September 18 — Mississippi Valley State University is proud to be named a Fulbright Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Institutional Leader for 2023. Each year, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) recognizes the decisive engagement of select HBCUs with the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government's flagship international academic exchange program.
Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leaders support Fulbright exchange participants and promote Fulbright program opportunities on campus. The initiative encourages administrators, faculty, and students at HBCUs to engage with Fulbright. It also highlights the strength of HBCUs as a destination for international students and scholars and showcases their deep intellectual traditions and proud history to audiences abroad. MVSU has been featured in each of the four years of the initiative
The announcement of the 19 Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leaders was made by the State Department ahead of the White House Initiative on HBCUs’ National HBCU Week Conference.
Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Lee Satterfield commended the HBCUs receiving the Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leader designation this year. “Diversity is one of America’s greatest strengths, and pairing the positive power of Fulbright with the academic excellence at Historically Black Colleges and Universities provides change-making opportunities for students, scholars, and campus communities at home and abroad.”
"We are honored to be recognized by Fulbright as an HBCU Institutional Leader for 2023. Participation in various Fulbright Programs has enriched our Institution and the communities we serve," said Dr. Kathie Stromile Golden, Provost/Senior Vice-President for Academic Affairs.
Dr. Lokesh Shivakumaraiah, the Executive Director of International Relations at MVSU, said, "Prestigious Fulbright programs offer an excellent opportunity to bring the best in their fields from around the world to Valley and put MVSU branding out in the world. Fulbright faculty and teaching assistants not only help our students expand their skill set and world awareness, but it also gives an excellent opportunity for our faculty to engage in collaborative research and develop a long-lasting professional network.
On November 6, Fulbright will host a virtual workshop featuring representatives from Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leaders. The Fulbright HBCU Virtual Workshop will share best practices for leveraging Fulbright Program engagement to support students and faculty, increase campus internationalization, host international Fulbright students and scholars, and build global networks. This event is open to the public and is specifically designed for faculty, staff, and stakeholders at HBCUs.
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program. Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds and fields with the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. Fulbrighters exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections, and work to address complex global challenges. Fulbright is a program of the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. Government. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program.
The Fulbright Program implements a wide range of initiatives to ensure that its participants reflect all aspects of the diversity of U.S. society and societies abroad. To achieve that goal, the Program collaborates with external stakeholders, including the White House Initiative on HBCUs, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange, the American Association of Community Colleges, Mobility International, and Diversity Abroad, among many others.
Learn more about the Fulbright Program at https://fulbrightprogram.org, including information about Fulbright’s efforts to further DEIA within the Program and the Fulbright HBCU Institutional Leaders initiative.
Follow the Fulbright Program’s social media accounts and websites for highlights on HBCUs and Fulbright:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fulbright
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/FulbrightPrgrm
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/the_fulbright_program
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fulbright