South & Central Asia Fulbright Conference held in Kolkata

It was attended by 125 US Fulbright scholars from India, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Fulbright Commission staff from Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan were also present.

According to the participants, the conference was an excellent opportunity for networking with fellow Fulbrighters from various countries. They also discussed educational exchange issues and suggested changes for the development and enhancement of the Fulbright program.

Adam Grotsky, Executive Director, USIEF, said, "We are thrilled to be hosting the annual South and Central Asia conference in Kolkata."

He also highlighted that the annual conference is an opportunity to reflect on USIEF institutional mission, the promotion of mutual understanding and the role of Fulbrighters in reaching this goal.

Jeffrey Sexton, Minister Counsellor for Public Affairs, US Embassy, New Delhi, stressed on the role which the Fulbright exchange programs play for preserving and improving the bilateral relationships between the US and the rest of the world and explained his point via an anecdote from his teaching days.

Nabanita Chakrabarti, Under Secretary (Americas), Ministry of External Affairs was present at the inaugural session.

A wide range of subjects was covered in the three-day long conference, including Agriculture & Forestry, Public Health, History, Area Studies, Music & Ethnomusicology, Business, Finance & Development and Science & Technology.

(Reporting by Sagar Ghosh)

Image: USIEF Twitter