With the aim of boosting people-to-people links between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the US, the 5th US- ASE AN Joint Cooperation Committee Meeting on April 5 announced the first seven recipients of the Fulbright US-ASEAN programme.

US Ambassador to ASE AN David Carden said the first seven Fulbright scholars selected from the bloc’s member states will work on research projects concerning climate change, food security, public health, US-ASEAN political relations, monetary policy, and law.

The scholars, who are scrutinised and selected by officials from the US Mission to ASEAN, the bloc’s Committee of Permanent Representatives and Secretariat, are also required to have a research work on the main issues in US-ASEAN relationship.

The Fulbright US-ASEAN Initiative was announced by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at last year’s US- ASE AN Ministerial Meeting which marked the 35th founding anniversary of friendly and cooperative ties between ASEAN and the US.

The ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.-VNA