The United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) has announced the opening of the 2022 Fulbright Student competition. The prestigious Fulbright Program is the flagship academic scholarship program of the U.S. Department of State and is offered in 160 countries. Since 2005, Pakistan’s Fulbright Program is the world’s largest in terms of financial contribution from the U.S. Government. The Government of Pakistan, through the Higher Education Commission (HEC), has also provided generous support. Every year approximately 100 Pakistanis begin master’s programs, and another 50 begin PhD studies on Fulbright scholarships at leading U.S. universities.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Fulbright program, which has been operating in Pakistan for 71 years. The Pakistan Fulbright Student Program fully funds graduate degree study, including tuition, maintenance, insurance, and air travel. On 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. The scholarship is merit-based, but merit is defined broadly and not restricted to grades and test scores. The application form is available online at www.usefp.org, and the application deadline is June 09, 2021. This year the Graduate Record Examination (GRE General) will be required of all applicants, and the cumulative grade point average (CGPA) requirement set for last year has been removed.
USEFP especially welcomes applicants in the disciplines of energy, water, agriculture, public health, education, social sciences, journalism, mass communication, arts and culture management, urban and regional planning, environmental science, security and peace studies, and data science. Please note that clinical medicine is not included in the Fulbright program.
“The U.S. government is very proud of its long partnership with Pakistan in promoting higher education for its citizens, and the Fulbright program is a highlight of this partnership,” said U.S. Embassy Chargé d’affaires Angela P. Aggeler. “In particular, it is very important to us that Fulbright students represent the rich diversity of Pakistan. For this reason, we strongly encourage women, people with disabilities, and students from rural and underrepresented areas to apply.”
“I would like to encourage anyone who is eligible and interested in graduate education to consider applying to the prestigious Fulbright Program. Fulbrighters come from all regions of Pakistan. The 2021 cohort was drawn from 38 different universities. Among successful applicants, some are fresh graduates, others are working professionals, and in recent years more than half are women,” said USEFP Executive Director Rita Akhtar.
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 Pakistan and the United States through exchange programs.