during
the semester their interest areas and
availability of spaces will determine
final placement grantees receive $3,000
a month for four months plus an
additional one-time travel stipend why
apply for a Fulbright grant fulbrighters
receive a scholarship toward their
tuition and fees living expenses and
other related costs beginning in the
2018-2019 academic year this amount will
be set at $2,000 per month for students
that is grantees without a PhD and
$3,000 per month for scholars that is
post doctoral researchers visiting
professors and sub mid-career
professionals Fulbright grantees also
benefit from j-1 visa sponsorship as
well as j2 visa sponsorship for
accompanying dependents a pre-departure
orientation in Brussels and a $1,000
travel stipend to defray the costs of
traveling to and from the United States
while in
u.s. fulbrighters received sickness and
accident insurance and are invited to
participate in in-country programming
this includes gateway orientations upon
arrival in the United States for
students and enrichment seminars
throughout the grant period both of
which allow grantees to visit another
part of the US and to interact with
Fulbright grantees from around the world
lastly and perhaps most importantly
fulbrighters received a prestigious
title of Fulbright grantee and
membership in a global alumni network in
order to be eligible for the Fulbright
Program applicants must have Belgian or
Luxembourgish citizenship all applicants
except those to the study of the United
States Institutes for student leaders
must have a minimum of a bachelor's
degree and successful applicants will be
able to demonstrate a record of academic
excellence generally through an annual
distinction or in Grand distinction
awarded at the end of the degree English
proficiency is also required and the
entire application process is completed
in English in a separate but
simultaneous process applicants to the
Fulbright Program should seek admission
to or affiliation with an accredited US
university research institution or
think-tank the Fulbright Commission in
Brussels is not responsible for
arranging these affiliations
applications to the Fulbright Program
are completed entirely online via a link
that will appear on the Fulbright
website after September 15th applicants
should fill out the online application
and prepare the necessary documents
including letters of recommendation
transcripts and essays the deadline for
Belgian and Luxembourger citizens to
apply to the Fulbright Program is noon
on December 1st late or incomplete
applications will not be considered
top-ranked applicants are invited to a
short in-person interview with members
of the selections committee these
interviews are held in Brussels for
Belgian citizens and in Luxembourg City
for Luxembourgish citizens and typically
occur in the last week of January in
mid-february the Fulbright Commission
begins notifying selected candidates who
will still need to be approved by the
foreign Fulbright scholarship board
before their selection can be finalised
grantees submit paperwork for their
visas and prepare for departure during
the spring while some grantees may leave
as early as the end of July most will
depart for the United States in August
or September
applicants to the Fulbright foreign
student program must submit the
following components an Americanized
resume or CV the transcript from the
most recent degree two essays the study
research objectives essay and the
personal statement
the former should provide a clear and
detailed description of your study
research objectives and your reasons for
wanting to pursue them the latter is a
narrative statement describing how you
have achieved your current goals it can
include information about education
practical experience special interests
and career plans you should also
describe any significant factors that
have influenced your educational or
professional development and explain
your existing practical experience
remember that the Fulbright Program is
about mutual understanding and explain
very clearly in the application how you
would carry out this mission applicants
must also provides three letters of
recommendation a writing sample in the
case of doctoral students and must
remember to upload all documents via the
online application system and to
complete the twelve page online
application form please note that the
Fulbright Commission in Brussels does
not require standardized test scores
like the GRE or TOEFL however if you
have taken these exams and would like to
provide your scores you are welcome to
do so
applicants to the Fulbright visiting
scholar program must submit the
following components a CV the
transcripts and diploma from the most
recent degree a three to five page
single-spaced project statement a one to
three page bibliography of references a
letter of invitation from the host
institution three letters of
recommendation and scans of passport and
any previous jayvees as held all of this
must be uploaded via the online
application system and the 14 page
online application form must also be
completed for more information about the
Fulbright Program please visit the
website of the Fulbright Commission in
Brussels at WFO bright b e program
officers are available to respond to
questions about the program via phone or
email and often hold outreach events at
local universities and university
colleges