MILOŠ VUJOVIĆ
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Why Fulbright Matters Now More than Ever
O
pen any serious news source and you will
need to be built. That is why Fulbright, as the
find a long list of critical problems facing
world’s leading international exchange program, is
our world today – war, climate change,
so important today.
international refugee crises, inequality, misinfor-
Through the Fulbright Finland Foundation, I
mation, and more. With a list this extensive, it is
have witnessed how Fulbright scholars around the
hard to remain both informed and optimistic.
world have been brought together to discuss arctic
As a career diplomat, I deal with this list on a
issues along with indigenous Sámi people. In the
daily basis. Solving these challenges is not getting
U.S., the Fulbright-Amizade in Appalachia initia-
any easier.
tive unites coal-mining communities with future
During my time as a Fulbright Finland scholar at
leaders to discuss sore topics like climate change
Georgetown University, I learned about three major
and immigration. With fellow Fulbright scholars
phenomena that are disrupting our world: how we
from four continents, I am soon traveling to Israel
communicate; the nature of work; and, our rapidly
to celebrate a wedding of my dear friend – the first
changing environment.
Arab Christian ambassador.
Miika Tomi 2015–2016 ASLA-Fulbright Graduate Grantee at Georgetown University Miika Tomi is a Foreign Service Officer at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. Previously he has served at the World Bank, as an adviser for the Prime Minister and as a UN peacekeeper in Chad.
How we communicate has changed. For the first time in history the majority of humankind is able to read, write, and share their ideas to a wider audience. Yet, the democratization of communication combined with the transformation of media has led to polarization. Our jobs are not the same either. The World Bank suggests that two-thirds of all jobs in developing countries are at risk of automation. Technical transformation is happening now – self-driving cars and
The challenges we face can only be solved by factdriven and internationally collaborative solutions.
automated cashiers are no longer unimaginable. As employment is often linked to personal identity and self-dignity, automation is likely to bring further instability and increase inequality.
Fulbright has made all these experiences happen
Our living environment is changing. Climate
for me and over 380,000 other alumni. It connects
change, urbanization, and new waves of migration
leading experts from different backgrounds like
all mean that our way of life is constantly evolving –
no other program does – and only diversity can
the world looks very different now than it did two
produce the extraordinary solutions for our over-
generations ago, and I’m certain the future will
whelming challenges.
look equally (if not more) different.
Senator Fulbright once said that “The simple purpose of the exchange program...is to erode the
How can we best solve these tremendous challenges facing our world?
culturally rooted mistrust that sets nations against
The challenges we face can only be solved by fact-
cea but an avenue of hope…”
one another. The exchange program is not a pana-
driven and internationally collaborative solutions.
So, when all hope seems lost, just remember
No nation is powerful enough to solve global prob-
that there is a Fulbright scholar somewhere trying
lems alone. Bridges within and between nations
to make the world a better place.
8 | www.fulbright.fi