"My Fulbright Scholarship to the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars was a great opportunity for me as a mature scholar not only to pursue my research interest but also to meet a network of world-class scholars and policymakers in Washington, D.C. and to present some of my work to a global audience."
The University of South Carolina has a big campus with diverse colleges, research units and many activities for students, faculty and the general public. [...] I particularly enjoyed the sense of community inside the university, everybody being helpful and polite, and the structure that made the work process clear and easy to follow. It's been a great pleasure to get to know better a society which functions well as a whole, which invests in research and earns in innovation.
Thanks to the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program my experience was beyond my wildest dreams. When we hear about the "American Dream," we could only imagine what it takes or how one could be “good enough” to be part of that dream. But this journey offered by the Fulbright Commission seems to be not only a bridge between cultures, but also one between reality and the realm of dreams, because once you find yourself on that bridge, you can feel the most important values of humanity: trust, kindness, stability, honor, care, responsibility and hope.
Fulbright is not just about research and academic events. At least for me, it was also about meeting new people, experiencing the local food, trying to understand different values. For two months my wife and daughter (she is 9) were in Athens with me, and together we were able to travel to Orlando, San Francisco, and Washington. The experiences we had together were extraordinary, and my daughter was impressed enough to declare that she plans to come to college at UGA, probably around 2032.
"I would say that the Fulbright TEA Program is ultimately about people. It is about a hardworking and committed team of professionals being there at your every beck and call. A collective effort meant to ensure a safe and rewarding time and space for each and every participant irrespective of their ethnicity, race, gender, religion or ableness. It is an enlightening lesson about democracy, acceptance and equity. Far-reaching and all-embracing!"
"My Fulbright experience at University of Illinois in Chicago, College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs reshaped the boundaries of my world and broadened my horizon. The Fulbright experience is all about helping you explore your skills to the fullest. Speaking as someone who loves a challenge, the Fulbright experience was everything I had hoped it would be."
"Writing about my Fulbright experience in the past tense is probably one of the hardest things I had to do in my adult life, not because I am unable to, nor am I the type of person who easily becomes overly nostalgic, but simply because it was an experience I would have never wanted to end. The further in time I get from it, the more I feel how it has changed me, how spending forty-five days immersed in such a transformative environment turned me into an even more focused professional, a better teacher and overall, an improved human being."
I am very thankful and proud of my Fulbright Scholarship, this was the gateway for my first time in the United States of America and to gaining a fantastic insight into entrepreneurial culture. [...] I feel I have an improved mindset and plan to apply, shift and transfer some of this added value in the years to come in all my career projects.
Living and researching in the U.S. as a Fulbright scholar representing Romania is a life-changing experience, and I truly believe that any student, teacher or researcher should apply. This is an effective way we could use to bring about change in our academic system, both by enriching our education and by developing new educational and cultural relationships.