Last week, the State Department recognized eight of America’s leading research universities that are also Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) as Fulbright HSI Leaders.
The recognition acknowledges the institutions’ commitment to supporting educational opportunities for Hispanic students as well promoting engagement on campus with the prestigious Fulbright programs run by the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs. The programs offer students and scholars in the United States the opportunity to study, teach, conduct research, or carry out other professional projects abroad.
According to the State Department, the Fulbright HSI Leader initiative “encourages administrators, faculty and students at HSIs to engage with Fulbright and highlights the strength of HSIs as destinations for international students and scholars.”
Arizona State University topped the list of 28 doctoral Fulbright HSI Leaders. According to ASU Executive Vice President and University Provost Nancy Gonzales, this is the third year in a row that ASU has been designated as a Fulbright HSI Leader.
ASU was designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution in 2022; HSIs are nonprofit institutions where at least 25% of the undergraduate student body is Hispanic. Gonzales said that the recognition demonstrates the university’s “ongoing commitment to promote global exchange and scholarship opportunities for students and scholars who have historically been underrepresented in this critical higher-education experience.”
Other AAU members recognized as Fulbright HSI Leaders include Texas A&M University; the University of Texas at Austin; the University of Arizona; the University of California, Irvine; the University of California, Riverside; the University of California, Santa Barbara; and the University of California, Santa Cruz.
In total, the State Department recognized 51 colleges and universities as Fulbright HSI Leaders.
Kritika Agarwal is senior editorial officer at AAU.