Tulane wins national award for providing scholarships for returning Peace Corps volunteers, Fulbrighters
The Institute of International Education (IIE) has awarded the Centennial Medal to Tulane University to recognize its leadership in international education and its support for the Fulbright Program through the Tulane University 2020 Peace Corps and Fulbright Initiative.
Tulane is making graduate study more accessible to U.S. Peace Corps volunteers and Fulbright student grantees called back from international placements because of concerns over the spread of COVID-19 by offering significant tuition scholarships for returning PCVs and Fulbrighters who are admitted to and enter Tulane graduate programs starting in summer 2020, fall 2020 and spring 2021.
“As a university with a strong tradition of public service and global studies, Tulane and its president, Michael Fitts, have demonstrated a commitment to supporting inclusive, global education at a time when international cooperation is so crucial to addressing shared international challenges,” said IIE president Allan E. Goodman. “We are deeply grateful for Tulane’s partnership and support for the Fulbright Program at this difficult time, and we know this initiative will be a welcome source of hope and support for the students who are seeking ways to continue to pursue their academic and civic aspirations in the years ahead.”
Fitts said he is “profoundly honored and deeply touched” to receive the IIE’s Centennial award and lauded Tulane’s deans, provost and other campus administrators for launching this special scholarship program in the midst of a public health crisis.
“It took the collective will of our academic leadership to bring this about and enable us to welcome these exemplary students who were recalled from their overseas volunteer efforts and scholarly experiences. We want to ensure that these students have the opportunity to engage in multidiscipline education and research that will prepare them to have an even greater impact when international travel and exchange is possible again,” Fitts said. “International education is a critical part of Tulane’s goal of crossing boundaries between fields of knowledge and bringing the best minds and expertise together to solve societal problems.”
IIE celebrated its 100th anniversary by recognizing key partners in their mission to build a more peaceful and equitable world through academic and cultural exchange. The IIE Centennial Medal is awarded to select organizations and individuals that have contributed to the field of international education through government service, leadership in academic exchange and global mobility, philanthropic excellence, and corporate support for the advancement of international education and relations.
The Institute of International Education is the leading not-for-profit organization in the field of international educational exchange and development training. IIE collaborates with a range of corporate, government and foundation partners across the globe to design and manage scholarship, study abroad, workforce training and leadership development programs; conducts research on international academic mobility; and administers the Fulbright Program on behalf of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
