The initiative celebrates Fulbright’s partnership with HBCUs and encourages administrators, faculty and students to participate in the US government’s flagship international academic exchange program that partners with 160 countries.  

Congratulating the leaders, US secretary of state Anthony J Blinken said the designation was “a testament to your institution’s dedication to promoting global engagement and international understanding”.  

The HBCU Institutional Leaders were announced on September 10, 2024, in advance of the Annual National HBCU Week Conference, which identifies tangible opportunities to connect federal and private resources to the HBCU community. 

One of the initiatives taken up by North Carolina Central University, Huston-Tillotson University and Howard University last year was Fulbright’s scholars-in-residence program, which invites scholars from overseas to teach on a US camps for one or two semesters.

Last year, visiting professors came from India, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ghana, forging new partnerships with US institutions for study abroad and virtual exchange, as well as contributing to the internationalisation of the curriculum.

Huston-Tillotson University (HTU), in Austin, Texas, was matched with Professor Manoj Kapil, the dean of engineering and technology, security and cryptography at India’s Swami Vivekanand Subharti University.  

According to HTU, Kapil was instrumental in assisting with the design of a STEM MBA program at the university and the two insitutions have since agreed a partnership in which Kapil and his colleagues will teach virtual courses in the new program starting in spring 2025.  

[The designation] is a testament to your institution’s dedication to promoting global engagement and international understanding

Anthony Blinken, US secretary of state

Howard University president Dr. Ben Vinson III said, “Our Fulbrighters return to the Howard community with fresh insights, a deepened cultural understanding, and a broadened worldview, laying the foundation for their personal and professional growth.”  

“Their work has an enduring and positive impact on communities and institutions, at home and abroad,” Vinson added. 

Other Fulbright programs with HBCUs include the outreach lecturing fund which brings international scholars already in the US to different campuses for short-term visits with events such as guest lectures, student mentoring, film festivals and state fairs.  

Last year, Morgan State University, Virginia State University and Xavier University of Louisiana benefited from the fund.  

The full list of the HBCU institutional leaders are as follows:  

• Alcorn State University (Mississippi) 
• Bennett College (North Carolina) 
• Fayetteville State University (North Carolina) 
• Florida A&M University (Florida) 
• Howard University (District of Columbia) 
• Huston-Tillotson University (Texas) 
• Jackson State University (Mississippi) 
• Jarvis Christian University (Texas) 
• LeMoyne-Owen College (Tennessee) 
• Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) 
• Mississippi Valley State University (Mississippi) 
• Morgan State University (Maryland) 
• North Carolina A&T State University (North Carolina) 
• North Carolina Central University (North Carolina) 
• Prairie View A&M University (Texas) 
• Spelman College (Georgia) 
• Tennessee State University (Tennessee) 
• Virginia State University (Virginia) 
• Xavier University of Louisiana (Louisiana)