BUREAU OF EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ (ECA) mission is to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchange that assist in the development of peaceful relations. ECA strives to embed diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in all aspects of its work.

What We Do

As mandated by the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) works to build friendly, peaceful relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries through academic, cultural, sports, and professional exchanges, as well as public -private partnerships.

OUR EXCHANGE PROGRAMS

Our exchange programs engage youth, students, educators, artists, athletes, and rising leaders in the United States and more than 160 countries. In addition to exchange programs, ECA also administers a variety of other initiatives that support cultural understanding by protecting Cultural Heritage across the globe, and providing educational resources for people interested in learning about American culture and the English language. ECA is well known for its flagship exchange programs such as The Fulbright Program and International Visitor Leadership Program. To see all ECA exchange program opportunities visit our Exchange Program website.

Who We Engage

In an effort to reflect the diversity of the United States and global society, ECA programs, funding, and other activities encourage the involvement of American and international participants from traditionally underrepresented groups, including women, racial and ethnic minorities, and people with disabilities. Opportunities are open to people regardless of their race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, geographic location, socioeconomic status, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. The Bureau is committed to fairness, equity and inclusion.

Artists, educators, athletes, students, youth, and rising leaders in the United States and more than 160 countries around the globe participate in academic, cultural, sports, and professional exchanges.

How We Work

ECA leads public diplomacy outreach efforts for the U.S. Department of State through our exchange programs. These exchange programs improve foreign relations and strengthen the national security of the United States, support U.S. international leadership, and provide a broad range of domestic benefits by helping break down barriers that often divide us. Our Functional Bureau Strategy details how our programs advance the National Security Strategy and the ECA Strategy Crosswalk highlights how ECA priorities align with the Strategy.

History and Mission of ECA

As part of America’s larger story of respect for—and interest in—all cultures and faiths, ECA’s range of programs exist to encourage mutual understanding as well as international, educational and cultural exchange, and leadership development.

From artists, educators, and athletes to students and the youth in the United States and from almost every other country and territory throughout the world—we engage rising leaders through academic, cultural, sports, and professional exchanges. Striving to reflect the diversity of the United States and global society, ECA programs, funding, and other activities encourage the involvement of American and international participants from traditionally underrepresented groups, including women, racial and ethnic minorities, and people with disabilities.

Mission Statement

To increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries by means of educational and cultural exchange that assist in the development of peaceful relations.

History

For more than 50 years the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) has sought to cultivate mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries to promote friendly, and peaceful relations, as mandated by the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961.

ECA exchange program alumni encompass over 1 million people around the world, including more than 75 Nobel Laureates and nearly 450 current and former heads of state and government.

A brief history of the bureau and the events that led to its establishment are chronicled in this timeline:

1940 Coordinator of Commercial and Cultural Affairs for the American Republics, Nelson Rockefeller, initiates the exchange of persons program with Latin America; inviting 130 Latin American journalists to the United States

1942 Office of War Information (OWI) established to consolidate scattered agencies of domestic and foreign information

1946 President Truman terminates OWI; one section is placed within the Department of State as the Office of International Information and Cultural Affairs (OIC). OIC has a network of 76 branches worldwide; 67 information centers and libraries stock books, display exhibits and show films.

1946 Fulbright Program is established

1947 OIC is renamed the Office of International Information and Educational Exchange

1948 Rep. Karl Mundt and Sen. H. Alexander Smith introduce the Smith-Mundt Act, establishing a statutory information agency to “promote a better understanding of the United States in other countries, and to increase mutual understanding” between Americans and foreigners

1948 International Visitor Program formally established to engage professionals, intellectuals and opinion leaders in the political and social infrastructure

1953 President Eisenhower establishes the United States Information Agency (USIA) to consolidate information functions administered by the State Department and other agencies. Educational and cultural exchanges remain within the State Department

1959 The exchange function is separated from the State Department’s Bureau of Public Affairs and is assigned to a newly created Bureau of Educational and Cultural Relations (CU).

1961 Congress passes the Fulbright-Hays Act to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. By the end of the year, a Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is established in the Department of State

1978 President Carter approves a major reorganization of USIA, combining it with the department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to become the United States International Communication Agency (USICA)

1978 President Carter initiates the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program

1982 President Reagan changes USICA’s name back to USIA

1983 The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program begins

1984 Congress creates the Cultural Property Advisory Committee to help stem illicit trafficking in cultural property. The CPAC secretariat is housed in ECA

1992 Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program is established

1999 USIA moves into the State Department where exchange programs and other USIA components comprise the department’s new Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), which maintains its authority under the Fulbright-Hays Act

2000 Congress creates the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation

2000 Congress establishes the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program to broaden the U.S. student population that studies and interns abroad.

2001 ECA creates Alumni.State.Gov to connect exchange alumni in Southeastern Europe and Eurasia

2004 ECA establishes the Office of Alumni Affairs and expands Alumni.State.Gov into a global network

2006 The Bush administration launches the National Security Language Initiative, including ECA’s NSLI-Y initiative focused on American youth and ECA’s Critical Language Scholarship Program focused on American undergraduate and graduate students.

2008 ExchangesConnect debuts as the first social network of the U.S. government

2010 The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) celebrates its 70th Anniversary

2015 ECA establishes the U.S. Study Abroad branch to expand study abroad opportunities for American students to gain critical skills in support of our national security and economic prosperity.

ECA Contacts