Fulbright Forum -
Newsletter of the Fulbright Academy - September 2009
The Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology
has responded to the challenging economic environment by focusing on key programs and by doing extra outreach. While reviewing activities from our first five
years, I came up with four words to describe FAST.
Nimble, Grassroots, Leverage and Long-term
FAST is nimble. Our organization is quickly able to act on new
opportunities as they come to our attention. The University of Denver recently contacted FAST about finding speakers for a program on international
research. The University is one of our institutional members, and within 24 hours, they had a list of Denver-area Fulbrighters who met their
criteria. FAST then realized that the proposed program might benefit faculty and students at nearby institutions. We discussed this with them, and
now an expanded program is in the works.
FAST is grassroots. We were created by a committed group of global alumni. The
personal initiative of individual Fulbrighters has been behind every major FAST program. For example, alumni employed by the US and Moroccan governments led to
our multi-year project on access to digital information in North Africa, and alumni ties led to program funding from UNESCO, the Moroccan Government, US-NSF US-Egypt Science &
Technology Fund, and the Lounsbery Foundation, with in-kind support from many others. Similarly, Alumni in nursing, medicine and public health professions are
helping create a FAST program on Global Health.
FAST can leverage others. Fulbrighters are chosen for their leadership potential.
Members of our growing global network are leaders, and some have been able to use their affiliation with FAST to leverage support from others. For example, a
consortium of state universities in Texas is introducing their minority students to international opportunities in research. The consortium received funding
from NSF, with FAST as a subcontractor/partner on the grant proposal. In November, FAST is leading a delegation of faculty and students to participate in the
World Science Forum in Budapest, and the NSF/FAST relationship helped us secure a significant in-kind contribution from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in
support of our trip.
FAST is long-term. Despite our wonderful acronym (FAST), some things take
time. About 60% of Fulbright alumni received their Fulbright grant during their immediate post-college and graduate school years. Some benefits of the Exchange
Program's investment in our personal and professional development may not be seen for many years. I regularly speak with alumni who received grants many years
ago, but still see the relevance of that experience in their lives and look forward to collaborations with other Fulbrighters.
FAST Member
Initiatives
Here are some projects that are founded and led by Fulbrighters. Many people donate time and
money to multiple organizations, so please consider supporting the work of these fellow Fulbrighters (in addition your FAST dues of $60). If your
organization should be highlighted in a future issue, please send the information to ehoward@FulbrightAcademy.org. FAST will also promote relevant
business services offered by fellow Fulbrighters.
Practical Small Projects facilitates the implementation of practical
projects that require minimal financial and environmental resources, but have maximum impact and results in the developing world. Their current geographic
focus is Mali. To do this, they design self-sustaining projects and use methods that have proven successful in other parts of the world. www.practicalsmallprojects.com
Seeding Labs' mission is to support and expand scientific research in
developing countries by providing affordable reclaimed laboratory equipment. By facilitating the donation of equipment from North American
universities and technology firms to counterparts overseas, we are not only helping our colleagues with the difficult task of building labs in countries where
funds are scarce and equipment inaccessible, but we are also helping to build a global community of scientists, linking the scientist across the hall with the
scientist across the ocean. www.seedinglabs.org
Kybele is a dedicated to improving childbirth conditions worldwide
through medical education partnerships. It brings US, Canadian, Australian & European healthcare professionals into host countries to work
alongside doctors and nurses in their home environments. The teams provide hands-on training in techniques that improve healthcare safety and prevent
childbirth related injury/death which affect millions of women & newborns each year. www.kybeleworldwide.org
Upcoming FAST
Events
Budapest, Hungary - November 3 - Alumni Dinner. FAST is leading a
delegation of two-dozen scientists at the World Science Forum. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Third World Academy of Sciences
(TWAS) and other groups also will be at the Forum. On the evening before the opening, FAST is hosting a dinner for local Fulbrighters as well as Fulbrighters
who are attending the Forum. (free)
Atlanta, Georgia - November 8 - Distinguished Alumni Lunch.
Each year, the FAST Board of Directors meets in a different city to meet with and get feedback from alumni and our institutional members. In 2007 it was
Washington, DC; in 2008 it was Chicago. This year's meeting is hosted by Hunton & Williams, a respected international law firm. (free)
Boston, Massachusetts - November 17 - Women in Science Forum. Since early
2008, FAST has led a Fulbright Women in Science initiative. The sixth meeting is a forum at Northeastern University. Several Fulbright alumnae will present
case studies on international collaboration, and the participants are young women students and post-docs at universities and research institutes in the Boston area. (free)
San Francisco, California - March 11-14 - Sustainability Conference. This
will be our Fifth Annual Conference. We already have registrations from Fulbrighters affiliated with the Microsoft, University of Alaska, the American Academy
of Nursing, Cleveland State University, Brigham Young University and UC-Berkeley. More than 200 are expected from 15 countries, making it the largest gathering
of Fulbrighters on the US West Coast in many years. (registration details)
San Francisco, California - March 14 - Entrepreneurism. This
one-day executive education course is for Fulbrighters in business creation and sustainable development. FAST is seeking participants from small and large
entrepreneurial firms, the venture capital community, economic development agencies, and the academic/research community. The Walker Center for Global
Entrepreneurship at the Thunderbird School of Global Management is one of our sponsors.
San Francisco, California - March 14 - Global Health. More than
250 people are abroad each year on Fulbright grants in health-related disciplines. This one-day program is for grantees and alumni active in medicine, nursing,
public health, pharmacology, health research, and related fields. The session will lay the foundation for a FAST Global Health Initiative, which will support
the sharing of best practices and leverage support for promising programs.
For additional details on any of the above programs, simply reply to this
email.
FAST
Volunteers
Many people attend business conferences or professional meetings as part of our regular
work. In our August newsletter, we mentioned that FAST is seeking volunteers to represent FAST at such meetings. Please consider helping us spread
the word. In exchange, you will receive a free membership in the Academy.
FAST is also seeking Fulbright leaders to serve on our board of directors and our international
advisory board. If you would like to learn more about serving FAST in a leadership position, our next in-person meeting is in Atlanta, Georgia on November 8-9.
To get involved, simply reply to this email, including your contact information, and a FAST volunteer or staff member will contact you.
Here is what others have said about their involvement in FAST programming.
- I was impressed with the inter-disciplinary nature of the conference, something I really appreciated
and felt I could benefit first from. I also liked how the schedule was very active and varied from day to day, so that we could have the intense panel
discussions and still have time to really explore the culture of the country. I think a network of Fulbrighters can be a powerful force for development and
peace in the future, and I am planning on being a part of that.
- First, many thanks to you for organizing an excellent and interesting conference (and peripheral
events), including me in it, and making my participation possible financially. And thanks also for your hospitality to my wife. I enjoyed meeting you very
much, and admire all the things you are doing.
- Just wanted to shoot off a quick email to say hi and let you know how much I enjoyed meeting all of
you. I had such a great time with this group of people! A really nice mix of backgrounds, ages and cultures.
- As a Fulbrighter who spent most of his working career on the commercial (non-academic) side of my
discipline, I am pleased to see the efforts you are making to recognize this aspect of our common experience.
- For me, the Skopje FAST conference became a highlight of early spring 2009! A brave decision by the
FAST board took the annual Small Places can Change the World Conference to [Macedonia,] an exotic location that is not on many peoples’ radar screen
- what followed must rank as a major success.
The Fulbright Academy
FAST is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that serves Fulbright
scholars and alumni - executives, educators, and researchers worldwide. Our members and sponsors include individuals and
institutions such as universities, corporations, government agencies and foundations. Membership is open to institutions that support
the FAST mission and to individual Fulbright scholars and alumni, hosts of scholars and friends of the Fulbright program. Click here for "FAST is a
Blast" - a ten minute video about FAST.
If you have not paid your membership dues or made a financial contribution to FAST this year, please
consider doing so now through our secure, on-line system. Dues are $60/year. Contributions from friends and members make it possible for FAST to offer
discounts to young Fulbrighters and lower-income alumni and those from developing countries. Please join/renew today.
FAST is an independent organization and is not affiliated with or funded by the Fulbright
Exchange Program or the US Fulbright Association. Member contributions are critical to our continued success. Please learn more about the
work of the Fulbright Academy by visiting our website: www.FulbrightAcademy.org
We hope to see many of you at our Fifth Annual Conference - San Francisco, March 11-14, 2010. The program includes a
gala celebration, a film festival, science tours, an executive training on entrepreneurism, a workshop on global health, and deep discussion on Sustainability.
Please visit the website to propose yourself as a speaker/presenter to register. We already have over sixty expected participants from fifteen countries.
Thank you and best wishes,
Eric Howard
Executive Director of FAST
1989 Fulbright Grantee to Germany in Environmental Management