“Three Papua New Guineans Off to the US to Study under the Fulbright Scholarship Program”

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By Carolyn Ive ..

Above: U.S. Ambassador Teddy Taylor with Fulbright Scholars Bangan John (Scientific Officer, PNG Institute of Medical Research), Lillian Vevara (Senior Legal Officer, Office of State Solicitor) and Sandon Phillip-Kikala (Senior Legal Officer, Office of the Solicitor General)

PORT MORESBY – Bangan John, Lillian Vevara and Sandon Phillip-Kikala have been selected as Papua New Guinea’s three Fulbright scholars for 2010. They were chosen after a competitive process for the Fulbright Scholarship program announced by the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby in 2009.

A mainstay of America’s public-diplomacy efforts, the Fulbright Foreign Student Program brings citizens of other countries to the United States for Master’s degree study at U.S. universities or other appropriate institutions. The program has brought some of the world’s finest minds to U.S. campuses and offers program participants’ insight into U.S. society and values.

Ambassador Teddy Taylor, during a brief meeting with the scholars today, said “we are proud to send three Fulbright students this year to the US. Sandon Phillip-Kikala will study Energy & Environmental Law at Tulane University- School of Law; Lillian Vevara will study Natural Resources & Environment Law – Seabed Mining at University of Oregon - School of Law; and Bangan John will be studying Molecular Biology HIV/AIDS at Case Western University – School of Graduate Studies”.

“We’re extremely pleased that Bangan, Lillian and Sandon have been chosen for this scholarship and that they will be undertaking a program of study which will help build capacity for Papua New Guinea. Bangan, Lillian and Sandon are outstanding candidates, and we hope that there will be many more to come,” said Ambassador Taylor.

“We are all thrilled and thankful for the opportunity to be Pacific Fulbright scholars. This is a great challenge and we are excited about being in the US at this particular time in history with President Obama in the White House,” the scholars said.


“Upon completion of our study, we intend to return to the Papua New Guinea to continue working in our areas of specialty. We are confident that we will be in a stronger position to make a more effective and meaningful contribution to Papua New Guinea. We would like to thank the US Embassy for giving us this wonderful opportunity.”

The U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby says the awarding of a very significant scholarship to a Pacific Islander is one of the highlights of U.S. diplomacy efforts in the Pacific.

Krufinta Bun, 2009 Fulbright Scholar is currently in the United States undertaking a Masters in Epidemiology at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in Cleveland, Ohio.

Many foreign Fulbright grantees are early-career professionals who will return to take leadership positions in their home countries, often working at universities or in government service.
More than 1,800 new Foreign Fulbright Fellows enter U.S. academic programs each year. In conjunction with Fulbright Commission/Foundation or U.S. Embassies abroad, the Institute of International Education (IIE) arranges academic placement for most Fulbright nominees and supervises participants during their stay in the United States.

The next round of applications for the Fulbright Foreign Student Program will be announced in April 2011.

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