US looking to grow Fulbright corpus

The United States Educational Foundation in India (USEFI) is looking at ways and means of enhancing availability of funds for its Fulbright fellowships.

The US government's budgetary allocation for the programme has remained stable at $1.35 million while another $2.39 million is received from various other sources both Indian and American.

Addressing a press gathering at the American Centre on Friday, Jane E Schukoske, executive director of USEFI, said the administrators were looking for funding be it in cash or kind.

Schukoske pointed out the number of Fulbright Scholars going to the US was far less than the number of Fulbright scholars coming to India for research.

She said 65 fellowships were provided last year to Indians while as many as 82 came to India for research. The number in the previous year was 52 Indian going to US while 75 US students received fellowships to visit India.

In the last five years, 246 Fulbright Fellows have gone to the US while 312 have come to India.

The Fulbright Fellowship programme was also trying to woo students from north-east India because student turnouts from this part of the country was nearly non-existent. Schukoske was in Kolkata to announce this year Fulbright programme.