The Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology is an independent organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging Fulbright scholars and other leaders in partnerships that advance science and society. We help innovative ideas come to fruition by building ties, by supporting individual growth and by advocating for science and technology. It was established by alumni of the Fulbright Exchange Program.

** New Institutional Members ** International Development Conference Update ** Digital Libraries Workshop ** 2007-08 Academic Year

Our 2007 conference location has been named one of the top 12 World Travel Destinations for 2007 according to Frommer's, an internationally acclaimed publisher of travel guides.

Our conference on March 1-4 is at two locations. The first three days are in cosmopolitan Panama City, which is Central America's only capital city on an ocean. The El Panama Hotel is downtown - near to casinos, shopping and other entertainment and a short walk to Via Argentina, a tree-lined street with cafes and parks, giving it a Parisian feel. The Gamboa Rainforest Resort is the location for the closing plenary and lunch. It is an area famous for bird watching and exploring the natural wonders of the tropical rainforest. (Note: March is the dry season - it won't be raining).

The conference focuses on four areas of international development: education, medicine, health and environmental sustainability. The discussions will be framed within the context of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals: How can Fulbright ideas and innovations in the fields of science and technology be applied to addressing poverty, hunger, maternal health, education and economic development?

Friday and Saturday morning are dedicated to tours of local points of interest - the Smithsonian's research center, the Panama Canal and an architectural tour of the city. Workshops on the first day focus on marine conservation and criminology, and round-table discussions on Friday evening will address other topics.

We are still accepting abstracts for the poster session. These can be submitted on-line at our website. Note that “science & technology” includes medicine, engineering, social science and related disciplines, such as political science, psychology, public administration, business management and law; therefore, we are expecting an audience with a variety of backgrounds.

Your registration for the conference includes most of the costs for the four-day program. Registration is $400, with discounts for Academy members, employees of institutional members, students, and participants from low- and middle-income countries. There will be some extra charges, for example to rent a kayak or have a private rainforest tour guide on Sunday afternoon. The conference is open to all - Fulbright alumni, hosts of Fulbrighters, business leaders, public officials, researchers and educators.

Because the program is open to the public, please forward this message to friends and relevant listservs - people who may be interested in our program in Panama. The conference language is English.

Registered participants have experience in places such as Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Jordan, Nicaragua, Palestine, Panama, UK and USA. Please register now so that you can share your knowledge and experience with our international audience.

Sixth Star would like to remind members that if they can not attend the Panama conference in March, they can still travel to Panama - or just about anywhere else in the world - for just $50/day. Sixth Star provides entertainment on cruise ships. As a destination speaker, you would give a series of lectures illustrating the natural history or culture of the ports of call on a given cruise itinerary. Other topics are covered by special interest speakers, who discuss their area of expertise in a fun, educating and entertaining manner. You receive the luxuries of a fine voyage in a passenger stateroom with full passenger privileges in exchange for your services, and you are also welcome to bring a guest to sail in the same cabin free of charge. (www.SixthStar.com)

We are pleased to announce a group of new institutional members in higher education. They are Indiana State University, Tufts University, Universidad Pedagogica de El Salvador, Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá, University of Chicago, University of Nebraska-Omaha and Wesleyan University.

Institutional membership is a relatively new program for the Fulbright Academy. Benefits include research partnerships, collaborations on programs, registration discounts, exhibit opportunities and promotion of your services to the international community.

Government agencies, corporations, institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations and foundations have all joined as institutional members and supporters.

Our workshop on Digital Libraries for North Africa is full. "Implementing a Maghreb Digital Library for Education, Science and Culture” will be held in Rabat, Morocco on January 25-27, with 75 attendees from North Africa, Europe and the United States.

US attendees come from institutions such as the Getty Museum, Sun Microsystems, the Library of Congress, the Center for Research Libraries, the National Science Foundation, Simmons College, Tufts University, Columbia University, Oregon State University, Indiana State University, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, California State University-Fresno, and the University of Chicago.

The names of the African and European participants will be announced in December. Their participation is being sponsored by UNESCO, Thomson Scientific, the American Institute for Maghrib Studies (AIMS) and the Government of Egypt.

Major funding for the program comes from the Moroccan Ministry of Higher Education, UNESCO, NSF, AIMS and Thomson. We also acknowledge staff at the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute for Museum & Library Services, the State Department and the Egyptian and Moroccan governments for their assistance.

For more information, please visit the workshop website. If you or others at your institution would like to be involved in follow-up activities, please send an email to FAST.

The Academy's board of directors held a two-day retreat in Washington in early November to discuss future plans. It was preceded by lunch with Fulbrighters from the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the National Academy of Engineering, the Environmental Protection Agency and several local universities.

Over the coming months, the board will be updating our strategic plan. If you have a project that might benefit from collaboration with members of the Fulbright community, now would be a perfect time to contact us.

In particular, we are seeking partners to expand our activities in areas where we are currently working. These include digital libraries, marine conservation, public health/medicine, science education, clinical research ethics, technology-based development and Fulbright stories - exploring the personal and professional impacts of Fulbright exchanges.

The Fulbright Academy is a non-profit membership-based organization that serves scientists, executives, and scholars worldwide. Our sponsors and supporters include individual and institutional members such as universities, corporations, government agencies and foundations.

The Fulbright Academy has a growing membership base. By joining the Academy, you will be supporting our work - our conferences, the study committees, and our Fulbright Forums. You will receive invitations to special events, and we also help members link up with other Fulbrighters in their respective fields. Individual memberships start at $60, with reduced rates available for students, retired individuals and those living in low- and middle-income countries.

Institutions in the US and elsewhere are collaborating with the Academy on several projects and programs. These collaborations typically are funded by a grant or contract from a foundation or agency. The first step is in this process typically is joining as an institutional member. Information on institutional memberships is available on our website.

This newsletter contains original material as well as information gleaned from internet-based resources. The Fulbright Academy is not affiliated with the US State Department, the US Fulbright Association or the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. We are independently funded, and so your support is very important to us.

As a fellow grantee of the Fulbright program (Germany '89), I look forward to having you as a member and participant.

Sincerely,

Mr. Eric S. Howard, Executive Director