Vincent Bernatis, a 2008 graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point, has received a UK-Partnership Fulbright Award to enable him to study at the University of Exeter on one of the most prestigious and selective scholarship programs operating world-wide.
Created by treaty in 1948, the US-UK Fulbright Commission is the only bi-lateral, transatlantic scholarship program, offering awards for study or research in any field, at any accredited US or UK university. The Commission is part of the Fulbright program conceived by Senator J. William Fulbright in the aftermath of World War II to promote leadership, learning, and empathy between nations through educational exchange. Award recipients will be the future leaders for tomorrow and support the “special relationship” between the US and UK.
Bernatis is a former U.S. Army officer and 2008 honor graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Upon graduation he spent four years living overseas, working with foreign civil and military organizations in Germany and elsewhere. In 2011, he earned a Bronze Star while deployed to Afghanistan. While there, he first served as the leader of a reconnaissance unit in Kandahar Province, followed by six months as a Rule of Law Advisor in Kunduz Province. Bernatis plans to build upon these experiences and his formal academic background in International Relations through a postgraduate degree from the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter. When not researching Western efforts to institutionalize the rule of law in the wake of military interventions, Bernatis is excited about spending his Fulbright Year hiking in the national parks of the UK.
Commenting on receiving the award, he said: “I am incredibly honored to be part of such a prestigious cohort, and I am excited to represent my country and alma mater in the UK. As a Fulbright scholar, my studies will provide greater insight into the ways in which cultural considerations can determine the relative success of foreign policy. I hope this experience will enable me to be a better civil servant through an increased understanding of alternative approaches to security in the post 9-11 era.”
The Fulbright Commission selects scholars through a rigorous application and interview process. In making these awards the Commission looks not only for academic excellence but a focused application, a range of extracurricular and community activities, demonstrated ambassadorial skills, a desire to further the Fulbright Program, and a plan to give back to the recipient’s home country upon returning.