Student Scholarship

Document Type

Research Paper

Abstract

This paper examines the development, administration, and overall impact of the United States teacher-exchange program as a primary instrument for fostering international understanding. Established formally in 1939 with Latin American initiatives and significantly expanded by the Fulbright Act of 1946 and the Smith-Mundt Act of 1948, the program utilizes surplus war property and government appropriations to finance the global interchange of educators. The administration of these exchanges is a complex process involving the Board of Foreign Scholarships, the Department of State, and various cooperating agencies such as the Office of Education, which collaborate to select and place candidates based on professional competence and personal adaptability. 

The program operates on the premise that teachers occupy a unique position in their communities, allowing them to serve as effective ambassadors of American culture while gaining firsthand knowledge of foreign societies. By exchanging identical positions for an academic year, participants facilitate a two-way flow of ideas intended to promote United States foreign policy and build a foundation for global peace. The research highlights the practical challenges faced by exchangees, including the limitations of maintenance awards payable in non-convertible foreign currencies and the rigors of the selection process. 

Evaluations of the program suggest it is highly successful in dispelling misconceptions and creating lasting personal ties between nations. Participants and foreign officials alike regard the exchange of persons as a more effective medium for cultural intercourse than traditional propaganda or financial aid. Ultimately, the study concludes that the teacher-exchange program is an economical and practical tool for international leadership, representing a long-term investment in a common civilization based on shared democratic values and mutual respect.

Research Highlights

  • The Problem: Evaluates whether the Teacher-Exchange Program effectively counters Communist threats to world peace or represents an overextension of United States government influence abroad. 

  • The Method: Analysis of the program’s administration, eligibility requirements, and objectives (1939–1954), supplemented by interviews with former exchange teachers and Department of State officials. 

  • Quantitative Finding: Total fiscal year 1952 program costs reached approximately $23,000,000 for over 8,600 individual grants across 72 countries; individual Fulbright exchange ceilings are set at the equivalent of $20,000,000 per country with a $1,000,000 annual limit; private support in 1952 totaled $1.5 million. 

  • Qualitative Finding: Program success is attributed to direct personal contact between educators, which dispels cultural misconceptions and creates "ambassadors of good will"; selection committees are urged to prioritize personality traits and emotional maturity over purely academic qualifications to ensure better adaptability in host countries. 

  • Finding: The program serves as a practical instrument of U.S. foreign policy by promoting a free exchange of knowledge and ideas to form a foundation for international peace and progress.

Publication Date

1-1954

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