FROM THE BOARD CHAIR 2019 was a momentous year for Fulbright Australia as we worked to commemorate the legacy of the program, continue our mission to foster learning on an international scale, and to reinforce our commitment to developing the next generation of Australian and American leaders. November 26, 2019 marked 70 years since the signing of the Fulbright Treaty (the first treaty between the United States and Australia) by the fifth U.S. Ambassador to Australia, The Hon. Pete Jarman, and Australian Minister for External Affairs, The Rt. Hon. Dr H.V. Evatt. The treaty formalised the uniquely close bilateral relationship, one that has evolved and expanded to have a presence in every aspect of Australian society and government. Senator Fulbright himself wrote: “The most sensible way to [build trust and confidence] is to engage the parties in joint ventures for mutually constructive and beneficial purposes, such as trade, medical research, and the development of cheaper energy sources. To formulate and negotiate agreements of this kind requires well-educated people leading or advising our government. To this purpose the Fulbright program is dedicated." The Fulbright treaty has established a clear place in our bilateral history, and with it comes a responsibility to continue encouraging the best of our two countries to undertake collaborative academic and social exchange. Enabling programs of international learning and the development of future Leaders has been the foundation of Fulbright’s 70-year mission. In 2019 we saw more Australian and American Fulbright Scholars awarded than any previous year. Generous university and government funding together with philanthropic funding from the Kinghorn Foundation enabled us, for the first time, to offer fullyfunded programs of study and research, covering tuition and visiting researcher fees thus making Fulbright Scholarships more accessible than ever before. This investment has already begun to pay dividends, as the first of the 2019 Future Scholars begin to return from their programs of research with new collaborative linkages in fields such as regenerative medicine, improving our ability to treat “untreatable” diseases; data security, enabling greater control over digital assets in the quantum age; and materials science, increasing the efficiency and efficacy of the technologies we will rely on more and more for renewable energy production.
Later in 2020, our student cohort will graduate from master’s degrees at some of the world’s most prestigious universities and return home to continue their careers, rich with knowledge, wisdom, enhanced professional networks and new friendships. They will share their stories and connections, inspiring a new generation to take their own leap of faith across the Pacific, and the cascading benefits of the Fulbright Program will continue exponentially. The Fulbright Program has always been about educating and creating opportunities for leaders. Across the globe, approximately 40 Fulbright alumni have served as heads of state or government, and countless others have become leaders in local, state, and federal government. Two of our alums in fact, Greg Hunt and Paul Fletcher, are currently ministers in the Australian Cabinet, and alumna Clare O’Neil is Shadow Minister for Innovation, Technology and the Future of Work. Yet leadership is not confined to government. Fulbright alumni are spearheading crucial research projects, leading culturally important institutions, and developing and refining policy to inform government, industry, and business alike. In December 2019 the Australian Government backed all ten recommendations from the Coaldrake Review, aimed at improving our higher education system, written by two-time Fulbright alum (and former Fulbright Board Chair) Professor Peter Coaldrake. A month prior to this, 2019 Fulbright Future Scholar and former Paralympian Dr Paul Harpur addressed the United Nations to put forward recommendations from his research concerning disability rights and inclusion in the global job market. In September, 2002 Fulbright alum Stacy Jupiter was awarded a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, recognizing her work leading marine conservation research in the South Pacific. There are myriad examples of Fulbright leadership, and there will be many more as our 5,000-strong alumni network continues to grow. I’d like to thank my fellow board members, and bid a grateful farewell to those who finished their terms in 2019 – Laura Anderson, Rachel Cooke, and Greg Wilcock. A warm welcome to David Gainer and Sara James. I’d like to thank the entire Fulbright Commission team, too, for their hard work managing a rapidly-expanding and increasinglycomplex scholarships program. A special thanks goes to Scholarships Manager Tara Hawley, after four years of service to Fulbright. Finally, a sincere and heartfelt thank-you to all of our supporters, volunteers, and well-wishers, without whom the Program would not have lasted a year, let alone seventy. Peter de Cure Chair, Australian-American Fulbright Commission Board of Directors
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Fulbright Australia continues to grow and flourish, promoting the exchange of knowledge and ideas at a time when mutual understanding globally is as important as it was when the program was established in the aftermath of World War II. We awarded more scholarships in 2019 than ever before in our 70-year history, and we are poised to have an even larger cohort of awardees in 2020. Our new Strategic Plan provides a road map for the next five years leading up to our 75th anniversary. Our vision: “Fulbright is the leading and most innovative international scholarship program in Australia. Our scholars are making enduring contributions for the betterment of Australia, the United States, and the world.” Our mission: “We provide opportunities to exceptional Australian and American students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals of all backgrounds to enrich their education; advance their careers; establish productive and lasting connections and collaborations; foster mutual understanding, and deepen the unique bilateral partnership between Australia and the United States.”
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In order to fully realize our vision and mission, we will ensure that our broad range of scholarship programs in all disciplines and at all levels promote academic and professional excellence. We will establish enduring partnerships between individuals and institutions, thanks to the generosity and support of all our sponsors and of The Kinghorn Foundation. We will elevate the Fulbright experience to a wide audience in order to promote thought leadership and enable Australians and Americans to solve problems and work together to achieve common goals. Finally, the small but highly dedicated and productive Commission team will continue to maintain the highest level of performance in managing one of the most vibrant Fulbright programs in the world. Thomas Dougherty U.S. Ambassador (ret.) Executive Director Australian-American Fulbright Commission