bfsa newsletter summer 2013

7
Inside This Issue… On Twitter… Fulbright Alumni News The UK Fulbright Alumni Association BFSA, Battersea Power Station, 188 Kirtling Street, London, SW8 5BN Registered Charity No. 292242 1 T: 020-7622-2223 E: [email protected] www.bfsa.org 1. Summer Garden Party 2. Alumni Feature: N. Keith Scott CBE 3. Alumni News 4. Alumni Feature: Professor Jack Levy OBE 5. Continuing the Fulbright Legacy 6. Commission Updates 7. Commission Updates What Fulbrighters around the world have been saying… @FulbrightAwards Final cultural visit provided to #IEAUK2013 cohort by @UniofEdinburgh . Many thanks for hosting us! #FulbrightUK pic.twitter. com/AsolAQQtFL @Fulbright_Eire The Irish #Fulbright Awards are of cially open for applications! Apply now: http://www.fulbright.ie/ irish-citizen-awards @fulbrightboard New name, same great program! Learn more about the Fulbright-Clinton Fellowship. http://goo.gl/ w3BAEt Issue Number 50 Linking the UK and the USA summer 2013 fulbright friends enjoy a summer garden party! On Saturday 1st June, American grantees and their ‘Fulbright Friends’ met for the annual BFSA Summer Garden Party in West London. Generously hosted by Fulbright alumnus and former BFSA Chair, Dr Pankaj Sharma and his wife, Dr Sapna Sharma, the party was a chance to thank those alums who had volun- teered as ‘Fulbright Friends’ for this year’s American grantees. Amid clear skies and sunshine, alumni and grantees alike enjoyed a delicious Indian vegetarian buffet, alongside a spot of croquet on the lawn - while those of a more energetic disposition took to the trampoline! The ‘Fulbright Friend’ scheme offers UK-based alumni an opportunity to welcome, connect with, and befriend American Fulbrighters for the dura- tion of their time here. This can involve meeting for coffee, trips to the theatre, or dinner out - it can also include practical support for those new to the UK, pointing them in the direction of support networks and helping them nd their feet. Both alumni and grantees often state that this is one of the most memorable and enjoyable parts of their Fulbright experience. Jon Bendall (UK Police Scholar, University of Colorado 2010-11) volunteered as a Fulbright Friend for the rst time this year. “When I was asked to mentor back in August 2012, I reected on how much the people who I had met during my Fulbright year, had made my experience. Without these people and their hospitality and local knowl- edge, my experience would have been nowhere as near as rich as it was and the phrase “pay it forward” sprang to mind. I therefore agreed to put myself forward. Being Kurt’s Fulbright “friend” has encouraged me to become more involved in the Fulbright community. Kurt has become like part of our family and will be hugely missed when he moves on to his next adventure, both by myself, my wife and our dog Dude, who adores Kurt. I look forward to mentoring the next person to attend the UEA. They have a lot to live up to.” Jon’s Fulbright Friend, Kurt Berning has similar praise for the programme. “I’m so fortunate to have been linked with Jon in this programme, and he and Kammy are a model of the perfect Fulbright Friends. Jon and Kammy’s kindness and courtesy made me feel immediately at home in the UK, and I proudly think of them as my British family.” For more information on how to volunteer as a Fulbright Friend email the BFSA Of ce ([email protected]) BFSA member and Fulbright Friend, Jon Bendall, with his wife Kammy. Grantees and alumni enjoy a game of croquet on the lawn. An Indian vegetarian feast! American grantees indulge in the eeting British summer.

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Page 1: Bfsa newsletter summer 2013

Inside This Issue…

On Twitter…

Fulbright Alumni NewsThe UK Fulbright

Alumni Association

BFSA, Battersea Power Station, 188 Kirtling Street, London, SW8 5BN Registered Charity No. 292242

1

T: 020-7622-2223 E: [email protected] www.bfsa.org

1. Summer Garden Party

2. Alumni Feature: N. Keith Scott CBE

3. Alumni News

4. Alumni Feature: Professor Jack Levy OBE

5. Continuing the Fulbright Legacy

6. Commission Updates

7. Commission Updates

What Fulbrighters around the world have been saying…

@FulbrightAwards Final cultural visit provided to #IEAUK2013 cohort by @UniofEdinburgh . Many thanks for hosting us! #FulbrightUK pic.twitter.com/AsolAQQtFL

@Fulbright_EireThe Irish #Fulbright Awards are of!cially open for applications! Apply now: http://www.fulbright.ie/irish-citizen-awards

@fulbrightboard New name, same great program! Learn more about the Fulbright-Clinton Fellowship. http://goo.gl/w3BAEt

Issue Number 50 Linking the UK and the USA summer 2013

fulbright friends enjoy a summer garden party!On Saturday 1st June, American grantees and their ‘Fulbright Friends’ met for the annual BFSA Summer Garden Par ty in West London. Generously hosted by Fulbright alumnus and former BFSA Chair, Dr Pankaj Sharma and his wife, Dr Sapna Sharma, the party was a chance to thank those alums who had volun-teered as ‘Fulbright Friends’ for this year’s American grantees. Amid clear skies and sunshine, alumni and grantees alike enjoyed a delicious Indian vegetarian buffet, alongside a spot of croquet on the lawn - while those of a more energetic disposition took to the trampoline! The ‘Fulbright Friend’ scheme offers UK-based alumni an opportunity to welcome, connect with, and befriend American Fulbrighters for the dura-tion of their time here. This can involve meeting for coffee, trips to the theatre, or dinner out - it can also include practical support for those new to the UK, pointing them in the direction of support networks and helping them !nd their feet. Both alumni and grantees often state that this is one of the most memorable and enjoyable parts of their Fulbright experience. Jon Bendall (UK Police Scholar, University of Colorado 2010-11) volunteered as a Fulbright Friend for the !rst time this year.

“When I was asked to mentor back in August 2012, I re"ected on how much the people who I had met during my Fulbright year, had made my experience. Without these people and their hospitality and local knowl-edge, my experience would have been nowhere as near as rich as it was and the phrase “pay it forward” sprang to mind. I therefore agreed to put myself forward. Being Kurt’s Fulbright “friend” has encouraged me to become more involved in the Fulbright community. Kur t has become like part of our family and will be hugely missed when he moves on to his next adventure, both by myself, my wife and our dog Dude,

who adores Kurt. I look forward to mentoring the next person to attend the UEA. They have a lot to live up to.” Jon’s Fulbright Friend, Kurt Berning has similar praise for the programme. “I’m so fortunate to have been linked with Jon in this programme, and he and Kammy are a model of the perfect Fulbright Friends. Jon and Kammy’s kindness and courtesy made me feel immediately at home in the UK, and I proudly think of them as my British family.”For more information on how to volunteer as a Fulbright Friend email the BFSA Of!ce ([email protected])

BFSA member and Fulbright Friend, Jon Bendall, with his wife Kammy.

Grantees and alumni enjoy a game of croquet on the lawn.

An Indian vegetarian feast!

American grantees indulge in the !eeting British summer.

Page 2: Bfsa newsletter summer 2013

2

BFSA, Battersea Power Station, 188 Kirtling Street, London, SW8 5BN Registered Charity No. 292242 T: 020-7622-2223 E: [email protected] www.bfsa.org

Fulbright Alumni News #50 summer 2013

travels with an architectFulbright alumnus and BFSA

member, N. Keith Scott, CBE (MIT, 1953-55) shares an extract from his latest book, Travels with an Architect.

In 1953 I had the good fortune to be awarded a Fulbright and Smith-Mundt Scholarship for study and travel to the USA. At the time I was working in the Planning Department of the Lancashire County Of!ces and become increasingly disenchanted with the way the Tory government was drawing the teeth of the 1947 Planning Act. This was Labour’s most imaginative legislation intended as a framework within which Britain could be re-built after the War.

On receipt of the scholarship my !rst task was to choose an American university and I did not need much time to pick the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This was because of its worldwide reputation for excellence and also due to its campus being set in Cambridge on the far side of the Charles River from Boston – one of the few historic and characterful cities in the USA.

My wife, our baby Louise and I were happily billeted in a section of the campus called Westgate West in the fall. As well as spending 18 months on my Masters Thesis at MIT, Dorothy and I took on part time jobs and scrimped and saved so that we could explore this vast and varied continent at the end of my studies. We bought a station wagon and spent six months exploring the four corners of the country, travelling coast to coast and back again and including a large detour down to Mexico City. Our 23,000 mile itinerary was

in"uenced by the many friends we had made in Boston, whose students are drawn from across the length and breadth of the land because of MIT and Harvard’s excellent reputations, and they were keen to welcome us to their home towns and show us around. They have largely remained friends for life and indeed our respec-tive children have forged ongoing friendships and visited each other in the decades that followed.

Next to our student digs the university was building a 1,200 seat concer t hall designed by Eero Saarinen, a great American architect of Finnish extraction. Day by day I saw an astonishing structure take shape, shake off its cocoon of scaf-folding, and emerge chrysalis-like as a thin shell concrete dome supported only on three bronze castings, each no more than 6” square.

I had never done any writing on architectural matters, but, being so

near to the birth of a signi!cant new building, I was moved to write a cri-tique of the whole concept from esquisse to realisation, and I accom-panied it with one of my earliest pen and ink sketches. Having checked my script for accuracy I pondered what to do with it. It seemed to read well, so I thought the RIBA Journal might be interested – but what about the protocol of permissions, author’s ap-provals and so on? Being new to the game I decided that for a start I should get the designer’s approval to my intent to publish. Standing in awe of the great man and fearing to disturb him, I found the name of the site architect, sent him the script, and asked permission to proceed.

To my astonishment, by return post I received from his Detroit of!ce a hand-written letter from Eero ex-pressing surprised satisfaction that anyone would extend such a courtesy to a designer.

It was the !rst time anyone had done this with any work of his.Furthermore I was to be congratu-lated on my perspicacity for having so accurately understood his analysis of the Brief. Yes, of course I should send the article to the RIBA – and should I ever be in Detroit please telephone him because he would love to meet me. It was six months later that Dorothy and I were passing through Detroit on our big trip and we did just that.

After he had recovered from the shock of being confronted by what looked like a teenager in baggy shorts, he took us to a splendid lunch fol-lowed by a fascinating tour of his work at the General Motors complex in his open-topped sedan. He explained in detail the reasons for the formality and layout of the many buildings and how they were designed to be ap-preciated at a speed of 30mph – because nobody walked on the huge, "at complex. My scholarship com-pleted, I returned to England and joined the !rm in which I was to spend the next 35 years. But a few years into this period I received another letter from Eero. The burden of it was that he had been put on a short-list of notable contemporary U.S.

American Embassy, Grosvenor Sq: London - August 1994

architects to compete for the design of a splendid new American Embassy in Grosvenor Square, London, the heart of the Duke of Westminster’s Mayfair empire. The Saarinen of!ce was going to put in a strong challenge but neither he nor his staff could spare the time to visit London and pay a site visit. If I was ever in London would I agree to do a photographic survey of the entire square, so they could understand the visual context?

Although I lived 250 miles away in Preston, I eagerly took the next train to London and sent him several boxes of Kodak slides. With his seem-ingly infallible touch for scale and sympathy for the environment (whether it be small, like the North Christian Church in Columbus, Indiana, monumental like the huge arch of the Gateway to the West in St Louis, or an intimate layout for university residential units at New Haven) Saarinen designed a superb embassy in London and won the competition.

Continued on Page 3.

Keith and his (late) wife Dorothy, who passed away on 17 January 2013, just 2 days before their 60th wedding anniversary.

alumni feature

Page 3: Bfsa newsletter summer 2013

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BFSA, Battersea Power Station, 188 Kirtling Street, London, SW8 5BN Registered Charity No. 292242 T: 020-7622-2223 E: [email protected] www.bfsa.org

travels with an architectThe noted critic of the Archi-

tectural Review, J M Richards said at the completion of this building in 1960, “Of all the modern buildings erected in post-war London, the American Embassy designed by Eero Saarinen, was one which would eventually be judged worthy of high praise and enduring recogni-tion.” I believe he has been proved correct. The scale of the building and the size and repetition of the serried banks of windows is in per-fect harmony with the buildings lin-ing the other three sides of Gros-venor Square. I must confess to a small but quite unjusti!ed proprie-torial interest in this serene building with its innovative diagrid structure and impeccable detailing.

My studies, experiences and the friendships forged over my two years in the USA made a great im-pact on a young architect who grew up during World War II and whose homeland remained ravaged by its economic consequences for years afterwards. My small family re-turned to Lancashire when my visa expired and we anticipated wrap-ping up our affairs in Britain and emigrating to the New World across the Atlantic as soon as possi-ble.

I got a job as an architect with Grenfell-Baines & Hargreaves (later to be renamed Building Design Partnership) to !nance the move. I found my work rewarding and the

!rm’s leadership under George Grenfell-Baines inspirational and as further children blessed our lives, thoughts of leaving Britain faded. I was invited to join the Partnership in 1964 and now with four children, the thought of a family holiday in America was prohibitive both !nan-cially and in terms of time, with trans-Atlantic "ights still the pre-serve of millionaires. Although I longed to return, we were very content with our itinerant camping holidays on the other side of the more modestly sized English Chan-nel.

When Louise emigrated to California on completing her studies at the Harrow School of Art in 1975, an additional yearning to re-turn was thrown into the mix. I had been in practice for 20 years and a partner for over 10, and felt a need to recharge my batteries. The Brit-ish architectural journals published articles on an amazing array of dy-namic and cutting-edge designs being produced in the United States and we in the construction industry could not !gure out how they did it, let alone at twice the speed and half the cost.

It was in the summer of 1976 that by combining my annual leave and sabbatical break I was able to embark on a 13 week long tour of the States with Dorothy and my two sons, similar to the one I had under-taken 21 years previously; after such

a long time away, I was determined to do the job properly and there was so much new to see. It was on this trip that my !rst set of sketches of the USA were drawn. Along the way I interviewed over 30 of the leading American architectural practices to learn from their design and working methods, and the les-sons learned greatly changed and improved the way BDP went about its business in the subsequent years.

From the late 1970s onwards, Freddy Laker and others made the cost of trans-Atlantic "ights very af-fordable and with Louise and many other friends in the States, we al-ways had somewhere to be made welcome. Our visits since have be-come practically yearly, particularly after building our own house near Park City, Utah and the majority of the remaining sketches in this chap-ter have been made over many vis-its.

Travels with an Architect, pub-lished by Overleigh Press in August 2012, features over 550 of Keith’s sketches from around the world. Further images and information may also be found on the Facebook group.

For further information, please

contact (Keith’s son) Tarquin Scott through [email protected]

Continued from page 2

transatlantic collaborationsFulbright alumnus, Adam

Swayne, (Northwestern, 2003) performed two concerts this July with a distinctly Fulbright theme. Playing as part of the Riot Ensemble, a London-based group dedicated to performing contemporary music, Adam worked with the fantastic American ECCE Ensemble to pre-sent new British and American

Adam Swayne, Fulbright alumnus (Northwestern, 2003).

music: ‘Transatlantic Collaborations’. With music by John Aylward, Helen Grime, Aaron Holloway-Nahum, Mateu Malondra Flaquer, Nicholas Omiccioli, Chris Roe and Dominique Schaefer and performers from both the Riot and ECCE Ensembles, the concerts were conducted by Aaron Holloway-Nahum.

inside out: richard rogersLord Rogers, Fulbright alumnus

and one of the most in"uential ar-chitects of our time, is showcasing his achivements through an exhibi-tion at the Royal Academy of Arts in Piccadilly, London. Titled, Richard Rogers RA: Inside Out, the exhibition has been described by The Daily Telegraph as “a celebration of 50 years of radical ideas that have re-shaped, and even revolutionised, modern architecture and ways of thinking about how we might live in ever-expanding cities”.

Some of Rogers’ best known designed include the Pompidou Centre in Paris, the Millennium Dome in London, Maggie’s Centre in London and Terminal 4 Barajas Airport, Madrid. Trained at the Ar-chitectural Association in London,

Richard Rogers also studied at the Yale School of Architecture on a Fulbright Scholarship.

Richard Rogers RA: Inside Out is at the Royal Academy of Arts, London W1, until October 13.

Fulbright Alumni News #50 summer 2013

Page 4: Bfsa newsletter summer 2013

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BFSA, Battersea Power Station, 188 Kirtling Street, London, SW8 5BN Registered Charity No. 292242 T: 020-7622-2223 E: [email protected] www.bfsa.org

diary date: ‘when britain invaded washington’ - a lecture by peter snow

The US-UK Fulbright Commis-sion and the Eccles Centre for American studies at the British Li-brary are delighted to announce this year’s annual Eccles Centre lecture.

Discussing his new book, highly respected journalist, author and broadcaster Peter Snow will detail Britain’s extraordinary invasion of Washington in 1814. Using a wealth of material including eyewitness ac-counts, he will discuss the fast-changing fortunes of both sides in this confrontation and will describe the colourful personalities in these spectacular events: Britain’s !ery Admiral Cockburn, the cautious but immensely popular army com-mander Robert Ross, and sharp-eyed diarists James Scott and George Gleig. And on the American side: beleaguered President James Madison, whose young nation is !ghting the world’s foremost mili-tary power, his wife Dolley, a model of courage and determination, mili-tary heroes such as Joshua Barney

Peter Snow (photograph courtesy of The Daily Telegraph).

and Sam Smith, and "awed incom-petents like Army Chief William Winder and War Secretary John Armstrong.

Peter Snow will re"ect upon the far-reaching consequences of this momentous event and the deci-sion of Britain and the United States never to !ght each other again. Date: Tuesday 12 September 2013. Time: 6:30 pm - 8 pm.

Location: British Library, Auditorium Price: £8 /£5 concessions. Tickets will be available from the BL Box Of!ce

For more information: Visit the British Library Box Of!ce website and be sure to note that you are a member of the BFSA to secure a place.

Fulbright Alumni News #50 summer 2013

illinois fulbrighter given distinguished alumni award

In April 2013 Professor Jack Levy was honoured with a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Illinois where he spent his Fulbright year. Below is the text of his accept-ance speech from the ceremony. The BFSA congratulates Professor Levy warmly on his distinction.

“Thank You Senator Fulbright and the University of Illinois. I am absolutely delighted to receive this award to join the Distinguished Alumni of the university.

Way back in 1953 I applied for- and was fortunate enough to gain - a Fulbright Award, symbolic of post-war Anglo-American co-operation. I then selected as my destination the University of Illinois because of its track record in materials research.

Sheila and I had recently married and we came to New York by boat – no "ights in those days.. At the

university in Champaign Illinois, south of Chicago, we stayed in an apartment owned by the university and our time turned out to be an extended working honeymoon, Sheila being employed in the art department of a publishing company linked to the university.

I worked in the Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, where the Head was Tom Dolan and my supervisor was George Sinclair – both of them eminent scholars and very friendly. They launched me on a lifelong path of research and devel-opment for which I am profoundly grateful.

My study was in the !eld of metal fatigue and I have in front of me a copy of my Masters thesis awarded in 1954 entitled “A Study of Strain-Aging in Fatigue”- of which I am myself by now a prime example !

Towards the end of that

academic year we bought a Studebaker from a departing student –the custom in those days - and we drove all the way to San Francisco and then back to New York where I sold the car for $50 more than I paid. And then back to City University, London where I eventually became a professor - then head of department and pro Vice-Chancellor.

So thank you Senator Fulbright, thank you Professor Huseyin – Thank you the University of Illinois for a life-changing experience.The certi!cate awarded today will occupy a place on the wall of my study – a constant reminder of an enjoyable and ful!lling year.”

Prof. J.C.Levy OBE FREng

Professor Jack Levy and his wife, Mrs Sheila Levy.

alumni feature

Page 5: Bfsa newsletter summer 2013

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BFSA, Battersea Power Station, 188 Kirtling Street, London, SW8 5BN Registered Charity No. 292242 T: 020-7622-2223 E: [email protected] www.bfsa.org

extending fulbright legacyBFSA Chair, Gary Fair, re"ects

on the third annual Fulbright Distinguished Lecture series in International Relations.

As part of a wider campaign to extend Senator Fulbright’s legacy at the University of Oxford, the Third Annua l Ox ford Fu lb r i gh t Distinguished Lecture in International Relations was given by the Nobel Prize-winning oncologist, Dr Harold Varmus on the 3rd of May. Among other things, Dr Varmus, Director of the US National Cancer Institute, provided a fascinating insight into the relationship between medicine and politics, particularly in relation to the establishment and development of the Uganda Cancer Institute. Another common theme throughout was the in"uence of strong networks, in many instances from within the Fulbright community.

I was intrigued to discover that Senator Fulbright studied Modern History at Pembroke College on a Rhodes Scholarship in the mid-1920s. Indeed many of his particular con-cerns are strongly represented at Oxford, including the importance of international law and international organisations, the concern with war and con"ict generally, and the diver-sity of traditions of thought on inter-national relations. Pembroke College has been a constituent college of the University since 1624 and, to improve the quali ty and amount of

accommodation for its 383 under-graduates, 110 graduates, and 37 visiting students from American universities, the College has em-barked upon the construction of a transformational new building complex immediately outside the old city wall. It is in this new complex that the College will establish a !tting memorial to Senator Fulbright in the form of a suite of rooms. My wife and I had the pleasure of joining a drinks reception in part of the newly reno-vated wing, followed by a delightful dinner hosted by the Vice-Chancellor in the very grand and atmospheric environment of the main dining hall.

The Campaign is now seeking funding for a permanent, full-time academic post, initially in the form of a Fulbright Early Career Fellowship in International Relations, with the longer-term goal of a Fulbright Chair in International Relations.

Funds are being raised by the following institutions: the US-UK Fulbright Commission; the Lois Roth Endowment with the US Fulbright Association; Pembroke College; the Depar tment of Poli t ics and International Relations.

For more information, click here.

key fulbright alumni associations join forces

Two major Fulbright alumni as-sociations have formally joined forc-es. The Boards of Directors of the Fulbright Association and the Ful-bright Academy announced that ef-fective July 1, 2013 they have entered into a relationship for joint program-ming and operations within the framework of the Fulbright Associa-tion. This arrangement recognizes the action-oriented focus of the Academy and is intended to lead to the integration of the Fulbright Academy and its programming ac-tivities within the overall Association structure by December 31, 2013.

The Boards of Directors of the two organizations have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding as a framework for this relationship and the outline of the intended inte-gration. Both groups strongly feel that the worldwide Fulbright com-munity will greatly bene!t from a single administrative body oversee-ing both alumni and programming

activities. They also believe there are synergies to be found in combin-ing their heretofore separate efforts to serve the Fulbright community.

Both bodies reaf!rm their shared commitment to the ideals of the late Senator J. William Fulbright and the Exchange Program named in his honor.

Harriet Mayor Fulbright com-mented that she is “thrilled that going forward the Fulbright com-munity will be served by a uni!ed alumni support organization.”

For more information see the Fulbright Association website, where you can also "nd out more about the annual Fulbright Association Confer-ence, held in October in Washington DC.

Fulbright Alumni News #50 summer 2013

association news

Page 6: Bfsa newsletter summer 2013

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BFSA, Battersea Power Station, 188 Kirtling Street, London, SW8 5BN Registered Charity No. 292242 T: 020-7622-2223 E: [email protected] www.bfsa.org

2013/14 Scholars at the Farewell Reception, July 2013 at the FCO.

The US-UK Fulbright Commis-sion is excited to announce the opening of awards for UK citizens to study or research in the US in the 2014/15 academic year. Offering a wide range of awards, the Commis-sion is also delighted to introduce new Award categories including: the Hubert H Humphrey School Award in Public Policy, Affairs and Planning; the Postgraduate Student Award at The New School for areas such as arts, social sciences, management and public policy; the Peabody Re-search Award for a wide range of disciplines with a special focus on child poverty; and the Elon Univer-sity Scholar Award for business, communication, law, education or health sciences.

fulbright awards now openAwards will be open from 15th

August to 15th November 2013 and application instructions are available at www.fulbright.org.uk

Call for Reading Panellists!

We receive hundreds of appli-cations each year and we would be very grateful if you could offer your time and expertise to help us select the next cohort of British Fulbright-ers. If you are interested in volun-teering as a reading panellist please emailn [email protected]

promote study in the usa!

Two of the US-UK Fulbright Commission’s biggest events of the year – USA College Day and USA Grad School Day are just around the corner!

If you know of any colleagues, friends or family interested in post-graduate study in the US, please pass along information about our USA Grad School Day workshop (16 October 2013 in London). This event provides students with an in-sider’s view of how to successfully navigate the US postgraduate ad-missions process as well as informa-tion about the Fulbright Awards for 2014-15.

For students considering under-graduate study in the US, USA Col-lege Day (27 & 28 September in London) is not to be missed. At College Day students will have the opportunity to speak with over 150 US universities. Now in its 36th year, College Day is the largest American university fair in the UK.

Fulbright staff meeting potential applicants at College Day 2012.

Fulbright Alumni News #50 summer 2013

Screen-shot of the new website, with new features including an online directory.

new look for BFSA websiteThe BFSA is proud to announce the launch of a brand new website! Unveiled in July 2013, the site includes new features including a special members-only section that BFSA members are encouraged to sign up to access. This area includes a pass-word-protec ted Membership Directory, as well as message ‘inbox’ so other members can contact you. Other features include the option to sign up for membership online, to donate online, an interactive events calendar, and a special section for each of the dif ferent regional chapters. We welcome your feedback on the new site and any comments on how we can improve it and make it more user friendly.

Visit www.bfsa.org to explore the new site and suggest any improvements!

For more information about both events, please visit www.ful-bright.org.uk or email [email protected].

commission updates

Page 7: Bfsa newsletter summer 2013

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BFSA, Battersea Power Station, 188 Kirtling Street, London, SW8 5BN Registered Charity No. 292242 T: 020-7622-2223 E: [email protected] www.bfsa.org

volunteer with the rspbSave the date! On September

21, 2013 join grantees and alumni for a Community Action Day (CAD) with the Royal Society for the Pro-tection of Birds (RSPB).

The CAD site will be Flatford Water Meadows: the RSPB is fortu-nate to own a two-thirds share in some beautiful unspoilt water meadows in historic Flatford, adjoin-ing the serene River Stour. There are some very old willows which have historically been pollarded - that is, the branches are regularly harvested, leaving a trunk which re-grows again. There are also some ancient hedgerows which the RSPB would like to maintain in the tradi-tional way, by ‘laying’ them. These are both time-consuming tasks, which they need help with!

It’s a chance to have some fun outdoors doing conservation work, but in an English landscape which has been immortalised in the paint-ings of Constable. Thanks to careful conservation by the National Trust and the Dedham Vale AONB, this landscape is unchanged from the days when Constable walked these

The River Stour at Dedham

!elds, dreamy-eyed, 200 years ago. Now we can help contribute to that important landscape and nature conservation work.

The Royal Society for the Pro-tection of Birds (RSPB) is the largest wildlife conservation organisation in Europe with over one million mem-bers. Wildlife and the environment face many threats and habitats that are in the greatest danger.

More information about the or-ganisation can be found on their website.

Interested in joining in?

You will need casual, working clothes (be prepared for all weath-er-English weather) and sturdy shoes. Lunch will be provided.

Limited space: due to safety and management restrictions by RSPB, there is a limited number of 10-12 participants. Sign-up by 11 September to participate!

Fulbright Alumni News #50 summer 2013

new milestone for awardsThe US-UK Fulbright Commission’s newest scheme for International Education Administrators has been a resounding success for the Fulbright Awards Programme. The three-week session ran from 3-23 August 2013, allowing participants to create connections within higher education, share best practice and develop a deeper understanding of UK culture. Coming from states as varied as Kentucky, South Carolina, Iowa and Hawaii, twenty international educa-tion professionals and senior higher education of!cials from the US at-tended interactive brie!ngs, meetings and cultural events across the UK. The IEA programme was run in conjunction with eleven of the US-UK Fulbright Commission’s most prestig-ious partner institutions: University of East Anglia, Imperial College London, University of Sussex, Royal Holloway University of London, University of Birmingham, University of York , Durham University, University of Stirling, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen’s Rober t Gordon University and the University of Edinburgh. In order to enhance the participants’ ability to work with international students and prospective study-abroad students, sessions included in the programme showcased best practice on university-student match-ing, academic excellence, transferable skills, global curriculum, student mo-bility and integration, cultural learning and alumni outreach among others. Torian Lee, Director at the Center for Intercultural and International Programs, Xavier University of

Louisiana said:“At each of the 11 universities visited we met key personnel and the discus-sions were of great importance as our conversation exposed the simi-larities and differences in institutional approach to internationalisation. The opportunity to build relationships with key university of!cials opened the door to future collaboration. With much enthusiasm, I recommend this seminar to all US international education administrators.”

Alan MacKay, Director of the International Of!ce at the University of Edinburgh commented: “The visit provided a unique oppor-tunity for Edinburgh staff to meet with colleagues from across the United States to share their experi-ence and importantly create future connections. The delegation visited Edinburgh in the very midst of the world’s largest arts festival and in ad-dition to an intense programme delegates were also able to visit the Royal Society of Edinburgh for a welcome dinner, Holyrood Palace and

Edinburgh Castle as part of their educational and cultural visit to the UK. We very much look forward to hosting future IEA delegations in Scotland and working alongside the Fulbright Commission to make this a possibility.”

Penny Egan, Executive Director at the US-UK Fulbright Commission said: “It was exciting to work together with 11 of our most prestigious partner institutions to put together an action-packed itinerary to introduce partici-pants to education and culture in the UK. Higher Education Administrators are crucial to the promotion and continuation of exchange pro-grammes and our hope is that they will use this experience to build on the new connections fostered within the UK higher education system, of-fering US students in-depth knowl-edge of the societal and cultural systems in the UK.“

IEA participants with Penny Egan CBE, Executive Director of Fulbright Commission.

For more information about the Fulbright International Education Administrators Programme, see the US-UK Fulbright Commission website.

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