The University of Wisconsin ranked 11 among research universities nationwide with 24 students earning the 2007-2008 Fulbright award this week, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.

The Fulbright Program funds one year of academic study abroad and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The program aims to foster international collaboration and exchange between the United States and other countries, Director of Communications for the Division of International Studies Masarah Van Eyck said.

“It only makes sense that students would want to research topics and places outside of the U.S. in order to help us all better understand the world we live in,” Van Eyck said. “Students need to have an understanding of other cultures, and have the ability to maneuver outside of one culture.”

According to Van Eyck, six of the 24 students declined the award because of another grant or job offer.

No matter what field students are majoring in, Van Eyck said they are recognizing a need to graduate with a degree of global competence, adding UW has to continue to foster its own international research, collaboration and educational opportunities in order to become one of the great global research universities of the 21st century.

UW graduate student Alison Carter, a recipient of the award, agreed with Van Eyck.

“We live in a global community — learning about other countries and cultures is essential,” Carter said.

Carter is working toward a Ph.D. in archeology and will study in Cambodia for 10 months.

“Learning about other countries and cultures makes somebody a well-rounded scholar and a better human on the basic level,” Carter said.

Carter said she applied for the Fulbright scholarship last year because she had ideas for her dissertation, but wanted to travel to Cambodia since her area of study — archeology — looks at other past and contemporary cultures.

“Fulbright has given me enough money to go to Cambodia for a long enough time to make contacts and get a lot of research done for my dissertation,” Carter said.

Carter said living expenses and airfare are determined depending on the scholar’s destination of choice. Program requirements vary by country.