Riga, December 14, 2016 – On Friday, December 16, U.S. Ambassador to Latvia Nancy Pettit, on behalf of the U.S. Government, and the Minister of Education and Science Kārlis Šadurskis, on behalf of the Latvian government, will sign a Memorandum of Understanding of the Fulbright Exchange Program. The Memorandum of Understanding will provide a stronger framework for the Fulbright Exchange program in Latvia that has taken place for 25 years.
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship academic exchange program, which has provided more than 300,000 participants worldwide with the opportunity to exchange ideas and observe each other’s cultures and political and economic institutions. Since 1991, the United States has offered Fulbright fellowships to 196 outstanding scholars and students from Latvia. Fulbright Foreign Student Fellowship recipients undertake graduate studies at U.S. universities. Fulbright Visiting Scholar Fellowship recipients conduct research and lecture in the United States. Ninety-six Fulbright scholars from the United States have visited Latvia since 1991, and 74 Fulbright students have come to Latvia to do research since 1993. This includes 12 Fulbright English Teaching Assistants who have come to Latvia since 2012 to teach English in schools all over the country.
NOTE TO THE EDITOR:
Media representatives are welcome to cover the signing of the Fulbright Memorandum of Understanding. The event takes place on Friday, December 16 at 10:00 at the John F. Kennedy Reading Room at the Latvian National Library (Mūkusalas Street 3, Riga). To apply for the event, please email the Public Affairs Section at millerei@state.gov until December 15.
