Libyan university educators are to be offered fully-funded Fulbright scholarships to some of the largest and most prestigious universities in America as part of a programme supported by the US government.The scholarships, which will be ten weeks in duration, are open to any Libyan with less than five years of teaching experience with Libyan universities. This is the first time the US has ever offered the scholarship for Libyan junior faculty members.A total of 60 places are available, and the deadline for applications is 30 November 2012, with the courses due to commence in the summer of 2013.The scholarships are open in a total of six different disciplines: Teaching English as a Foreign Language; Engineer;Business Administration, Information Technology; Public Administration; Public Health; and Natural Sciences.Other types of Fulbright Scholarship currently in Libya include the Fulbright Foreign Student Programme, the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FTLA), and the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Programme.Established in 1946 by US Senator J. William Fulbright, the Fulbright Scholarship Programme offers competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists.
It aims to take American students to universities abroad, and foreign students to universities in the United States and aspires to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.As of 2011, approximately 310,000 Fulbrighters from over 155 countries had participated in the programme since its inception. To date, a total of 44 Fulbright Alumni are recipients of Nobel Prizes.
