In brief
A dozen members of the Fulbright program board have announced their resignation, citing political interference from the Trump administration and concerns over the cancellation of nearly 200 scholarships.
The prestigious Fulbright program, aimed at fostering international educational exchanges, faced a significant crisis as its board resigned en masse over perceived political meddling by the Trump administration. According to a draft memo obtained by The New York Times, the board members are alarmed by the actions of political appointees at the State Department, who allegedly cancelled awards for almost 200 American scholars and researchers scheduled to work overseas due to the nature of their research topics.Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire, is among the board members voicing concerns about these cancellations, which occurred despite the board's approval of these scholars following an extensive selection process. The board expected acceptance letters to be dispatched by April, but instead, they initiated the rejection notifications.The ramifications may extend beyond U.S. scholars, as the State Department has also begun reviewing applications from around 1,200 foreign scholars who were already approved to come to the U.S. The draft memo indicates that board members opted to resign rather than support actions they believe violate legal norms and compromise U.S. interests, undermining the mission of the nearly 80-year-old Fulbright program. The board's resignation letter was sent to the White House ahead of a public announcement of their decision.
