The U.S. Fulbright Grant

For the unfamiliar, the Fulbright program offers competitive grants to students, scholars, teachers, and professionals. It began in 1945, when a U.S. senator named J. William Fulbright put forward a bill calling for the "promotion of international good will through the exchange of students in the fields of education, culture, and science." He proposed to fund the program by the money raised from selling property and weapons leftover from World War II. In 1946, with the signature of President Harry Truman, the Fulbright International Educational Exchange Program came into being.

One of Fulbright's several programs today sends Americans all over the world every year either to do an approved research project or to teach English in a school.

What is the value of this kind of program? What is the image it creates of the United States internationally? Is this the manifestation of an outdated concept of aid or a strong fellowship of scholars, teachers, students and professionals who have an opportunity to change the world for the better? These questions, and more, on Friday.

Join us for a conversation with Eli Bildner, 2010 graduate of Yale University. His research there centered on micro-finance, and he'll be speaking about his experience as a recent college graduate living abroad...