Md. Yusuf Sarwar Uddin, Lecturer, Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering of BUET, is a recipient of the new International Fulbright Science and Technology Award. This was announced by U.S. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes on November 21. Designed to provide top-level students in science and technology with the U.S. government’s most prestigious and valuable scholarship, this new Fulbright award for Ph.D. study at America’s leading universities was created to attract the most highly qualified young women and men to the world’s preeminent higher education institutions. The announcement of the award recipients, following on the news that the United States has reversed a post-September 11 drop in student visa demand, underscores our message that the U.S. government and higher education system welcome talented international students.

Recipients from 27 countries were chosen through a rigorous, multi-tiered, merit-based selection process consisting of in-country competition and review, field and discipline merit review by top-level U.S. academic leaders, and nomination by a blue ribbon Advisory Panel, including a Nobel Laureate and university deans and presidents. Final selection was made by the Presidentially appointed Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. This year’s winners come from Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Estonia, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Nepal, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, South Korea, St. Lucia, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, and Venezuela.

U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh Patricia A. Butenis met with the winner on Wednesday, November 29 and congratulated him personally.