American International Education As Soft Power: A Case Study On Fulbright Program In Chile

The Fulbright Program is a great example of the American public diplomacy, which over time it has been shown to act as a solid foundation for cultural, educational and scientific relations between the United States and Chile. Likewise, the program has been used as an instrument of the American soft power to influence international relations. In an increasingly globalized world, the cultural influence becomes a viable alternative to exercise power over other nations, especially when the rapid development of the information technologies has generated a significant change in societies.Since the program began operating in our country, The US has used the international education strategically and as part of the American soft power to influence, strengthen relationships and achieve important economic agreements for the benefit of both countries, but especially, to advance agendas and national interests and influence important decisions of Chile.Even though the United States created the Fulbright Program to promote cultural and educational exchange, and to foster mutual understanding between the two nations, this influence has not been back and forth as intended, but rather it has been a strategy that according to experience, a greater inclination is observed by showing others the benefits of cultural, social and the scientific American model.Thus the bilateral program has been an effective instrument of US foreign policy, achieving through exchanges, that many Chileans had been able to contact academicians and students who act as ambassadors of culture and American society, and on the other hand these ambassadors have known and better understood the English language, other customs and especially other ways of thinking to live immersed in the North American culture.In the case of Chile, the Fulbright Program as an educational exchange is undoubtedly used as a means of generating cultural influence by the American government, according to their own interest. This makes us think about the relationship between the Fulbright Program and the concept of soft power, in which it presents to international education and educational exchanges as a force in the international system able to shape the global stage, which it runs through the dissemination of ideas, values and foreign culture that affects the views and preferences of the Chilean society.The American international education is exposed as a power resource for the interests of the Government of the United States, which influences and is able to change those who have the experience of studying abroad and how the American international education is transformed into another resource of power, which also positively influences in cultural, technical and scientific level. Finally, Fulbright program can influence the beneficiaries affecting their lives and thought, and is able to get the expected results, considering that the American education sector has an autonomy and independence of the various levels of government.The development of US’s Fulbright Program in Chile, has significantly impacted our country in the cultural, technical and scientific order, acting as an important element in the economic development of Chile, as well as the American program of building US’s image in Chile.