The board overseeing the Fulbright program, a prestigious exchange initiative between US and international scholars, has resigned, citing political interference from US President Donald Trump’s administration.
Board members, chosen by successive presidents, expressed concern about “injecting politics and ideological mandates” into a historically non-partisan program.
“The current administration has appropriated the board’s authority and denied Fulbright awards to a significant number of individuals selected for the 2025-2026 academic year,” the board members stated in a resignation note shared online.
“Additionally, the administration is currently subjecting another 1,200 foreign Fulbright recipients to an unauthorized review process, with the potential to reject more,” they added.
War on universities
The Trump administration has initiated a campaign against US universities, which Vice President JD Vance previously labeled as “the enemy” due to their influence and often left-leaning perspectives in academia.
Mr. Trump has discontinued billions of dollars in federal research funding to leading universities, citing their inadequate response to anti-Semitism during protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The administration has also taken aggressive steps to revoke visas for students, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio employing an obscure law that permits him to remove foreigners who are considered to oppose US foreign policy interests.
Recently, Mr. Rubio paused the processing of visas for foreign students—who are a significant source of income for US universities—so the State Department could enhance its scrutiny of applicants’ social media activities.
Founded in 1946 and named after the late senator J. William Fulbright, the scholarship is viewed as a vital component of US soft power, facilitating the exchange of leading scholars by inviting them to US universities and sending Americans abroad.
The program grants over 8,000 scholarships annually.
