Milestone in Finnish-American Cooperation
From the Executive Director Diplomacy at its best. This is how the U.S. Ambassador to Finland Bruce J. Oreck recently described the Finnish-American Fulbright exchange. He emphasized that Fulbright is not merely an academic program, but diplomacy at its best. The current year marks the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Fulbright Agreement between the Governments of the United States and Finland. The stature of the agreement is widely recognized and thus it has been commemorated in both countries by a great number of events and communications (p. 5-6). It was especially heartwarming for the Fulbright Center to receive a letter signed by President Sauli Niinistö, which stated that “the Finnish-American Fulbright program has become a model of excellence for the world’s most well-known global exchange network.” We are much honored to publish the President’s letter in this anniversary issue of the Fulbright Center News (p. 4). I also have the great pleasure to introduce the invited columnist of this special issue, the Speaker of the Parliament of Finland, Mr. Eero Heinäluoma (p. 2). Mr. Heinäluoma quite rightly reminds us of the origin and history of the FinnishAmerican program, for it is unique within the world-wide Fulbright community of more than 150 countries. He also emphasizes Fulbright’s role in strengthening the ties between Finland and the United States, and in creating lasting networks in so many important fields, from academia to culture, trade and politics. I am pleased to report that despite economic uncertainties in recent years, the number of Fulbright Center grantees keeps growing. During this past academic year the Center had a total of 86 grantees, as compared to 69 grantees three years earlier (p. 22). In his anniversary remarks, State Secretary Olli-Pekka Heinonen defined four key reasons behind Fulbright’s success in Finland (p. 5.). One of the four key factors is Fulbright’s ability to create partnerships. The program is built on collaboration between governments, public and private partner organizations, the higher education and research sectors, private foundations, and an ever-growing number of alumni and private citizens on both sides of the Atlantic. Fulbright is fundamentally a joint effort, and we are happy to acknowledge that credit for the achievements belongs to everyone involved. The Board and the staff team of the Fulbright Center in Helsinki wish to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt thanks to all who have contributed to the continuing success of the Finnish-American Fulbright Program, now and during these remarkable 60 years. Happy Anniversary!
Terhi Mölsä
This sixty-year anniversary of the signing of the Fulbright Agreement between Finland and the United States marks an important milestone in FinnishAmerican cooperation. The Fulbright program started in 1946 after the U.S. Congress passed the law on selling surplus U.S. government war property to fund international exchange between the U.S. and other countries. When Finland joined the program in 1952, it was still a rural society with a fairly limited amount of international exchange, but the war years were over and Finland was gradually returning to the international scene. Understandably there were some limitations to our foreign policy options and this made it all the more important to utilize other, softer foreign policy instruments. Since its birth, the ASLAFulbright Program has brought more than 3500 Finnish students and researchers to the United States – quite a respectable number for a small country. More than 1500 American students, scholars and professionals have had the opportunity to study in Finland and take home experiences that we hope are both academically useful and memorable. Science and education have been international in nature well before the age of globalization, and exchange in these fields offers people the unique opportunity to experience the culture and society of another country while belonging to an international community of researchers, students or teachers. It is safe to say that in addition to all its academic merits, the Fulbright program has also had an important role in strengthening ties between Finland and the USA, and in creating lasting networks in so many important fields, from the academic world to culture, trade and politics. On a general level, it is of utmost importance for us that Finland remains an interesting partner for the USA. We need to ensure that the quality of our
education remains high on all levels. We also need to continue to invest in research and development to ensure that we can produce results and innovations that contribute to a general spirit of cooperation. I would, for example, like to see much more direct interaction between Members of Congress and Members of Parliament in Finland and other Scandinavian and European countries. This is an area where there is still room for new networks, perhaps especially among the younger generation of political leaders. Joint meetings and seminars on central topics could contribute to a deeper understanding between our continents, and also help us maintain a political environment in which our common democratic ideas and values remain closely connected. I would like to see Finland in the forefront of strengthening the transatlantic relation. In Finland, as in the U.S., we highly value mutual trust and cooperation. As a Finn, and a former Finance Minister, it is still heart-warming to hear how some Americans remember Finland as the only European country to pay back the loan it received from the United States after the First World War. The payments were made even during the difficult war years. Indeed, when the U.S. Congress decided to channel the repayments it received on its loan into scholarships for Finnish students, it was a substantial tribute to Finland as a trustworthy partner.
Eero Heinäluoma Speaker of the Parliament of Finland