CofC Named a Top Producer of Fulbright Scholars

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has named the College of Charleston a Fulbright Top Producing Institution for U.S. Scholars. This recognition is given to the U.S. colleges and universities that received the highest number of applicants selected for the 2022–23 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.

The College of Charleston is ranked as one of the top 6 Fulbright Scholar Producer Master’s institutions in the United States.

From left: Brian Bossak, mutindi ndunda and Narayanan Kuthirummal

Three faculty members from CofC were selected for Fulbright awards for the 2022–23 academic year: Brian Bossak (public health), mutindi ndunda (teacher education) and Narayanan Kuthirummal (physics).

RELATED: Read more about the three 2022–23 College of Charleston Fulbright Scholars and the research they are conducting.

“For centuries, the College of Charleston has prided itself on having many of the top faculty minds in the country,” says College of Charleston President Andrew T. Hsu. “Their scholarship has garnered widespread publications and many awards. Recognition by the U.S. State Department for the College of Charleston as a Fulbright Top Producing Institution for U.S. Scholars is affirmation of our faculty’s academic excellence and our university’s high academic distinction.”

Fulbright is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. It is also among largest and most diverse exchange programs in the world. Since its inception in 1946, more than 400,000 participants from all backgrounds and fields – including recent university graduates, teachers, scientists, researchers, artists and others, from the United States and over 160 other countries – have participated in the Fulbright Program. Fulbright alumni have returned to their home countries to make an impact on their communities thanks to their expanded worldview, a deep appreciation for their host country and its people, and a larger network of colleagues and friends.

“We are honored to be a top producer of Fulbright scholars,” says Suzanne Austin, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at the College of Charleston. “The designation speaks to the quality and caliber of our faculty and their dedication as educators. Teaching and researching abroad will enhance their global perspective and improve our overall student experience.”

The Fulbright Program was established over 75 years ago to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. While the primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, it benefits from additional support from foreign partner governments, nongovernmental organizations, private organizations, corporate partnerships and individual donors. U.S. and foreign host institutions provide support as well.

The Fulbright Program is supported at the College of Charleston through the Office of Research and Grants Administration.