Florida State University (FSU) hosted a reception on November 18 at the Longmire Building to honor both international and domestic participants in the Fulbright Program. The event recognized the achievements of FSU students, faculty, and visiting scholars who are involved with this well-known academic exchange initiative.
The Fulbright Program, established in 1946, is designed to promote mutual understanding between the United States and other countries through educational exchanges. Currently, the program operates in partnership with more than 160 countries worldwide.
FSU has been involved with Fulbright since 1951 and was recently named a top-producing institution of U.S. Fulbright Scholars by the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. For the 2025-2026 cycle, four current and former FSU students received scholarships to conduct research in the United Kingdom, Colombia, Slovak Republic, and Argentina. Additionally, four faculty members will teach or conduct research abroad in Ireland, Taiwan, Hungary, and India.
On campus, there are currently 13 foreign students and scholars from countries such as Indonesia, Armenia, and Uruguay participating through the Foreign Fulbright Program. Twelve are here via the Fulbright Foreign Student Program; one is here as part of the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program.
Steve McDowell, assistant provost for International Initiatives at FSU, led the event. James Clark, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at FSU, delivered opening remarks.
“We are proud that FSU has consistently been recognized as a top producer of both scholar and student Fulbright recipients,” Provost Clark said. “This recognition reflects our faculty’s commitment to international collaboration and the university’s investment in supporting global endeavors. Our Fulbright students and scholars, past and present, embody the values of scholarship, leadership, and global citizenship that define Florida State University.”
Hanim Astuti from Indonesia is pursuing a doctorate in FSU’s School of Information through the Fulbright Foreign Student Program. She began her studies online due to COVID-19 restrictions before arriving on campus in January 2021. Astuti thanked FSU for its support: “Fulbright has made it possible for people like me to dream beyond our circumstances,” she said. “Thank you so much Florida State University for not only giving me knowledge but also opportunities, memories, and a lifelong vision to give back.”
Ruby Lee from FSU’s College of Business spoke about her experiences as a two-time Fulbright alumna in Finland and Kosovo: “Finland taught me about trust and curiosity; Kosovo actually taught me about courage and belonging,” Lee said. “I realized that my role isn’t to build students’ information—it’s actually to help them discover their own curiosity… Education is not about perfection; it’s actually about progress.”
Serhiy Kvit—rector of National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine—was also present as a guest lecturer at FSU during his visit: “From the Ukrainian perspective, the Fulbright Program is just one feature of American leadership, and that leadership is especially important for us in this time of war,” he said.
Hayk Bejanyan from Armenia shared his experience as a doctoral student at FSU’s Askew School of Public Policy & Administration under the Fulbright Foreign Student Program. He described his involvement in fostering partnerships between his alma mater—the Armenian State University of Economics—and FSU’s Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship: “You can imagine how proud it is for me to have this university logo in my home country… This journey happened because of the best university in the world for me—Florida State University,” he said. “And I believe that every Fulbright story is a success story.”
Bejanyan serves as vice president and treasurer for FSU’s Fulbright Students Association (FSA), which aims to connect students sharing similar experiences within this program.
For more information about applying or learning about opportunities related to Fulbright at Florida State University visit global.fsu.edu/fulbright-recipients.
