ٍEuro international News : A US official told IBS News on Friday that the US State Department will not continue Fulbright’s prestigious foreign student program in Afghanistan
Last year, 140 people were nominated for the semi-final, but the fate of the program was unclear after the US withdrew and Kabul collapsed.
IBS News reports that the news of the “devastating” suspension of the program came on Friday afternoon, after months of delays in interviewing applicants.
A State Department official also told IBS News that the selection process for the Fulbright International Student Program in Afghanistan for the 2022-23 academic year will not proceed due to significant barriers affecting the US ability to provide a secure exchange of experience.
The U.S. official said he recognizes the considerable time and effort that current applicants have invested and also understands that this decision is disappointing.
According to ABC News, this opportunity is not limited to applicants who have reached the semi-finals, but in fact the program is currently suspended.
“At the moment, we do not accept the demands of the Fulbright program in Afghanistan,” he said. “If the situation changes so that we can once again support Fulbright opportunities for Afghan students, we will re-apply for this program.”
However, the Fulbright program and its benefits continue for more than 100 Fulbright students from Afghanistan studying in the United States. The State Department did not provide details about the students’ return to Afghanistan.
The Fulbright Program is administered by the State Department’s Office of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The program was created by Congress in 1946 with the goal of building international relations by providing financial assistance to US citizens to study or teach abroad and to non-US citizens to study in the United States.
