The J. W. Fulbright Commission for Educational Exchange in the Slovak Republic

The J. W. Fulbright Commission for Educational Exchange in the Slovak Republic has been established by executive agreements between the United States and the Slovak Republic (319/94 Zz., 320/94 Zz., 198/05 Zz.), to promote the educational, research and cultural exchanges between the United States and the Slovak Republic through the Fulbright Program.

The Commission is an autonomous, non-profit, non-partisan, bi-national institution. Eight members, four Slovak and four U.S. citizens, make up the Board, which is the governing body of the Fulbright Program in the Slovak Republic. These members, who represent academia, business, diplomatic and professional fields, are appointed by the U.S. Ambassador to Slovak Republic and the Slovak Minister of Education, who are the Honorary Chairmen of the Board. 

The mandate of the Commission is explicit: to identify the best candidates in each country and engage them in reciprocal exchanges within the highest standards of the Fulbright Program. The Commission strives to develop and increase expertise in fields in which lecturing is provided and research is conducted in both countries, to identify new fields in which mutual co-operation is desirable to further enhance that particular field, to extend activities by establishing cost sharing programs with participating institutions, to promote intercultural and interethnic understanding, and to provide information about study and research opportunities in the U. S. A.

In addition to the Fulbright Program's administration, the Fulbright Commission is the leader in the Slovak Republic in providing comprehensive, reliable and qualified information about studies in the U.S.A. through its Educational Advising Center. This center strives to provide accurate, comprehensive, current and unbiased information on educational opportunities in the United States. It belongs to the worldwide educational advising network of the U.S. Department of State called EducationUSA.

The Fulbright Program is jointly funded by the governments of the United States and the Slovak Republic. The U.S. government contributes about 75 percent of the budget with the Slovak Government contributing about 25 percent.