IFAA Background
A key strength of the Fulbright Programme in Ireland and throughout the world lies in the shared sense of honour and pride in being a Fulbrighter. Since the Programme commenced in Ireland in 1957, over 800 Irish students and scholars have gone to colleges across the US. There are Irish Fulbright alumni in all the main academic disciplines from architecture to veterinary medicine. They serve in key positions in a wide range of professions including academia, business, law, and the arts.
The Irish Fulbright Alumni Association (IFAA) was established in 1993. The Association supports the Fulbright Programme and plays a key role in befriending and supporting American Fulbrighters in Ireland. It organises a range of educational programmes and social events for its members and for visiting American Fulbrighters.
Each year the Association holds the Annual Fulbright Scholars’ Dinner to which the current year’s awardees are invited and are officially welcomed by the Fulbright Commission. When possible, both the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the American Ambassador are present for this important event. Many members of the Irish Fulbright Alumni Association attend, along with distinguished representatives from the higher education sector and companies who have sponsored awards.
“The IFAA offers a way to continue and expand the Fulbright experience through our network of Irish Alumni. There are Irish Fulbright alumni in all the main academic disciplines from architecture to veterinary medicine. They serve in key positions in a wide range of professions including academia, business, law, music and the creative arts.
The Association supports and promotes Senator Fulbright’s vision: promote the exchange of knowledge between nations and you create a pathway to greater cultural understanding and acceptance. The IFAA plays a key role in befriending and supporting Irish and American Fulbrighters in Ireland. It organises a range of educational programmes and social events for its members and a welcoming meeting point for visiting US Fulbrighters. In this way we aim to serve our alumni and encourage them collaborate with us in forging a strong and vibrant alumni association.
What Fulbright celebrates is the gift of human connections and imagination. ‘We have to be careful that we use this gift wisely by seeing our creative capacities for the richness they are and seeing our people for the hope they are’ (Robinson, 2006). As Fulbrighters our task is to educate our whole being, so we can collectively face the future. We may not see this future, but others will. And our job is to help them make something of it.
So, when it’s all said and done, what will you do differently tomorrow, as a result of being a Fulbrighter today?”
Dr Anne Graham CagneyPresident IFAA
