Message from the President of the Republic of Finland
Finland has had a special status in the Fulbright programme. In times gone by, our country dared not participate in the programme for the fear of the Soviet Union, and the dedicated ASLA programme was developed for Finland instead. It channelled to us influences from the Western community of values, to which we have belonged in spirit for as long as Finland has been an independent state. The relationship between Finland and the United States as allies is today stronger than it has ever been in the history of our countries.
Over the decades, the Fulbright programme has enabled numerous Finnish students and scientists to study and work in the United States. In addition to studying and conducting research, they have built up their understanding of multicultural interaction. Personal contacts and networks established while studying increase in value over the years, serving the interests of our countries.
For me, studying in the United States was a turning point. When I left Furman University in South Carolina, I was full of enthusiasm for studying, Anglo-Saxon learning methods and Western values. Ever since my student days I have been a firm believer in liberal democracy, the market economy and globalisation.
I would like to thank the Foundation and its donors for your important work. Thanks to you, we can today celebrate a 75-year-old foundation that has inspired a yearning for knowledge and learning on both sides of the Atlantic.
Alexander Stubb
President of the Republic of Finland
