Executive Director’s Official Visit to Washington DC

In August, the Executive Director of the Fulbright Commission in Nepal/USEF-Nepal visited the US and conducted a series of meetings with senior leaders of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the Department of State, Department of Education, Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB), Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program, Office of Global Educational Programs, the Institute of International Education, World Learning and IREX. The meetings were intended to help the Executive Director gain a full 360 degree view of the Fulbright Program and its cooperating organizations’ and discuss the Commission’s ongoings and strategic directions set by the Board for a well-run and a vibrant program in Nepal. Fulbright Commission’s Executive Director is accountable to the Board of the Commission as well as the Office of the Academic Programs. Meetings with Marianne Craven, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Academic Programs; Mary Kirk, Director, Office of Academic Exchange Programs; Steve Money, Deputy Director, Office of Academic Exchange Programs and Julia Findlay, Branch Chief, South and Central Asia Fulbright Programs, Office of Academic Exchange Programs, were of key consequence as they are the key leaders that Executive Director is accountable to report to for updating on progress and operations of the Commission, in the United States side.

During the visit, the Executive Director also visited the Embassy of Nepal in Washington DC and met with the Ambassador and Plenipotentiary Dr. Yuba Raj Khatiwada, the Deputy Chief of Mission, Mr. Kumar Raj Kharel and Economic Counselor, Mr. Homkanta Bhandari. The Embassy of Nepal in DC plays a critical supportive role to Nepali Fulbright Students and Scholars in times of crisis. In addition to acknowledging the Embassy’s supportive role, the Executive Director discussed matters pertaining to Government of Nepal’s support to the Fulbright Commission in Nepal, the prospects for increasing funding and in-kind support, as well as in trying to understand what needs exist for increasing opportunities for scholarships and exchanges between the United States and Nepal, from the Government of Nepal’s perspectives. During the meeting Dr. Khatiwada acknowledged the role his Fulbright US Scholar teacher at Tribhuwan University who taught him Econometrics and how that experience was pivotal in shaping him to the Economist and Diplomat he is today. It was a great testament to impact and influence of the Fulbright Program in shaping minds and aspirations of thought leaders in Nepal and across continents.