Embassy News 2007
Fulbright Program Reaches Half-Century Mark
An estimated 250 people attended a reception February 23 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Fulbright Program in Iceland. Keynote speaker Harriet Mayor Fulbright described the origins of the premiere educational exchange program and the vision of her husband, Senator J. William Fulbright.
Minister of Education, Science and Culture Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir thanked the U.S. Government and Mrs. Fulbright for the important exchange program, which has allowed more than 800 Icelanders to further their education in the United States, and given more than 300 Americans, the opportunity to study, teach, or conduct research in Iceland.
Attending the reception were current U.S. and Icelandic Fulbrighters, as well as notable Icelandic Fulbrighters from earlier years, including former Supreme Court Justice Ármann Snævarr, several Ambassadors from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Valur Ingimundarson, a respected political commentator, Dr. Einar Stefansson, a well-known eye surgeon. Also attending the reception was Knútur Hallsson, the last remaining member of the Icelandic Government who was present at the original signing ceremony for the Fulbright Program 50 years ago.
At the reception, Lára Jónsdóttir, Executive Director of the Fulbright Commission, was presented with a State Department Certificate of Appreciation for her office, signed by Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs Dina Powell.
Earlier in the week, Mrs. Fulbright delivered open lectures at the
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| Mrs. Fulbright delivered an open lecture at the Reykjavik University |
University of Iceland, Bifröst University and Reykjavik University. Both major daily newspapers, Frettabladid (75,000 readers) and Morgunbladid (53,000 subscribers) covered the Fulbright anniversary and Mrs. Fulbright’s trip, and Mrs. Fulbright was interviewed for five minutes on TV Channel 2 by a journalist and former Fulbrighter, who studied international relations at Johns Hopkins University. Iceland Review, an English language magazine, plans a multi-page article about Mrs. Fulbright and the Fulbright Program in Iceland in its next edition.
The magazine is published quarterly and reaches subscribers in over 100 countries. It is also distributed around the world through Icelandic embassies, leading Icelandic companies, and at select newstands in the United States. RUV radio, which is heard by 40 percent of the population, also reported on the 50th anniversary of the program in Iceland.