When I interview candidates for a Fulbright grant, my own Fulbright background definitely impacts my approach to the task. I look for a combination of intellectual acumen, inquisitiveness, passion for the proposed project (or goal), and open-mindedness as well as intercultural sensitivity. The prestige of a Fulbright grant is enormous in US academe; therefore, it is very important that those selected for a grant really represent the “best and the brightest” Austria can send off as cultural ambassadors. From my point of view, a Fulbright grant is not a means to give someone a chance to improve their English, spend a year abroad, get away from their home for a while, or have a fun time courtesy of two governments and alums. Yes, all of the above may indeed be part of the rich experience a Fulbright grant provides, but the substance of meriting such an award lies elsewhere: a Fulbrighter is expected to be academically outstanding and believe in the value of knowledge acquisition in a competitive, challenging university environment. A Fulbrighter is expected to gain knowledge, competence, and skills that will serve a community at large. A Fulbrighter is expected to be or become interculturally astute and promote mutual understanding in their professional engagements—not once or twice but lifelong.

When I ask Fulbright applicants about the purpose of their project for their studies in the US, I am sometimes surprised about their lack of intellectual preparation and the absence of a serious cause necessitating a stay in the United States. If somebody hopes to be selected for a scholarship, they ought to reflect on the trajectory of their education and its purpose: What do they want to achieve? What long-term goals do they want to reach and why will they be able to reach them successfully only by means of time spent in US academe? How will their stay there inform their activities back in Austria? What kind of transformational role do they want to assume once back in Austria?

These are important questions on my mind—and when I read applications and project descriptions, I look for sparks of passion and depth of self-reflection. I want to be impressed. I want to be amazed by the applicant’s thought process and its articulation. I do not appreciate average (or even below-average) grades, run-of-the-mill transcripts, a CV that indicates “going-with-the-flow” rather than “rising-above,” a cliché-filled personal statement, or a boring project description that uses banalities rather than well-thought-out statements ringing with authenticity and civic purpose. I really bear in mind what kind of collective reputation any individual Fulbright grantee is expected to preserve.

While I was a university professor in the US, I served on selection committees for US applicants who hoped to be chosen for a Fulbright in Austria. For the past years, I have had the honor of being on panels interviewing Austrians hoping to study in the US. It is definitely one of several ways Fulbright alums can stay connected with the Fulbright Program. Attending Fulbright events always gives alums a chance to meet up with other Fulbrighters, have fun, and renew their own gratitude for the experiences derived from their own Fulbright stay. Fulbright alums can also manifest their gratitude by supporting Fulbright Austria through financial contributions and thus make it possible to maintain or expand the numbers of grants available. We surely want to see the Fulbright community grow and see the social and professional impact of all these bright minds!

I applied for the Fulbright Program in 2016 and having heard much about how life-changing of an experience Fulbright is, I was nervous and excited at the same time. I spent many hours preparing for substantive and personal questions on the interview, but ultimately, I also told myself that it was about being confident in what you know and staying authentic in portraying your views, passions, and ambitions throughout the interview. The interview was a pleasure but certainly challenging too because of the many brilliant and also critical questions, but that’s what makes Fulbright so unique: the program is looking for personalities who are not only capable in their field, but also able to communicate their knowledge and opinions to others and to flexibly engage in discussions that challenge their views and perspectives in their field of specialization.

Being a panelist is a very responsible task. As a panelist, it was important to me to obtain a complete picture of every single applicant and to be able to fully grasp their pathways, their expertise, their personality, and their aspirations in life. That meant having gone through each application thoroughly to understand their study and research objectives, to be able to discuss them on a substantive and critical basis, and to ask questions that allowed the panel to get to know the applicant better as a person. Throughout the interviews, I was very impressed with the strength of all the candidates, as well as the diversity of their profiles and specializations. I am very proud to see that so many brilliant individuals will be carrying on the legacy of the Fulbright Program in the future.

There are many things that make a Fulbrighter. In the interview process, I looked for individuals that stand out—ideally through a combination of their academic achievements and professional experience, the strength of their study and research plan, and their ability to think outside the box and engage in thought-provoking discussions. Another priority is that the individual is interested and able to fulfill the Fulbright mandate in the future: that is, to be able to give back to society in some shape or form in the future and to promote cultural and academic exchange between Austria, the US, and beyond.

On the one hand, I believe that my rather recent experience completing a degree in the US as a participant in the Fulbright Program has the benefit of my being aware of the journey the next generation will embark on very soon. On the other hand, ever since I completed the Fulbright Program, I was fortunate enough to experience many professional adventures both in academia and in the practice of public international law, allowing me to use my expertise in the field for law-related discussions on the panel. On top of that, as an early-career professional in public international law, I believe I know not only the field very well, but also the exigencies of the current job market in academia and practice, which has changed quite a lot in the past years and decades and provides important knowledge to be able to understand the potential of every application in the field.

There are so many ways to continue to stay engaged with Fulbright, both on a personal and a professional level. I think there are wonderful opportunities to stay connected with past and present Fulbrighters and the Fulbright Austria team through all the great social events, but as Fulbright alums who are now professionals in their fields, I believe it is also crucial to give back in a professional capacity, either by supporting Fulbright Austria in its work, or by mentoring future Fulbrighters in their careers and ambitions.