About Fulbright: The flagship program

The Fulbright Program is known worldwide as the flagship program for top students and scholars – studying, researching and working with the best in their fields. All of them with a commitment to advance the betterment of the world and to work for the ultimate goal of the Fulbright program – world peace.

In Denmark, the Fulbright Program is based upon a bi-national agreement from 1951 between Denmark and the U.S.A. The work is conducted by a bi-national commission with a board of 4 Danes and 4 Americans, and with the American ambassador to Denmark as honorary chair. Both governments support the work economically through annual base allocations on their state budgets, and today Fulbright Denmark receives additional support – financial and in-kind – from many other places.

Since the Fulbright Program began in Denmark in 1951 over 3.500 of “the best and the brightest” Danes and Americans have participated, working on mutual understanding and sparring with the world’s elite within their fields.  Over the last 20 years, the number of annual scholarships awarded by Fulbright Denmark to Danes and Americans has varied between 25-50, and the advising numbers have varied from 4,000-8,000.

37

Fulbright alumni have served as heads of state or government

59

Fulbright alumni from 14 countries have been awarded the Nobel Price

72

Fulbright alumni are MacArthur Foundation Fellows

84

Fulbright alumni have received Pulitzer prices

Fulbright Denmark

To step up this work for the future and to make more of the strong brand name Fulbright, Fulbright Denmark has initiated direct cooperation with leaders from the corporate and academic worlds to focus on three areas: Space, Sustainability and Life Sciences. The areas have been chosen because both countries have much to offer but also to learn from one another within these fields – and they are all important fields for a better future.

Fulbright Denmark is a builder of relationships between knowledge institutions, students and scientists, and for corporates in Denmark and the USA. Fulbright Denmark opens up for opportunities beyond the financial support of the Scholarship recipients. 

Fulbright Center

Besides the focus on the three main areas, the flagship program of Fulbright Denmark also keeps supporting American studies in Denmark; the arts; as well as other areas of special DK/U.S.A. interest. To be better capable of this, we have created the Fulbright Center, housed in Nørregade 7 A with Fulbright Denmark. Here we can invite in other grants with a U.S. focus aligning with Fulbright’s, like the prestigious Crown Prince Frederik Fund and the Thanks to Scandinavia grants for Danes, including the Victor Borge Music Scholarship. And here we can house our advising services for prospective Fulbright grantees at graduate level and above. The advising is free and top professional, the only place in Denmark with this focused knowledge about American university level education, and a way in which we can service many Danish students beyond the scholarships.

Like the Crown Prince Frederik Fund’s Scholarship is governed by the Harvard Kennedy School’s credo “Ask what you can do”, Fulbright Denmark, the flagship program, represents a unique opportunity to help shape the future and help young Danes and Americans reach their highest goals.

We must dare to think “unthinkable” thoughts. We must learn to explore all the options and possibilities that confront us in a complex and rapidly changing world. We must learn to welcome and not to fear the voices of dissent. We must dare to think about “unthinkable things” because when things become unthinkable, thinking stops and action becomes mindless.

— J. William Fulbright, Senate speech, 1964

Meet our board

Honorary Chair of the Fulbright Denmark Board
H.E. Alan Leventhal

U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark

American members
Cynthia Brown

Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy Copenhagen
Vice Chair of Fulbright Denmark

Cynthia Brown is the Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen, where she oversees the Mission’s press and cultural programming and public engagement. Cynthia Brown began her career with the U.S. Department of State in 2001. Her most recent assignment was as an Assessor with the State Department’s Board of Examiners. Her overseas assignments include Public Diplomacy Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Cape Town, South Africa and Deputy Spokesperson at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. Cynthia Brown also served in Maputo, Mozambique and São Paulo, Brazil. Cynthia is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine and holds a Master in International Management from Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management, where she specialized in marketing and Latin American studies.

Phillip Assis

Public Diplomacy Officer, U.S. Embassy Copenhagen
Treasurer of Fulbright Denmark

Phillip Assis is Public Diplomacy Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen and will in this position also be the Treasurer of Fulbright Denmark.  Prior postings have included the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan; the U.S. Embassy in Tunis, Tunisia; a Public Diplomacy Desk Officer in the State Department’s Near Eastern Affairs bureau; posting in Karachi, Pakistan; the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See (Vatican); Georgetown, Guyana (South America); and Doha, Qatar. Prior to the Foreign Service, Phillip Assis spent a decade managing U.S. Government-funded international exchanges between American and African electric power utilities.  He also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Benin (West Africa), and worked as a paralegal at a corporate law firm in Chicago.  Phillip Assis holds an M.A. in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

Amy Hebert

Chief Executive Officer, Arcadia eFuels

Amy Hebert is the Chief Executive Officer of Arcadia eFuels since August 2021 and a supervisory board member of IMCD since June 2020. She served as Chief Commercial Officer at Haldor Topsøe from 2018 to August 2021 and as Vice President of Europe Region and Vice President Global Sales Acetyl Chain at Celanese Corporation from 2014-2017. During her assignment at Celanese Corporation, she was responsible for the creation of a principal operating company. At Albemarle Corporation, she led the catalyst business as Vice President and Executive Officer, with overall responsibilities including creating and executing long-term business strategies and managing its financial performance. She holds a BS in Chemical Engineering, and minor in French from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Katherine Richardson

Professor, Center for Macroecology, Evolution & Climate, UCPH

Katherine Richardson is Professor of Biological Oceanography and Leader of the Sustainability Science Centre at the University of Copenhagen. Her research centers on how changes in climate and biodiversity in the ocean interact to influence the global carbon cycle and how humans are impacting the Earth System. Katherine Richardson is also a Principle Investigator in the development of the Planetary Boundaries framework aiming to identify a safe operating space for humanity in relation to its perturbation of the global environment. She is a member of the Danish Council on Climate Change as well as UN’s Scientific Panel to draft the 2019 Global Sustainable Development Report.

 

Danish members
Pernille Ulrich

Head of Division, Danish Agency for Ministry of Higher Education & Science
Chair of Fulbright Denmark

Pernille Ulrich’s work focuses on the management of higher education institutions, especially universities and artistic institutions in her position as Head of Division at the Ministry of Higher Education and Science. In recent years she has also worked within the innovation area and innovation infrastructure as well as with the state research funds. The Ministry of Higher Education and Science has been her focal point besides 5 years at the confederation of Danish Industry. Pernille Ulrich holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Agriculture from the University of Copenhagen.

Niels Andersen

Vice Director, DTU Space & Head of Polar Activities, DTU

Niels Andersen is on the DTU Space Executive Board and the Head of Department for Innovation and Public Authorities at DTU Space. Niels is the national representative in the International Association of Geodesy (IAG), a member of the Danish Delegation regarding United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a member of the International Law Association (ILA), and Chair of the IHO/IAG Advisory Board to United Nations on the Law of the Sea. Niels has a Ph.D. in Geodesy from University of Copenhagen, a Master’s in Physics/Mathematics from University of Aarhus and a Diploma in Business Excellence from Columbia University in New York.

Jørn Brøndal

Professor & Chair, Center for American Studies, SDU

Jørn Brøndal is Professor and Chair of the Center for American Studies, University of Southern Denmark. He holds a Ph.D. degree in U.S. History from the University of Copenhagen.Jørn specializes in U.S. political, ethnic and racial history. His book, Ethnic Leadership and Midwestern Politics (2004) received a Wisconsin Historical Society Book Award of Merit (2005). His Danish-language book Det sorte USA (Black America, 2016) was among the finalists for two Danish book awards. Brøndal frequently discusses US politics on Danish radio and TV.

Peter Kurrild–Klitgaard

Professor, Department of Political Science, UCPH

Peter Kurrild-Klitgaard is Professor of Political Science at the University of Copenhagen. Peter holds a Master’s from Columbia University and a Ph.D. from Copenhagen University. He has held visiting appointments at a number of U.S. universities, including Harvard University, New York University, and George Mason. His specialization is comparative politics and political economy, with a special focus on constitutions and electoral systems. He has been used as a commentator on U.S. politics in Danish media for over 20 years.

Fulbright Denmark: Processing of Personal Data

Fulbright Denmark processes personal data in a number of different contexts in order to carry out the tasks that fall under the auspices of Fulbright Denmark, tasks which center around grant administration and related advising.

Consequently, in managing these tasks Fulbright Denmark will receive information concerning individuals which may identify the individual or make it possible to do so. Personal data and information thus figure into Fulbright Denmark’s work in various contexts.

Processing of personal data in specific contexts

Below you can read more about how Fulbright Denmark processes your personal data. Please note that Fulbright Denmark also processes personal data in other contexts than those described below. In such cases, you will be informed directly about how Fulbright Denmark will process your personal data.

Enquiries from interested parties:

Fulbright Denmark receives enquiries from individuals, university representatives and other entities regarding various aspects of grant administration/advising and processes personal data in order to handle the given enquiry.

  • Purpose of processing: The purpose is to handle the specific enquiry to the enquirer’s satisfaction. The personal data in question is provided to Fulbright Denmark by the enquirer.
  • Personal data processed: The volume and type of personal data processed will depend on the enquiry.
  • Length of processing period: Personal data will only be processed for the amount of time necessary to handle the given enquiry.

Grant applications:

When applying for a grant administered by Fulbright Denmark, you will be provided a Data Protection Notice and Consent Form tailored to that specific context.

Contact Fulbright Denmark regarding personal data processing

If you have any queries or concern about the way Fulbright Denmark processes your personal data, or wish to exercise any of your rights pursuant to the data protection legislation, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (“GDPR”) you can get in touch by post or by email:

Address: Fulbright Center Denmark, Nørregade 7A, 1. tv., 1165 Copenhagen K, Denmark

Contact: Fulbright Denmark (fulbright@fulbright.dk).