With the aim of boosting people-to-people links between the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the US, the 5th US- ASE AN
Joint Cooperation Committee Meeting on April 5 announced the first
seven recipients of the Fulbright US-ASEAN programme.
US Ambassador to ASE AN David Carden said the first seven Fulbright
scholars selected from the bloc’s member states will work on research
projects concerning climate change, food security, public health,
US-ASEAN political relations, monetary policy, and law.
The scholars, who are scrutinised and selected by officials from the US
Mission to ASEAN, the bloc’s Committee of Permanent Representatives and
Secretariat, are also required to have a research work on the main
issues in US-ASEAN relationship.
The Fulbright US-ASEAN
Initiative was announced by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at
last year’s US- ASE AN Ministerial Meeting which marked the 35th
founding anniversary of friendly and cooperative ties between ASEAN and
the US.
The ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.-VNA