California State University, Northridge has been named a Fulbright HSI Leader for the second year in a row by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

The designation recognizes the “noteworthy engagement” that selected Hispanic-Serving Institutions have achieved with the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program.

Marta Lopez, director of CSUN’s International Programs and International and Exchange Student Center, said the university was honored to receive the designation for two years running.

“At CSUN, we continuously encourage student participation in the Fulbright program and actively seek talented students with passion for diversity and international education,” Lopez said. “Participation in events such as Fulbright informational sessions specifically set for HSI campuses have provided us with the opportunity to reach out to a wide range of our student population and collaborate with the Fulbright program to ensure alumni success.”

Fulbright HSI Leader status has been conferred on 43 HSIs, including CSUN, because they have demonstrated meaningful engagement with Fulbright exchange participants during the 2021-22 academic year and have promoted Fulbright Program opportunities on campus.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs Ethan Rosenzweig, speaking on behalf of ECA, which sponsors the Fulbright Program, announced the Fulbright HSI Leaders on Oct. 10 at the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) annual conference in San Diego.

“The Fulbright Program’s success with HSIs is built on real collaboration with you and your institutions,” Rosenzweig told the conference attendees.

He thanked the attendees for their efforts and for recognizing the value of the Fulbright Program in deepening campus internationalization efforts, and saluted Fulbright campus liaisons and advisors for recruiting and advising applicants.

Rosenzweig also commended current Fulbright participants and alumni from and hosted by HSIs for sharing “their expertise, experience, perspective and enthusiasm with their institutions, their communities and their societies.”

CSUN is currently hosting two Fulbright exchange students, one from Germany and the other from Spain. Six CSUN students are in the process of applying to be Fulbrighters during the 2023-24 academic year.

In the past, CSUN students who participated in the Fulbright Program have pursued a variety of study and research awards in countries such as Armenia, New Zealand and India, as well as a variety of teaching assistantships in locations such as Panama and Taiwan. Current applicants are pursuing teaching assistantships in countries such as Cyprus, Spain, Taiwan and study and research awards in the United Kingdom and Armenia.

Rebecca Spector, CSUN’s Fulbright Program Student Advisor, noted that the university’s students make great applicants as the Fulbright Program strives to represent and amplify diverse Fulbrighters

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international academic exchange program. Since its inception more than 75 years ago, the Fulbright Program has given more than 400,000 talented and accomplished students, teachers, artists and professionals of all backgrounds and fields the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research abroad, exchanging ideas and contributing to finding solutions to complex international challenges.

Each year, the U.S. Congress appropriates funds to the U.S. Department of State to sponsor the Fulbright Program. Many foreign governments contribute substantially as well. Additional funding and in-kind funding is provided by U.S. and foreign host institutions, non-governmental organizations, private organizations, corporate partnerships and individual donors.

The Fulbright Program has designed and implemented a wide range of initiatives to increase participant diversity and inclusion. The program strives to ensure that its participants reflect the diversity of U.S. society and societies abroad. Fulbrighters come from all backgrounds and are selected through an open, merit-based competition, regardless of their race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, geographic location, socio-economic status, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. Information on the Fulbright Program’s diversity and inclusion initiatives is detailed on the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website.