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By Keanu Gaite 

Human trafficking is a complex and pervasive challenge that transcends borders.  In conjunction with the release of the 2023 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, which provides a comprehensive overview of the state of human trafficking globally, the U.S. Department of State honored the 2023 TIP Report Heroes - remarkable individuals from Brazil, Cambodia, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, and Venezuela who have demonstrated tireless commitment to combating human trafficking.  

Following the launch of the 2023 report, many of these Heroes participated in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), the Department of State’s premier professional exchange program. The program introduced the Heroes to representatives in government, law enforcement professionals, anti-trafficking NGO staff, human trafficking survivors, journalists, prosecutors, and academic experts in Washington, D.C.; Boston, Massachusetts; and Miami, Florida. Through their professional meetings, the Heroes forged new connections with Americans and each other, strengthening their skills and expanding their global networks to catalyze their anti-trafficking work.  

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (J/TIP) partnered with Meridian International Center, WorldBoston, and Global Ties Miami to design and implement this special IVLP exchange for the 2023 TIP Report Heroes.

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On June 1, 2023, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Scott Weinhold, convened a meeting of the Cultural Heritage Coordinating Committee.  The Committee discussed cultural heritage protection in Ukraine and Sudan, recent multilateral engagement, and trainings and investigations with international law enforcement partners.  

Committee members addressed their efforts to preserve Ukrainian cultural heritage and document the damage, theft, and destruction of Ukrainian cultural heritage since Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine.  The Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative and partners continue to monitor over 28,000 cultural heritage sites in Ukraine.  The Committee also discussed the armed conflict in Sudan and the U.S. government and International Council of Museum’s initial measures to protect Sudanese cultural sites.   

The Committee also discussed the G20 Culture Working Group and U.S. objectives to further the protection of cultural heritage through this forum. 

The group spoke about the international investigation and indictment of alleged Hizballah financier Nazem Said Ahmad and eight others.  According to Homeland Security Investigations, the suspects allegedly conspired to defraud the United States and foreign governments and evade U.S. sanctions and customs laws through the import and export of goods, primarily works of art and diamonds.   

The Committee further discussed the FBI’s recent Cultural Heritage Crimes Workshop in Lima, Peru, which brought together U.S. and Peruvian law enforcement and cultural heritage subject matter experts.  As part of the three-day training, the United States repatriated archaeological remains and several Colonial era paintings. [http://www.elperuano.pe/noticia/212871-ee-uu-recupera-bienes-patrimoniales-peruanos-del-trafico-ilicito]   

The U.S. Department of State established the Cultural Heritage Coordinating Committee in 2016 to coordinate U.S. government efforts to protect and preserve cultural property internationally when it is at risk from political instability, armed conflict, or natural or other disasters. 

Bronze Lokeshvara statue from Angkor Thom, 13th century. Courtesy of the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia

On June 15, 2023, the U.S. Department of State’s Cultural Antiquities Task Force (CATF) held a virtual training workshop for law enforcement officials from the United States to enhance their knowledge of cultural property from Southeast Asia and to build capacity to disrupt its trafficking. 

The training brought together 150 participants and presenters from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the State Department, the Smithsonian Institution, international partners, and representatives from U.S. universities and museums.  Participants heard presentations from government officials and academics on regional and country-specific trafficking patterns in Southeast Asia, as well as case studies from agents who have investigated thefts of cultural property in the region and assisted in repatriations. There was also a lawyers’ roundtable on the cultural heritage laws enacted by various countries in Southeast Asia.  

This training was the fifth in a series of cultural property anti-trafficking workshops supported by the CATF and organized by the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum Conservation Institute and Office of International Relations, in collaboration with HSI, CBP, and FBI.  The workshops provide law enforcement with knowledge and capabilities to help identify, investigate, and prosecute some of the most-trafficked categories of cultural property.  Previous workshops addressed trafficking in coins, manuscripts, fakes and forgeries, and cultural objects from Central Asia and Latin America. 

 
Established by the State Department in 2004 at the direction of Congress, the CATF comprises federal agencies that share a common mission to disrupt cultural property trafficking in the United States and abroad.  Since its creation, the CATF has supported more than 100 domestic and international cultural property training programs.  CATF is a law enforcement-focused working group of the Cultural Heritage Coordinating Committee.  Both are managed by the State Department’s Cultural Heritage Center. 

Article by Allie Dalola, intern with the U.S. Department of State, currently studying Business Administration and Economics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel-Hill.

[Malta, May 2023] Through her innovative startup, Blue EcoTech, Dr. Alexia Massa-Gallucci is creating value from marine waste, advocating for ocean conservation, and educating her community in the small island nation of Malta.  

A former researcher and professor, Massa-Gallucci said she felt like a “fish out of water” when she first launched her company.  However, after joining the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) — a women’s empowerment initiative launched by the U.S. Department of State in 2019 —  Dr. Massa-Gallucci was equipped with the entrepreneurial knowledge she needed to realize her lifelong dream of finding an innovative way to conserve and protect the marine environment.  

Dr. Massa-Gallucci was born in Naples, Italy and spent her summers vacationing on the small island of Ischia — just an hour away by ferry.  She said it was during the sunny, carefree days of her youth that her passion for marine biology was born. 

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“When I was eight years old, my father got me my first mask and snorkel as a gift,” Dr. Massa-Gallucci said.  “Since that moment, I have never taken my head out of the water.” 

Massa-Gallucci has developed a lifelong passion for marine biology and conservation.

Years later, her interest led her to pursue her master's degree in Marine Biology from the University of Naples and a Ph.D. in Conservation and Fish Biology from University College Dublin.  Upon graduating, she conducted research on local fisheries and ocean conservation and lectured at various universities across the Mediterranean, eventually settling down in Malta. 

Throughout her time in academia, Massa-Gallucci said she was able to investigate  the intricacies of ocean life.  Time and time again, she said she was faced with the devastation to marine ecosystems caused by humans — she knew something had to change.  Massa-Gallucci decided to use what she had learned to launch a business that would make a positive impact on marine health. 

“The idea behind Blue EcoTech was to use my scientific background in marine biology and fishery science to bridge the gap between academia and industry,”  Massa-Gallucci said. 

Blue EcoTech’s mission is threefold: creating value-added products, expanding conservation efforts, and educating communities about the threats to marine environments. 

Blue EcoTech focuses on repurposing marine biomass, which includes fish waste and washed-up seagrass.  Currently, the company is exploring methodologies to isolate and extract the usable compounds within marine waste.  Though their products are not for sale yet, Blue EcoTech has already developed the technology to transform the waste into components used in textiles, 3D printing materials, and pharmaceuticals. 

Besides helping to upcycle marine waste, Blue EcoTech is also finding other ways to improve marine conservation in the Mediterranean region.  Recently, Massa-Gallucci and her team have conducted research into underwater reforestation: the restoration of areas of seagrass that have been destroyed by human activities like anchoring boats or fishing.  The large quantities of seagrass in the Mediterranean are critical for producing oxygen, fighting climate change, protecting against coastline erosion, and supporting diverse underwater ecosystems. 

“Blue EcoTech is also committed to raising awareness about the importance of marine habitats,”  Massa-Gallucci said.  “Even though Malta is surrounded by the sea, many people don't know the importance of what they see.”  

Blue EcoTech hosts multiple events throughout the year to bring the community and researchers together to discuss the importance of marine environments and how to best care for them. 

Before she took the plunge and left academia to start a new business, Massa-Gallucci said there was a “steep learning curve” she had to surmount, but participating in the AWE program in 2022 gave her the knowledge she needed to set herself up for success. 

“Coming from an academic background, I realized I needed training as an entrepreneur,”  Massa-Gallucci said.  “AWE provided that training and gave me access to a network of other women entrepreneurs who were in the same boat as I am.” 

As a part of AWE, Massa-Gallucci was also given access to DreamBuilder, a learning platform developed by Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management and Freeport-McMoRan Foundation.  She said that DreamBuilder proved to be an invaluable resource for understanding the practical steps that needed to be taken to get any new business off the ground. 

“DreamBuilder broke business planning down into bite-sized pieces of information,” Massa-Gallucci said.  “It not only gave me a general sense of what a business plan was, but also helped me to practically create one.” 

As a part of the AWE program, Massa-Gallucci had the opportunity to pitch her business to a panel of judges.  Out of the 42 participating businesses, Blue EcoTech was the runner-up for Best Overall Pitch, winning $5,000 in seed funding. 

Now equipped with funding, knowledge, and a powerful network, Massa-Gallucci said she is excited for Blue EcoTech to bring their products to the market in the coming years and to launch an underwater reforestation program in collaboration with the University of Malta. 

“If you have a dream or an idea for a business, try to make it real — it’s a thrilling experience,” Dr. Massa-Gallucci.  “Resources like AWE help make your dream a reality.” 

The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs equips enterprising women with the skills they need to launch and scale successful businesses. In partnership with Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management and Freeport-McMoRan Foundation, AWE has empowered more than 25,000 women in 100 countries with knowledge and networks.  Since the U.S. Mission to Malta launched the program in 2021, AWE has helped empower more than 60 women in the Maltese archipelago.

For more information about AWE, visit: https://eca.state.gov/awe. 

Honoring the foreign policy contributions and legacy of the United States’ first female Secretary of State and engaging a new generation of future young women leaders from around the world, today, the U.S. Department of State announced the launch of the Study of the U.S. Institutes’ Madeleine K. Albright Young Women Leaders Program.

The Albright Young Women Leaders Program brings six American undergraduate women and nearly 80 international undergraduate women from 20 countries together for an academic exchange in the United States, where they will participate in educational coursework at U.S. colleges and universities, weekly community service opportunities, leadership development sessions, engagements at key institutions to support exchange curriculum, cultural activities, and engage with Americans from across the country.

This five-week educational exchange kicks off today with a Women’s Global Leadership and Empowerment Conference in Washington, D.C. featuring: a fireside chat with Suzy George – Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Antony Blinken; a panel discussion with Ambassador (ret.) Barbara Bodine – Director and Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, Georgetown University, former Ambassador Harriett C. Babbitt – Vice Chair, National Democratic Institute, and Dr. Stacie Goddard – Director of the Madeleine K. Albright Institute for Global Affairs, Wellesley College; and a commemorative pinning ceremony with Kathy Silva, Secretary Albright’s sister. The late Secretary, who served as U.S. Secretary of State from 1997-2001, was well known for her decorative pins to convey diplomatic messages to her counterparts around the world.

The University of Kansas (Lawrence, KS) is the Department’s implementing partner, in collaboration with Green River College (Auburn, WA), Saint Mary’s College (South Bend, IN), and the University of Delaware (Newark, DE) for this year’s Albright Young Women Leaders program. The Study of the U.S. Institutes’ Madeleine K. Albright Young Women Leaders Program joins a broader network of Study of the U.S. Institutes, which has received bipartisan congressional approval for more than 20 years.

Earlier this year, at a White House ceremony honoring the Department’s International Women of Courage and featuring First Lady of the United States Jill Biden and Secretary Blinken, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. Representative to the United Nations, presented the inaugural Madeleine Albright Honorary Group International Women of Courage Award.

Media interested in learning more about the Department’s Albright Young Women Leaders Program, should contact ECA-Press@state.gov.

Article by Naomi Hampton, intern with the U.S. Department of State, currently studying History and Politics of the Americas at University College London. 

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Irene Mositol attending the 2023 AWE Summit in Malaysia in March. Photo Credit, Nina Othman

[Malaysia, April 2023] When Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) exchange alumni Irene Mositol from Malaysia won the Shell LiveWIRE Global Entrepreneurship Award, she shone a spotlight on the social impacts of organic farming on the remote island of Borneo.  

In November 2022, Mositol was the grand winner for the Social Impact Category in the 2022 Shell LiveWIRE Top Ten Innovators Award, a global entrepreneurial competition which rewards entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence in innovation. She beat out nearly 200 competitors from 17 countries to win, and credits AWE for helping her turn her farming hobby into a highly successful social enterprise called DumoWongi.

Through DumoWongi, Mositol is bringing socially responsible farming to women in her community on Borneo.  By growing herbs and edible flowers without the use of chemicals, Mositol has tapped into a new and exciting market and is using it to do good.

Before 2018, Mositol did not know a lot about herbs.  She said herbs are not part of traditional Malaysian cuisine, so she was largely introduced to them while attending the Shell LiveWIRE program on entrepreneurship and how to start your own business.  

But Mositol said tourists in Malaysia wanted herbs to season their food.  Realizing that there was a demand for herbs and spices in the restaurant and hotel industry but no local suppliers, Mositol started to explore the market.  Encouraged by an executive from Shell working with the program, Mositol selected a couple of initial products, scaled-up her business model, and officially launched DumoWongi in 2019.

Without a background in growing culinary herbs, Mositol had to do extensive research into agricultural practices.  Originally focusing on fresh herbs and herbed salts, like rosemary, thyme, and oregano, Mositol expanded the product range to include edible flowers after talking to customers and hearing what they needed.  

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One of the ways where DumoWongi’s edible flowers have been used in food, combining Malaysian and Western styles. Photo Credit, Irene Mositol

During the pandemic, Mositol quit her day job working for an NGO and began to focus on her business full time.  When pandemic restrictions prevented her from selling fresh products, Mositol began to experiment with preserving her plants in natural ways.  One such way was drying them out with different salts and a food dehydrator to keep the product fresh but not lose its taste.  This innovation allowed DumoWongi to stay afloat during the pandemic and expand the number of clients interested in its products.

 
One of the ways where DumoWongi’s edible flowers have been used in food, combining Malaysian and Western styles. Photo credit: Irene Mositol

When all of the restrictions were lifted, DumoWongi was able to serve between 23 and 25 local restaurants and hotels and to sell fresh herbs at one Malaysian supermarket.   With two full-time and six part-time employees, Mositol said she has become ecstatic at the progress she made so far and is excited about the possibilities in the future.

“We currently have eight dried products, six community greenhouses, and one show farm,” says Mositol, “And I cannot wait to keep expanding.”

Mositol joined the AWE program in 2020 after hearing about it from her mentor.  Mositol said the program’s modules — which are accessible through the DreamBuilder platform developed by Arizona State’s Thunderbird School of Global Management and Freeport-McMoRan Foundation — focused on how to create a focused business plan, which helped her make the biggest impact possible and grow her business.  The AWE program allowed her to take out a micro loan, which she used to conduct her research during the pandemic.

“The big lesson and what I got from the [AWE] program is to focus,” Mositol said. “I didn’t really have a business model, I just wanted to run the business … But the step by step program helped me to plan my business and taught me about the marketing and financial aspects that make a company successful.”

Mositol, who also recently became a mother, said there were several logistical challenges that she had to work through to participate in the AWE program.  For instance, Mositol comes from the rural community of Kampung Bundu Tuhan which does not have a strong internet infrastructure.  Mositol said she would often have to complete modules at 3 a.m. to have the best wifi signal, while also drumming up enough energy to run her business and take care of her newborn daughter - a tremendous show of strength and resilience.

“At first I was really struggling with balancing the situation, but my family was really supportive so I survived,” Mositol said.

One vital aspect of DumoWongi’s success as a socially responsible business has been the training programs Mositol holds for women in her rural community.  

Mositol wanted to help local women gain financial independence.  At the same time, she wanted to teach them about natural farming to prevent further environmental damage on the island through the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.  So Mositol began her outreach program, teaching women how to grow herbs and edible flowers alongside the other agricultural products they cultivate in their gardens at home.  

With DumoWongi promising to purchase all the viable products to sell, the women who participate are guaranteed a buyer for their herbs.  So far 45 women have completed the program, with another 30 signed up to start the next round.

“It’s not easy because [the women] normally use chemicals in their planting techniques, especially to control the weeds,” Mositol said.  “So we teach them about dew monitoring and really encourage them to trust the alternative methods … For some it can take six months to trust this change, but now we have 43 of them sending their produce every week.”

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The women partaking in DumoWongi’s training programs. Photo Credit, Elcy

Looking to the future, Mositol has big dreams.  Currently, DumoWongi is working towards creating subscription boxes to sell to individuals as well as companies.  With the $20,000 prize she won from the Shell Global Entrepreneurship Award and $100,000 Grant from Yayasan Hasanah (a foundation of Khazanah Nasional), Mositol is about to open a new showroom for her herbs and flowers.  She hopes to use the space to enter the agro-tourism sector and introduce natural farming to more people.  She also wants to duplicate her business model in more villages around Borneo.

Mositol, who is part of the Malaysian Dusun tribe, said she thinks it is vital that more indigenous women have access to these financial opportunities.  Though growing these herbs in the Malaysian climate can be difficult, especially near mountainous regions, she said she hopes what she has learned will encourage government and individual support for natural farming.

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Women training on how to do flower arrangements Photo Credit, Irene Mositol

“I'm so happy seeing our business keep growing and all this because I have a very good support system from my family, team, community, mentor and friends,” said Mositol.

The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs, a U.S. Department of State program, gives thousands of women like Mositol the knowledge, networks and access they need to launch and expand successful businesses.  Since 2019, AWE has advanced her business skills through  the online learning platform DreamBuilder, which was developed by Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management and Freeport-McMoRon Foundation.  AWE is helping to empower more than 25,000 women entrepreneurs in 100 countries to follow their entrepreneurial dreams.  Implemented in Malaysia since 2020, AWE has helped nearly 200 women grow their businesses and reach their full economic potential.  

For more information about AWE, visit: https://eca.state.gov/awe

Article by Allie Dalola, intern with the U.S. Department of State, currently studying Business Administration and Economics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel-Hill.  

[Barcelona, March 2023]  Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) alumni Judit Camargo is harnessing the power of science and sustainability through her business Roka Furadada.  Her background in pharmaceutical research and business development coupled with her passion for the environment led her to launch her company in 2019, which focuses on protecting sunscreen wearers in Spain while also protecting the planet.

Before starting Roka Furadada and participating in AWE, a U.S. Department of State exchange program aimed at empowering women entrepreneurs around the globe, Camargo worked in biomedical research.  A few years in, she decided to go back to school and pursue postgraduate degrees in public health from the University of Barcelona and business certifications from IESE Business School.  After graduation, her interests drew her to research and product development opportunities at pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies.  Soon, her role transitioned from lab work to a focus on business development.

While working in the corporate world,  Carmargo became an advocate for climate justice and used her spare time to push for environmental change.  This passion eventually led her to make a massive career leap and start her own sustainable business. 

“Sometimes being an activist isn’t enough,” Camargo said.  “With my expertise in cosmetics and chemicals, I felt that running my own business could be the way to have a real impact and change things.” 

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While working in her business development position at a major Spanish pharmaceutical company, Camargo learned about an innovative compound that is light-activated and radiation-absorbing — a compound that she immediately thought would work well as an active ingredient in sunscreen.  The science was astounding and Camargo immediately recognized this product’s potential to transform the sunscreen industry.

“When I discovered this product within the company,” she said, “I thought it was amazing.  I wondered if it was just amazing to me or if people would want to buy it.”

Camargo brought the information to her CEO and began conducting consumer research. It was clear that this product was going to be popular. Camargo led the company’s efforts to fully develop this product and scale up manufacturing.

However, six months later, the company went through a shift in management and the new leaders decided to shift their focus away from cosmetic products. Despite being told the rights to the product she had been working on would be sold, Camargo wasn’t finished with it. Procuring funding from a local acceleration program for technological businesses, she secured the rights to this product and officially launched Roka Furadada. 

In the years since, Roka Furadada has further developed this product and become a leading seller to sunscreen manufacturers in Spain. Camargo has shaped her business around the mission of “reducing the incidence of skin cancer with high efficiency and zero toxicity to people and the environment,” – an important mission considering Barcelona’s Mediterranean climate. 

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Currently, Roka Furadada sells two products to sunscreen manufacturers across Europe, South America, and Asia. Her team of twenty scientists is currently working to develop ten more innovative sunscreen ingredients to bring to market in the coming months.  Camargo is excited about the health and environmental benefits of her current and future products. 

“Since this product is so powerful, people can use less sunscreen,” Camargo explained.  “Using less product lessens the environmental impact.”  As a measure of her company’s dedication to sustainability, Roka Furadada’s business prioritizes each element of the triple bottom line: profit, people, and planet.  

Camargo’s goal for her company is to be “100% sustainable in the next three years.”  To accomplish that, she said Roka Furadada will work to source only natural ingredients, moving away from the petroleum-based ingredients used in most sunscreen products. Camargo also works to source mainly from local vendors, which is critical to reducing carbon emissions from extensive transport.  

With experience in business before starting Roka Furadada, Camargo explains that she was skeptical about whether participating in the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) would teach her anything new. 

Looking back at it, however, she said joining the AWE program was one of the best things she could have done for her company. She has never regretted it, she said.

“In business school, what I studied was theoretical and complex,” Camargo said.  “The AWE program was very focused on what’s really important in business: it was practical and not theoretical. I loved it, and I found it really useful.” 

But even more than that, participating in AWE allowed Camargo to connect with an extensive network of women and global leaders — something that benefits her personally and professionally to this day. 

“If you need something after completing AWE, you have contacts,” Camargo said.  “AWE is not only a program but provides you with coaching and help after the program.” 

With the practical skills and extensive network she built during her time in AWE, Camargo said she is excited to expand Roka Furadada’s international reach in the coming years and take more steps toward her goal of total sustainability.

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“If I was giving advice to another woman thinking about starting a business,” Camargo said. “I would say go for it and ask for help. A program like AWE is very useful and important for your business.” 

Launched by the U.S. Department of State in 2019, the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs is a women’s empowerment initiative that equips women with the skills they need to start and scale successful businesses. Using the DreamBuilder learning platform developed by Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management and Freeport-McMoRan Foundation, AWE has empowered more than 25,000 women in 100 countries with knowledge and networks.  Since the U.S. Mission to Spain launched the program in 2020, AWE has helped expand women-led biotech startups in the Barcelona region and supported 200 women in cities across the country. 

For more information about AWE, visit: https://eca.state.gov/awe. 

The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs was launched by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in 2019 as an exchange program to empower women with the knowledge, networks and access they need to launch and scale successful businesses.

The Virtual Student Federal Service Internships program is an unpaid virtual internship that connects the talents of U.S. citizen undergraduate and graduate students with the needs of federal agencies. To read AWE’s impact stories and learn more about the program, visit: https://eca.state.gov/awe.

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On May 9, the U.S. Department of State welcomed 250 Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) fellows to the United States.  The YLAI Fellowship advances entrepreneurship and economic prosperity in the Western Hemisphere.  During the fellowship, business and social entrepreneurs from 37 countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada collaborate with American companies and social enterprises in 19 U.S. cities.  The Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Fellowship Program is a  U.S. Department of State-funded initiative and implemented by IREX. 

YLAI Fellows represent the geographic, cultural, and racial diversity of the Western Hemisphere.  Selected from a pool of more than 1,800 applicants, the 250 Fellows represent diverse industries including clean energy, technology, arts and culture, agriculture, hospitality, and marketing. 

Following four-week Fellowship placements, Fellows will get together in Washington, D.C. in June 2023 for the YLAI Closing Forum.  To learn more about the YLAI Fellowship visit ylai.state.gov and follow #YLAI2023.  For more information on joining the free YLAI network or how to apply for the upcoming YLAI fellowship program, please visit https://ylai.state.gov/.

For press inquiries, please contact ECA-Press@state.gov.    

The Fulbright Arctic Initiative (FAI), a component of the Fulbright Scholar Program, promotes international, multi-disciplinary collaboration on Arctic research.  FAI was launched in 2015   to support international scientific cooperation on Arctic issues and increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other Arctic nations.   

For a week from April 25 to April 28, dubbed “Fulbright Arctic Week,” the third cohort of FAI Scholars from all Arctic nations, including the United States, Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia and Sweden, took part in a series of events in Washington, D.C., capping two years of collaborative research in the areas of Arctic security, infrastructure, and health.  The group was led by two co-lead scholars, Dr. Greg Poelzer of the University of Saskatchewan and Dr. Elizabeth Rink of Montana State University, who provided intellectual leadership throughout the program.

Tuesday, April 25 – U.S. Government Briefings and Public Exhibition at the Smithsonian

On their first day in Washington, Arctic Initiative Scholars had an opportunity to meet with government representatives from the U.S. Department of State and other U.S. federal agencies with stakes in arctic policy.  Scholars were able to share the highlights of their research and respond to questions about its implications for U.S. government policy moving forward.

Subsequently, the scholars presented their research to members of the public with a formal poster exhibition hosted by the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.

Fulbright Arctic Week coincided with the meetings of the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region which offered an opportunity for the FAI Scholars to meet with representatives from other Arctic Council nations at a reception hosted by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Denmark.  A welcome was provided by Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski.

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Norwegian scholar Ketil Lenert Hansen presents his research on the community dimensions of health to visitors at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

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The FAI Scholars with their posters in front of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

Wednesday, April 26 – Panel Presentations by Fulbright Scholars and Officials from Arctic Nations, Hosted by the Embassy of Norway

On Wednesday, the Royal Norwegian Embassy hosted an event titled “Cooperation in a Changing Arctic,” featuring the FAI Scholars as well as national leaders in Arctic policy.  The event included introductory remarks by Norwegian Ambassador Anniken Krutnes, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs Ethan Rosenzweig, and FAI’s Co-Lead Scholar Dr. Poelzer. The first panel highlighted the work of the FAI Scholars from Norway and U.S. Scholars who went to Norway on exchanges.  The second panel featured a series of speakers on arctic policy including Ambassador Krutnes, Senator Murkowski, Department of Defense Deputy Assistant Secretary for Arctic and Global Resilience Iris Ferguson, Executive Director of the Arctic Executive Steering Committee at the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy Ambassador David Balton, and Chair of the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region Aaja Chemnitz.  The panel was moderated by Dr. Mike Sfraga, Chair of the U.S. Arctic Research Commissions and U.S. Ambassador Designate for the Arctic Region.

To the Fulbright Arctic Initiative Scholars, Dr. Sfraga said: “When I look at [you] and the work that [you] are doing, I see tomorrow; I see a bright future in the Arctic. The work that you do is important…. That work flows to these discussions and informs what officials and policymakers say on this stage, discussions in the North, and the ones who are involved in the conversation outside of the Arctic.”

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A panel of FAI Scholars at the Royal Norwegian Embassy.

Thursday, April 26 – Presentation of Policy Recommendations, Hosted by the Wilson Center

Thursday marked the culmination of the scholars’ week in Washington as they presented their policy recommendations at the Wilson Center to a live audience and through a simulcast to the rest of the world. The event, titled “Interdisciplinary Scholars and Policy: Science Diplomacy in the Arctic,” was hosted by the Wilson Center’s Polar Institute, and introduced by Dr. Sfraga.

The presentation was structured following the primary areas of policy focus for the Fulbright Arctic Initiative: arctic security and cooperation, community dimensions of health, and arctic infrastructure in a changing environment.

The presentation was followed by a panel highlighting the work of the FAI Scholars from indigenous communities across the Arctic, including two Sami scholars, one from the Republic of Sakha, a member of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, and one from the Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation.  The panel was introduced by FAI Co-lead Scholar Dr. Rink.

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FAI’s research group on Arctic security and community engagement presents its policy brief at the Wilson Center.

The policy brief produced by this iteration of the Fulbright Arctic Initiative, as well as information on the previous program cohorts, is available to the public at https://fulbrightscholars.org/arctic.

About the Fulbright Arctic Initiative

The Fulbright Arctic Initiative is an international, multi-disciplinary collaboration on Arctic research. Launched in 2015, the Fulbright Arctic Initiative supports international scientific cooperation on Arctic issues and increases mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.  As Arctic nations continue to take concrete steps to work together and address public-policy research questions relevant to their shared challenges and opportunities, the Fulbright Arctic Initiative offers a collaborative model for scholarly exchange.  The nineteen scholars who participated in the most recent program represent the eight countries that make up the Arctic Council: Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands), Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States.

The Fulbright Arctic Initiative is part of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program, which is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program.  Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 participants from more than 160 countries with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.  The Fulbright Arctic Initiative forges lasting connections among the Arctic scholars and their nations as they work together toward common goals.

The Fulbright Program and the Fulbright Arctic Initiative are programs of the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. government and partner governments, including the governments of Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark, and Iceland.