Innlegg på mottakelse for U.S. Fulbright-stipendiater til Norge 2011-2012

Utenriksministeren baserte sitt innlegg på følgende punkter:  

• Delighted to be here and to see that the Fulbright programme is as strong as ever.
• Like to thank Ambassador White for hosting this reception.
• Believe that Senator Fulbright himself would have been proud if he could have seen us here today, as well as what the Fulbright programme at large has evolved into.
• Senator Fulbright’s vision - of using student exchanges as a tool for young people to gain a deeper understanding of the rest of the world - has come true.
• Today, the Fulbright programme is active in 155 countries. Every year it sends almost 3 000 American students out to every corner of the world, and brings students from all over the world to America.
• During the current 2011-12 academic year, 47 Norwegian Fulbrighters have received grants to study and/or conduct research in the US, and 32 Americans are doing the same at the higher education institutions in Norway.
• The Fulbright Agreement between the United States and Norway was signed and entered into force on May 25 1949 in Oslo. Since then 1 245 Americans and 3 341 Norwegians have been awarded a Fulbright grant. 
• The Fulbright programme is today one of the preeminent student exchange programmes in the world.
• The Norwegian government through the Ministries of Education and Research and Foreign Affairs also provides significant funding to the Norwegian Fulbright program.  
• As Foreign Minister, I am particularly encouraged to see student exchanges between the United States and Norway, both under the Fulbright programme as well other programmes.
• Student exchanges are one of the best ways to strengthen the ties between our two countries. Both the Americans that come to Norway, and the Norwegians that go to the US, gain a deeper understanding as well as forming strong bonds of friendship with the other country. Ties that will often last for the rest of their lives. 
• In my tenure as Foreign Minister I have placed a particular emphasis on the High North and the Arctic.
• I am therefore glad that the Fulbright program helps us put this important question on the international agenda through the Arctic Chair program initiated and funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• A notable element of the Arctic Chair award – a 4 year pilot project - is the expectation that chairs will make significant contributions in both research and teaching, and will contribute to the internationalization of research and education on Arctic issues.
• The Fulbright Arctic Chair award will also help promote Svalbard and the academic environment at The University Center in Svalbard (UNIS) as a platform for international polar research.
• I am particularly delighted to see the current (2011-2012) US Arctic Chair, Mark Moline, present here tonight.
• Dr Molaine has spent about seven months at the University Centre in Svalbard. Together with his family, he has made a positive contribution to the small community and the school in Longyearbyen. Dr Molaine has also made a significant difference for a number of students, both at master and Ph.D level, at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS).
• Dr Molaine and his students have frequently been observed in Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund operating remote-controlled mini-submarines in both Isfjorden and Kongsfjorden.
• This is a groundbreaking technology that will provide access to a large amount of important new data in the fields of oceanography and polar biology.
• Let me assure you that this is very impressive for a man who finds it hard to remote control my own television.
• Also like to mention the current Norwegian Fulbright Arctic Chair (2011-2012): Dr Jostein Bakke. A specialist on Arctic glaciers. During his term as Arctic Chair has collaborated with US scientist at the University of Massachusetts to produce high-quality data sets on glacier variability over the last 10 000 years.
• My Government has placed the High North as its number one foreign policy priority. And at the core of our strategy is knowledge.
• I am sure that the knowledge and new insight researchers in our two countries can provide through the Fulbright Arctic Chair program will contribute to an ever closer cooperation between the United States and Norway on High North issues as Arctic nations and Arctic costal states.         
• In conclusion, I congratulate the students present here today with receiving the prestigious Fulbright scholarship.
• I wish you the very best of success with your studies.
• Thank you for your attention.