Fulbright Program Celebrates its 75th Anniversary Under the Theme “IMPACT: 75 Years of Global Actions, Opportunities, and Connections.”
The Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State’s flagship international exchange program, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year under the theme “IMPACT: 75 Years of Global Actions, Opportunities, and Connections.” Virtual and in-person activities across the globe will showcase the program’s positive impact on individuals, institutions, and communities in the United States and internationally. “Fulbright is about taking a perceived divide and narrowing it,” said Suzanne Moyer Baazet, Fulbright alumna and Vice-President of Nevo Technologies in Rabat. “There are things about American culture and Moroccan culture that are very similar… I think that finding those commonalities… is where a lot of potential lies.”
The Moroccan-American Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange (MACECE) delivers 13 core programs under the wider Fulbright program. More than 3,000 Moroccans and Americans have benefited from the Fulbright program through MACECE since its establishment in 1982.
Led by the U.S. government in partnership with more than 160 countries worldwide, Fulbright offers exchange opportunities for students, scholars, artists, teachers, and professionals of all backgrounds, and has already shaped the lives of more than 370,000 grantees.
August 1 marks the anniversary of President Harry Truman’s signing of the act that launched the Fulbright program in 1946. MACECE is celebrating the Fulbright program’s 75th anniversary through Fulbright Dardasha or virtual “informal chats” with alumni, Hikayat, or blogs written by Fulbrighters capturing their experiences in the U.S. and Morocco, as well as a video series called “Humans of Fulbright Morocco” which highlights notable alumni who have reached great professional and personal heights following their Fulbright programs. “If you feel in your heart that you can make an impact in your community, then the Fulbright Program is your gateway,” Moroccan Fulbright Alumnus Abdelmounim Ait Hammou said of the program.
More than 2,700 Moroccans have participated in the Fulbright program and include notable figures like Dr. Driss Ouaouicha (Minister Delegate of Higher Education), Youssouf Amine Elalamy (Professor and Writer), Jamaa Baida (Director, National Archives of Morocco), Ismail Douiri (Co-Director of Attijariwafa Bank), Ahmed Reda Chami (President of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council), Najlae Benmbarek (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Fatima Zohra Rachidi (Vice President of the Gabriel Company), and El Yasmine Hasnaoui (The American Academy, Casablanca).
For more information on the Fulbright Program and application, please visit the MACECE Website or Fulbright Morocco on Facebook.
