The dozens of board members of the prestigious Fulbright program that promotes international educational scholarships have resigned on Wednesday because of what they said that the political interference by the Trump government was in their operations, According to a design board memo obtained by the New York Times.
The members are concerned that political initiative at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who manages the program, illegally act by canceling Fulbright -Beuurs to nearly 200 American professors and researchers who are willing to go to universities and other research institutions abroad, the people, including Senator Jeanne Shame, said Democrat of New Hamp.
The board approved those scientists in the winter after a selection process for a year and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was supposed to send acceptance letters in April, the people said. But instead, the board learned that the Office of Public Diplomacy started sending rejection letters to the scholars who are mainly based on their research subjects, they said.
Moreover, the Department reudlays the applications of around 1,200 scientists from other countries that have already been approved by the board to come to the United States, the people said. Those foreign scholars would also receive acceptance letters around April.
A draft memo written by the Board of Directors says that members resign “instead of endorsing unprecedented actions that are unacceptable under the law, the national interests and integrity of the US and the mission and mandates of the mandates have been determined for the Fulbright program almost 80 years ago,” said a copy obtained by the times.
The board intended to publicly make the memo public public on Wednesday, after sending a letter of resignation to the White House.
The board is also concerned that the budget that State Secretary Marco Rubio applies for the next tax year, the expenditure for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, including the Fulbright program, up to $ 50 million from $ 691 million, of $ 691 million.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to a request for comments on Wednesday morning.
The actions come as President Trump and his top employees try to bow academic institutions for their ideological beliefs. The public diplomation agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is run by Darren Beattie, a political appointment dismissed from a job During the first Trump administration after he gave a lecture at a conference attended by white nationalists. He made Social Media Posts About white complaints, including someone who says: “Competent white men must be in charge if you want things to work”, and who Mr. Ridicule.
The administration tries to keep federal financing, mainly for science research, behind different universities and in some cases is Requirements of changes in departments. It has tried to prevent foreign students and scientists from coming to Harvard University, but a court has temporary the administration burned of acting in that order.
Mr Rubio told the Ministry of Foreign Affairs last month Stop making new appointments For foreign citizens who apply for student or exchange visa, while the agency expands the research of social media posts of the applicants. American universities rely on tuition payments by foreign students for a large part of their income and appreciate the research expertise of those students and visiting scientists.
TOP -Officers of Trump administration say that many American universities are too liberal in their curricula and have to insert more conservative ideas in their education, research and recruitment methods. The administration has also dismantled research institutions established by the congress, including the Wilson Center and the United States Institute of Peace. A Federal court ruled Last month the disintegration of USIP was illegal.
The Fulbright program was founded in 1946 after legislation introduced by J. William Fulbright, a democratic senator from Arkansas. The Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961 Formalized Legal Statutes for the program. It says that the selection of scientists, teachers and others falls under the authority of a 12-person council appointed by the president.
The nearly 200 scientists who receive rejection letters are part of a group of around 900 American scientists approved by the board in the winter.
“The Bipartisan Fulbright Board was obliged by the congress to be a control of the executive and to ensure that students, researchers and educators are not subject to the blatant political favoritism that this administration is known for,” said Mrs. Shaheen, the top democrat of the Senate Committee Foreign Relations, in statement.
“Although I understand and respect the two -part Fulbright Board and respect the massive resignation instead of giving credibility to a politized and illegal process,” she added, “I am painfully aware that today’s movement will have made the quality of Fulbright programming and the independent research into a leader in a turnover.”
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