Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

Latest News & Highlights South and Southeast Asia Earthquake and Tsunami, 2004 "Thousands of lives have been lost in a few moments, but the lingering effects will be there for years. The damage that was caused, the rebuilding of schools and other facilities, will take time. So you need a quick infusion to stabilize the situation, take care of those who have been injured, get immediate relief supplies in, and then you begin planning for the longer haul.” -- Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, Washington, DC, December 27, 2004 >> Learn more and find out how you can help >> Undergraduates from Middle East to come to Washington for Leadership Workshop The U.S. Department of State will welcome the first group of students in the “Partnerships for Learning Undergraduate Studies” (PLUS) program to Washington DC for a Leadership Workshop January 13-16. The students have completed one semester of academic study at American universities. More >> The International Student Visa Process in the Post-9/11 World On January 6, 2005, a Foreign Press briefing on "Opportunity and Responsibility: The International Student Visa Process in the Post-9/11 World" was held with Michael Garcia, Assistant Secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security; Patricia Harrison, Assistant Secretary for Education and Cultural Affairs, Department of State; and Janice Jacobs, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs, Department of State. More >> Remarks by Secretary of State Colin L. Powell at the 2004 J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding Ceremony "As many times as I've presided over ceremonies and other events in this room, I never get over the sense of awe I feel every time I walk in here. And as I've passed in and out of this room over the past four years, my hope has always been that I might live up to the responsibilities of my office as given to me by those who are our Founding Fathers, who came down through history, this legacy of what they had achieved." More >> Secretary of State Colin L. Powell recognizes the efforts of ECA CultureConnect Ambassadors On Monday, December 13, Secretary Powell recognized the efforts of ECA's CultureConnect Ambassadors in a special ceremony at the Department of State. These talented Americans, our first group of "Cultural Ambassadors" under the CultureConnect program, have given generously of their time and talents over the course of the last year, traveling to countries around the globe to engage with the successor generation through their art, music, and work. More

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) fosters mutual understanding between the United States and other countries through international educational and training programs. The bureau does so by promoting personal, professional, and institutional ties between private citizens and organizations in the United States and abroad, as well as by presenting U.S. history, society, art and culture in all of its diversity to overseas audiences.

The Fulbright Program provides grants for Graduate Students, Scholars and Professionals, and Teachers and Administrators. This site includes Fulbright Commissions and other information on the program.

EducationUSA promotes U.S. higher education abroad, supports overseas advising centers, collaborates with U.S. educational organizations to strengthen international exchange, and manages the Gilman study abroad scholarship program.

The Office of English Language Programs creates and implements high quality, targeted English language programs overseas to promote mutual understanding between the United States and other countries. Staff, including overseas-based Regional English Language Officers, plan, conduct and support programs sponsored by American Embassies and Consulates.

Programs for Eurasia and Southeast Europe include activities involving individual fellowships or institutional linkages.

Requests for Grant Proposals announce the latest bureau funding opportunities for academic, and non-profit institutions seeking exchanges and training grants.

The Humphrey Fellowships bring mid-level professionals from developing countries to the United States for a year of academic study and professional experiences.

Study of the U.S. promotes better understanding of the U.S. through Summer Institutes for foreign university faculty. This site also contains an extensive number of links to on-line American Studies resources.

Educational Partnerships Program supports educational linkages between U.S. and foreign post-secondary institutions through faculty and staff exchanges on themes of mutual interest.

The International Visitor Leadership Program brings participants to the U.S. to meet and confer with professional counterparts and to experience firsthand the U.S. and its institutions.

The Office of Citizen Exchanges develops professional, cultural and youth programs with nonprofit American institutions, including voluntary community organizations, professional associations, and universities. Thematic categories for grants include civil society, NGO development, civic education, media development, judicial training, intellectual property rights, and public administration among other themes. The office has three geographic divisions — Europe/Eurasia; Near East, South Asia and Africa; and Western Hemisphere and East Asia — as well as divisions for youth and cultural, including ECA's CultureConnect web site.

International Cultural Property Protection represents U.S. responsibilities in protecting the cultural patrimony of other countries.

The Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation, established by Congress for the fiscal year 2001, aims to assist less developed countries in preserving their cultural heritage and to demonstrate U.S. respect for other cultures.

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