A new year has started: welcome to 2020, a year full of opportunities. With the start of a new year come New Year's resolutions. I definitely have some, and I’d like to share one of them with you: I want Fulbright Austria to gain more visibility. I would like to highlight the various facets of the impact that Fulbright Austria has on the lives of so many students, teaching assistants, scientists, and artists on both sides of the Atlantic. Have a look at the variety of impressions provided by our program participants, alumni, and partners—and stay tuned to hear about our incoming cohort of US scholars and their exciting projects starting at the end of February.

In the next two years, we will have wonderful opportunities to raise awareness of Fulbright Austria’s impact as we celebrate “70 years of bright minds”: in 2020 we will celebrate the founding of the Austrian Fulbright commission in 1950, and in 2021 we will celebrate the first academic exchange in 1951. We hope that you will joind us on June 10, 2020, and June 10, 2021. The details are still a secret and will be disclosed continuously over the upcoming months. In addition to these two main festivities, we will also have events hosted by friends and partners of Fulbright Austria to celebrate “70 years of bright minds” from the US and Austria. Look out for what will be happening near you—there will be numerous possibilities to engage with the Fulbright community and reconnect with your old friends.

The past 70 years are full of stories. The Fulbright stories you have shared with us highlight the different impressions you gained during your Fulbright experience. As diverse as these impressions are, the image of Fulbright Austria you have in your mind is also highly personal. For the “70 years of bright minds” celebration, we want to engage with you and your view of Fulbright Austria via different media. Sharpen your pencils, get your easles and brushes ready, and start your graphic workstation; soon we will reach out to you with more information on interesting ways you can share your ideas, stories, and initiative to help us celebrate 70 years of mutual understanding and cultural exchange.

With this, I want to wish all current and former Fulbright Austria program participants, partners, and friends a good start to the New Year. We look forward to your continued support in the year ahead. May it be a year full of happiness and success for us all!

Best regards,

Hermann Agis, PhD
Executive Director