CUNY GRADUATE CENTER IS NAMED A 2021 HSI LEADER BY THE FULBRIGHT PROGRAM

New York, Oct. 29, 2021 — The CUNY Graduate Center is proud to be named a Fulbright HSI Leader in the inaugural year of this designation. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is recognizing the noteworthy engagement that select Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) have achieved with the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program. The CUNY Graduate Center is one of 35 HSIs to receive this distinction.

Fulbright HSI Leader status has been conferred on this group of 35 HSIs, including the Graduate Center, because they have demonstrated noteworthy engagement with Fulbright exchange participants during the 2019–2021 academic years and have promoted Fulbright Program opportunities on campus. Fulbright HSI Leaders were announced yesterday during an international plenary session at the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) annual conference.

For the past six years, the Graduate Center has ranked among the top 10 graduate schools in the U.S. for the number of students from underrepresented minority backgrounds obtaining doctorates.

This Fulbright HSI Leader initiative is part of the U.S. State Department’s longstanding commitment to build diversity and inclusion within the Fulbright Program and within the bureau’s international exchange programs. On July 28, 2021, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona released a Joint Statement of Principles in Support of International Education, which outlines the many benefits of international education and the need for “all Americans to be equipped with global and cultural competencies.” The Fulbright HSI Leaders Initiative supports the goals of the joint statement, including the principle that U.S. participants in international exchanges should reflect the diversity of the United States.

“We are honored to be named a Fulbright HSI Leader and to join the U.S. State Department in this important initiative to enhance diversity and inclusion within its prestigious exchange programs,” said Provost and Senior Vice President Steve Everett. “Every year Graduate Center students receive Fulbright fellowships to pursue original research on pertinent issues such as rain forest conservation, cultural evolution, and child mental health, and, ultimately, to earn advanced degrees that lead to roles as scholars, policymakers, and advocates. We are invested in making the Fulbright Program accessible to students of all backgrounds.” ​

This year marks the 75th Anniversary of the Fulbright Program. Celebrations throughout the year are highlighting the accomplishments and legacy of the program and its alumni.
 
The Fulbright Program was created to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Fulbright is active in more than 160 countries worldwide and partners with participating governments, host institutions, corporations, and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States.

About the CUNY Graduate Center
The CUNY Graduate Center is a leader in public graduate education devoted to enhancing the public good through pioneering research, serious learning, and reasoned debate. The Graduate Center offers ambitious students more than 40 doctoral and master’s programs of the highest caliber, taught by top faculty from throughout CUNY — the nation’s largest urban public university. Through its nearly 40 centers, institutes, initiatives, and the Advanced Science Research Center, The Graduate Center influences public policy and discourse and shapes innovation. The Graduate Center’s extensive public programs make it a home for culture and conversation.