Understanding the Experiences of Fulbright Visiting Scholars—A Qualitative Systematic Review

Abstract

The Fulbright Program funds approximately 850 visiting scholars to the United States each year from over 100 countries. This study aimed to understand how the experiences of Fulbright visiting scholars are represented in education literature and beyond. This study used thematic analysis methods for a systematic review to examine relevant literature from the past 10 years (2011–2021). The study found that the experiences of scholars visiting Fulbright shape their academic lives in their home countries and their complex attitudes toward the United States, but their experiences are unique and depend on the geopolitical relationship between the United States and their home countries.

Keywords

• visiting scholars
• education diplomacy
• scholar mobility
• systematic review