Myanmar Study Abroad

Fulbright

PLEASE NOTE: for official information, specific details, and updated deadlines and instructions, please check the organization’s website and current application forms; if you have problems or questions, please contact us.

Deadlines:

February 10 to 28, 2010 – To contact American Center, Ms. Pont Pont Phyu (536-509, 535-756, 505-113, 505-117 Extension: 4377) to enroll for the English test
March 15 , 2010 – English Proficiency Test
May 1, 2010 – Application deadline

Description:

The United States Embassy announces the start of the application season for the Fulbright Scholarship program for academic year 2008-2009. The program gives full funding to Burmese students seeking a master’s degree in selected fields at a university in the US. The successful candidates will begin their studies in September, 2008.
A mainstay of America’s public-diplomacy efforts, the Fulbright Foreign Student Program brings citizens of other countries to the United States for Master’s degree or Ph.D. study at U.S. universities or other appropriate institutions. The program has brought some of the world’s finest minds to U.S. campuses and offers program participants insight into U.S. society and values.
Many foreign Fulbright grantees are early-career professionals who will return to take leadership positions in their home countries, often working at universities or in government service.
More than 1,800 new Foreign Fulbright Fellows enter U.S. academic programs each year. Foreign students apply for Fulbright Fellowships through the Fulbright Commission/Foundation or U.S. Embassy in their home countries. The Institute of International Education (IIE) arranges academic placement for most Fulbright nominees and supervises participants during their stay in the United States.
It is considered one of the most prestigious award programs and it operates in 144 countries. More Fulbright alumni have won Nobel Prizes than those of any other academic program, including two in 2002.
The Fulbright Program provides funds for students, scholars, and professionals to undertake graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools abroad. The initial reach of this program had been primarily European countries, and now the program operates worldwide. The program is administered by 51 binational Fulbright commissions, US Embassies, and cooperating organizations.
Its first participants went overseas in 1948, funded by war reparations and foreign loan repayments to the United States. Today, it is funded by Congressional appropriations and funding provided by partner governments. The program also receives important in-kind and financial support from academic institutions, foundations, and the private sector.
In the 60 years since it was created, more than 250,000 individuals have received Fulbright grants – more than 100,000 Americans and more than 150,000 citizens of other countries. These individuals have established more than 150 national or sub-national alumni organizations.
Fulbright grants are administered by several organizations, including the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Education, the Institute for International Education and the Council for International Exchange of Scholars.
On December 22, 1947, a bilateral agreement was signed in Rangoon establishing the United States Educational Foundation in Burma. The Fulbright Program began operating in 1948, was suspended in 1966, and was reestablished in 1977. In 1988-89, all U.S. assistance programs to Burma, including the Fulbright program, were curtailed as a result of the military takeover. The current program has been opened for two years.
In 1990, at the request of Congress, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs established the Burma Refugee Scholarship Program (BRSP). Public Law 101-246 (1990) directed the Bureau to provide scholarships to Burmese students and professionals outside Burma. Congress’s intended beneficiaries are those Burmese who have fled the repression of the Burmese regime since the events of 1988.
The goal of the BRSP is to support democratic development in Burma by helping to educate potential leaders who will assist with Burma’s future transition to a democratic government. The program ensures that academically talented Burmese, who are one day expected to assume leadership roles in their country, have an opportunity to pursue higher education in the U.S. and to obtain firsthand knowledge of American democratic institutions.
Opportunities for Myanmar:

Fulbright Foreign Student Program: The Fulbright Foreign Student Program offers fellowships to foreign graduate students for study and research in the United States. Approximately 1,000 new awards are awarded to foreign graduate students for support at U.S. universities, and some 1,000 renewal awards are also made annually.
International Fulbright Science and Technology Award: The International Fulbright Science and Technology Award, a component of the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, is for PhD study at top U.S. institutions in science, technology, or engineering for up to 30 outstanding foreign students.

Eligibility and Restrictions:

Students need TOEFL test results and must have scored above 550, and preferably above 575 (TOEFL) or 6.5 (IELTS) in order to apply.
The program in Burma is only open to those seeking master’s degrees. All applicants must:
Be citizens of Burma, and currently living in the country.
Plan to study at the master’s level one of the social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities.
Applications from those interested in studying political science, international relations, economics, public health, education, public policy or journalism are especially welcome. Those studying medicine, business administration or computer science are ineligible.
Possess a record of high academic achievement
Be proficient in English
Pledge to return to Burma for a period of at least two years after their Fulbright program has ended
Have little or no previous experience traveling or living in the United States.
There will be no exceptions to these rules.

Application Procedure:

Applicants must complete the academic qualification forms, which will be available at the American Center beginning February 10, 2010. Submission deadline will be February 28, 2010.
Based on academic qualifications, a list of eligible applicants who can sit for an English proficiency test will be announced on March 15, 2010 at the American Center.
The English proficiency test will be offered in the last week of March at the American Center.
Results of the test will be posted in front of the American Center on April 10, 2010.
Eligible candidates who pass the English proficiency test can submit their Fulbright application forms at the American Center no later than May 1, 2010.

Application form available from: www.iie.org
http://foreign.fulbrightonline.org/fulbrightpage.html
Contact Ma Pont Pont Phyu at the Rangoon American Center, Fulbright.Rangoon@state.gov
American Center, U.S. Embassy, 14 Tawwin Road, Tel: 223-140/223-106/221-585

Attachments:

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