„I find it appropriate to begin with 'wow' – this is the general feeling with which you are stuck from the very first moment of opening your e-mail certifying your Fulbright grant, to the first contact with U.S. academic life and fellow Fulbrighters. You cannot wrap your head around the impact this experience will have on your life until it all becomes too real.

I am just embarking on the UGA academic adventure, yet I can already anticipate what a life-changing experience this will be. First, my Ph.D. dissertation topic is the representation and discourse of women in contemporary politics, which makes it perfect timing for me to be here, focusing on the current U.S. political context. Given the elections, I might just be able to get a firsthand account of a historical moment, marked by Hillary Clinton’s very likely future presidency (thank you, Fulbright!). Second, being a cultural ambassador is both a responsibility and an opportunity to build on my country’s image abroad, while grasping the U.S. culture as much and as deeply as possible. Moreover, two other perks come to mind: giving back, which I can and will do by various community work opportunities, and last but not least, networking, both professionally and personally. It is amazing how, during Gateway Orientations, you can meet people who instantly become your friends; the feeling of belonging to the Fulbright family is so strong, that you feel like you have known your fellow Fulbrighters for your whole life.

The online seminar “The Fulbright Senior Award: A Guide to Preparing the Application” -  to take place on Thursday, September 22, from 4.00 to 5.00 p.m. -  will provide guidance on how to fill out your application, with a main focus on the project statement topic.

Two recent Fulbright Senior alumni will join us to speak about their own experience concerning the application process and will offer suggestions regarding the structure of the project statement. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss and ask questions about the Fulbright application steps and the most important qualitative component(s) of the application.

In order to attend, please register by email at office@fulbright.ro by Wednesday, September 21.

On September 8, the FEAC-EducationUSA team reached out to more than 30 students present at the Comana Civic Youth Camp (The Civics Education, Engagement, and Leadership Camp for Youth – Be civically fit) by introducing them to the pathways to conducting undergraduate studies in the United States. Also present in the audience were three participants in this year’s global EducationUSA Academy program, who had already spent two weeks in the United States preparing for this year’s round of admissions. Along with information about U.S. universities, the students also learned from Eliza Chirila, American Council Romania representative, about the Flex program of scholarships for Romanian high school students. Finally, the participants were reassured that they would be able to access informational and exam preparation materials located at American Corners throughout the country as well as the educational advising center in Bucharest, where they could also receive personalized feedback and counseling regarding their prospective studies in the United States.

Dr. Nicoleta Corbu and dr. Elena Negrea-Busuioc, Fulbright alumni from the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration in Bucharest, have co-authored (together with dr. Delia Balaban-Balas from Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca) a chapter that has been included in an edited book published as part of a COST-funded international research project. The volume (Aalberg, T., Esser, F., Reinemann, C., Strömbäck & de Vreese, C.H. (eds.). (2016). Populist Political Communication in Europe. New York: Routledge) gathers studies on populism in different countries, to which add introductory and theory-driven chapters on populist political communication. The book is a comprehensive and inclusive monograph of populist communication practices and particularities found in 23 European countries and Israel.