Dr. Stephen Ferst, the Executive Director of the Center for Global Engagement at the College of Staten Island, has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award in International Education to Korea for 2026 from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Dr. Ferst will attend the Fulbright International Education Administrator (IEA) program in Korea in June 2026. During his visit, Dr. Ferst and other awardees will meet with administrators from Korean Universities, Fulbright Officers, the Ministry of Education, and others to develop collaborations between the College and various Korean institutions. Dr. Ferst aims to create agreements and partnerships that extend to the development of study abroad programs, faculty teaching and research opportunities, Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) courses, and more.

“It’s hard to express the honor of being named a Fulbright scholar, especially in the field of International Education, where we work every day to ensure that students, faculty, and scholars from across the globe are able to engage in meaningful educational and cultural ways across international boundaries,” Dr. Ferst said. “The opportunity to work with other scholars in Korea to further our goals, create innovative cooperative programs, and advance our common knowledge will be a highlight of my career—an experience from which I will assuredly learn, grow, and advance my skills.”

The College of Staten Island is an annual leader in Fulbright awards, earning designations as a Top Producer and as a Fulbright Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) Leader, recognized for its strong engagement with the Fulbright Program and for producting Fulbright participants. Fulbright scholars in 2025 who recently completed their work include Dr. Chandan Acharya (Management), who researched workforce innovation and adaptability in Nepal, and Dr. Sarah Berger (Psychology), who completed her research on computerized vision and robotics in the Czech Republic.

Fulbright U.S. Scholars are faculty, researchers, administrators, and established professionals teaching or conducting research in affiliation with institutes abroad. They conduct cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations initiated abroad and laying the groundwork for future institutional partnerships. Upon returning to their home countries, institutions, labs, and classrooms, they share their stories and often become active supporters of international exchange, inviting foreign scholars to campus and encouraging colleagues and students to go abroad.

Working with Korean higher education professionals to better understand the nexus between Korean and American systems of teaching methodologies, research, and project development, Dr. Ferst knows the information will be invaluable upon his return home. “These linkages we are creating with Korean universities will facilitate CSI faculty, students, and researchers in engaging with like-minded faculty and researchers, as well as creating student mobility opportunities. As such, CSI and the Staten Island community will be afforded more opportunities to learn about Korea, engage in meaningful cross-cultural dialogues, and create opportunities to share knowledge across the oceans,” he noted.

Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals with the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. Fulbrighters exchange ideas, build people-to-people connections, and work to address complex global challenges. Notable Fulbrighters include 62 Nobel Laureates, 93 Pulitzer Prize winners, 82 MacArthur Fellows, 44 heads of state or government, and thousands of leaders across the private, public, and non-profit sectors.

Over 800 individuals teach or conduct research abroad annually through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. In addition, over 2,000 Fulbright U.S. Student Program participants—recent college graduates, graduate students, and early career professionals—participate in study/research exchanges or as English teaching assistants in local schools abroad each year.

Fulbright is a program of the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. Government. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program, which operates in over 160 countries worldwide.

In the United States, the Institute of International Education implements the Fulbright U.S. Student and U.S. Scholar Programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of State.  For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit fulbrightprogram.org.