The University of Delaware on Tuesday, Aug. 8, welcomed 80 new faces from 50-plus countries to campus for a one-week Fulbright Gateway Orientation.

The participants, recipients of a prestigious Fulbright Award, will begin their graduate studies or a visiting scholar residency at one of more than 35 universities across the United States.

“Being selected as a Fulbrighter is an impressive accomplishment, and we’re honored to work with participants as they transition to their successful academic and social lives in the United States,” said Dan Bottomley, associate director for global partnerships and programs at UD’s Institute for Global Studies.

Before the Fulbrighters venture to their respective destination, they’ll engage in training on subjects ranging from U.S. academic culture and cross-cultural understanding to networking and the politics and peoples of the United States.

Participants will also hear from a panel of current Fulbright students and will tour iconic locations including Longwood Gardens and Independence National Historic Park in Philadelphia.

The Fulbright Gateway Orientation is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, administered by the Institute of International Education and hosted at the University of Delaware by the Institute for Global Studies. University participation includes the Office for International Students and Scholars, Office of Academic Enrichment, Office of Equity and Inclusion, Student Wellness and Health Promotion and departments of Communication and Political Science & International Relations.

Fulbright at the University of Delaware

This fall, UD will welcome two new Fulbright Students from Azerbaijan and Jordan. They will join 10 other Fulbright Foreign Students and more than 170 members of the University community who have received Fulbright awards.

“Fulbright Foreign Students bring an abundance of enthusiasm and spirit to our University and to the Newark community,” noted Vina Titaley, sponsored student coordinator at UD’s Office for International Students and Scholars. “They not only bring a wealth of knowledge but have contributed their creative ideas and are eager to share their culture in many of the events we’ve held on campus.”

The Fulbright Program, founded in 1945 by U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright, is one of the world’s premier international education exchange programs. Grounded in the principle that exchange is essential in developing mutual understanding between people of the United States and other countries, Fulbright offers thousands of grants, and approximately 4,000 to foreign students, each year.

For more information on the Fulbright Gateway Orientation, contact Vina Titaley or follow along @UDGlobal on Instagram and Twitter.

About the Institute for Global Studies

The Institute for Global Studies (IGS) was created in 2009 to enhance the international dimensions of teaching, research and outreach at the University of Delaware. IGS provides leadership and support for programs and experiences that contribute to the education of informed, skilled, open-minded citizens of the world.

Best known for coordinating the University’s study abroad program, IGS also awards scholarships and grants to faculty and students, administers State Department-sponsored programs such as the UD Fulbright Initiative, Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Student Leaders Institute and the Study of the U.S. Institutes for Student Leaders on Women’s Leadership (SUSI-WL) program, and sponsors globally focused events throughout the year.

IGS collaborates with campus partners, including the Office for International Students and Scholars, the Confucius Institute and the Center for Global and Area Studies. In addition, IGS partners with Enrollment Management to coordinate the UD World Scholars Program.