Northumbria renews partnership with Fulbright Commission

Northumbria University, Newcastle, is opening up new overseas study opportunities for students by renewing and expanding its partnership with the prestigious Fulbright Commission.

Recognising academic excellence and fostering educational exchanges between the UK and North America, Fulbright is widely regarded as one of the most sought after scholarship programmes globally. Its focus on attracting students from traditionally less represented backgrounds is also closely aligned with Northumbria’s commitment to advancing social mobility.

The Fulbright Northumbria University Award was launched in 2015, providing scholarship and living cost assistance for a talented US-based student to study a one-year post graduate arts and design degree in the UK. The programme has attracted students to Northumbria from some of the leading universities and colleges in the US. Based on its success. Northumbria has now confirmed its intention to continue and expand the scholarship and stipend programme, and to explore opportunities for educational exchanges in the US for both UK students and academic staff.

One recent US student to benefit is Julia Yi, who graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York in 2022 before gaining a Fulbright-Northumbria University Award to study for an MA in Fashion Design (Sustainable and Ethical).

Commenting on her time at Northumbria, Julia said: “Coming from a fashion business background, I was interested in learning about sustainable design solutions and specifically learning how other countries are engaging with the subject. Northumbria offers the only award dedicated to design amongst all UK Fulbright award placements, and the University’ postgraduate programmes have a strong emphasis on research within the creative solution process. As someone critical of the fashion industry, this research aspect appealed to my professional and creative interests. I have felt incredibly well supported at Northumbria, from the regular contact with the tutors and the international support team, and through the experiential, hands-on learning experience with industry partners.

“One of the best aspects of Fulbright are the connections. I've made friends with Fulbrighters from different UK cities, and it has allowed us to gain support throughout this experience, travel to new places and learn more about the UK together. International students should take advantage of these opportunities for personal knowledge of expanding their international network.

Professor of Creative Media and Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor for Arts, Design and Social Sciences at Northumbria Mary Krell, added: “The Fulbright Programme is arguably the most prestigious award programme in the world, recognising academic excellence and fostering educational exchanges between the US and UK. We are extremely proud to be part of that at Northumbria, not least because of the opportunities it can provide to talented students from all social backgrounds.

“Our arts and design programmes offer a strong mix of research-informed teaching and practical experiential learning experiences, enhancing the career prospects and life-chances for our students. Attracting students from the US has been enormously successful, and we now want to build on that relationship with Fulbright including options for our UK students to study in North America.”