Campus News

From UK to the UK With Fulbright

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 27, 2015)  Interiors junior Jessica Moore, a native of Bowling Green, Kentucky, has received a place with a Fulbright Summer Institute to study at Nottingham Trent University in one of the most prestigious and selective summer scholarship programs operating worldwide.

 


The US-UK Fulbright Commission is the only bi-lateral, transatlantic scholarship program, offering awards and summer programs for study or research in any field, at any accredited U.S. or U.K. university. The commission is part of the Fulbright program conceived by U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright in the aftermath of World War II to promote leadership, learning and empathy between nations through educational exchange. Award recipients and summer program participants are expected to be future leaders and support the “special relationship” between the U.S. and the U.K. 


As a participant, Moore has been selected from a strong applicant pool to experience the United Kingdom at a four-week summer program at Nottingham Trent University, in Nottingham, England. The theme of the institute is creativity, culture, history and heritage, with an emphasis on space, place and time. Students will follow a course that combines architecture, fine art and museum studies. At the end of the program, the students will create an exhibition to present their experience in a creative way, showcasing what they gained from the program.

"I am very excited to have been selected for this program and the opportunity it will give me to experience the United Kingdom through history, architecture and art. I have always wanted to visit the United Kingdom, and this program will allow me to do so while also studying areas that I am interested in and passionate about," said Moore, a member of the UK Honors Program.  

"A period of study abroad is a great way to broaden your horizons and make you stand out from the crowd," said Penny Egan, executive director of US-UK Fulbright Commission. "This is a wonderful opportunity to get a taste of British higher education, and as part of a high achieving cohort, this small group of students will gain immensely from the experience."

The commission selects participants through a rigorous application and interview process. In making these awards, the commission looks not only for academic excellence but a focused application, a range of extracurricular and community activities, demonstrated ambassadorial skills, a desire to further the Fulbright Program and a plan to give back to the recipient’s home country upon returning.

Fulbright Summer Programs cover all participant costs. In addition, Fulbright summer institute participants receive a distinctive support and cultural education program including: visa processing, a comprehensive pre-departure orientation, enrichment opportunities in country, a re-entry session and opportunity to join the programs' alumni networks.

Created by treaty on Sept. 22, 1948, the US-UK Fulbright Commission fosters mutual cultural understanding through educational exchange between the U.S. and the U.K. The program achieves this through its awards program for U.S. and U.K. citizens and through its Advisory Service. The commission offers grants at postgraduate and postdoctoral level for study in any discipline and at any accredited institution in the U.S. and U.K., as well as a number of special exchange programs for shorter projects for younger scholars. It is funded by a range of partners including leading U.S. and U.K. universities, charities and both governments. For more information, visit www.fulbright.org.uk.

           

Each year, the commission supports around 60 U.K. and U.S. undergraduate students to undertake demanding academic and cultural summer programs at leading institutions in the U.S. and U.K. respectively. This year, the commission is hosting nine Summer Institute programs at host institutions across the U.K.: AIFS Summer Institute at Shakespeare's Globe; Durham University Summer Institute; King's College London Summer Institute; Nottingham Trent University Summer Institute; Queen's University Belfast Summer Institute; Scotland Summer Institute (at the University of Dundee and the University of Strathclyde); University of Bristol Summer Institute; University of Exeter Summer Institute; and Wales Summer Institute (at Cardiff University, Bangor University and Aberystwyth University). For more information, visit www.fulbright.org.uk/fulbright-awards/exchanges-to-the-uk/undergraduates.

Students interested in applying for a Fulbright Summer Institute, should contact Pat Whitlow, director of the UK Office of Nationally Competitive Awards. Part of the Academy of Undergraduate Excellence within the Division of Undergraduate Education, the office assists current UK undergraduate and graduate students and recent alumni in applying for external scholarships and fellowships funded by sources (such as a nongovernment foundation or government agency) outside the university. These major awards honor exceptional students across the nation. Students who are interested in these opportunities are encouraged to begin work with the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards well in advance of the scholarship deadline.

MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, 859-257-8716; whitney.hale@uky.edu