Iceland is a small Nordic country, an island republic in the North Atlantic, between the U.S. and the European mainland. Iceland is technologically advanced, English is widely spoken and Americans find Icelandic society and culture relatively easy to navigate. Iceland provides very interesting research opportunities in many fields and as a small, highly technologically advanced country, Iceland is ideal for many types of research. English is widely spoken and much used in academia. Scholars can generally expect good access to people, institutions and information for research purposes. Usually, U.S. Scholars so inclined can easily find Icelandic colleagues eager to collaborate on research.
Iceland has spectacular nature and offers scholars an opportunity for unique outdoor experiences, in addition to a vibrant cultural scene and a cuisine that has been gaining international recognition. There is a good public school system, and scholars with children have generally had positive experiences.Since the Fulbright Program in Iceland is relatively small, the Commission is able to maintain close ties with Scholars during their stay and provide a sense of community among Fulbright Scholars. There are monthly grantee activities sponsored by the Commission, in addition to access to Fulbright alumni events and other social activities.
In Greece the U.S. Fulbright Scholar Program is an important component of the Fulbright Foundation's mission to bring outstanding scholars from a wide variety of disciplines to Greek institutions of higher learning and state or private organizations in order to promote cultural and educational ties between the two countries through scholarly interaction and collaboration. Applicants are encouraged to arrange affiliation(s) in Greece and submit letters of invitation indicating name/position of host and details on collaborating organization/institution. Facts about Greece, the Greek educational system and information on Greek universities can be found at the Fulbright Foundation in Greece website. English is sufficient for teaching/lecturing; however, knowledge of Greek is useful.
Iceland and Greece are ideal for those interested in comparative academic research on dealing with financial upheaval as it relates to a wide variety of fields. Both countries were heavily hit by the economic crash of 2008, but have had quite different responses and developments since then. Greece is an EU member, while Iceland is part of the European Economic Area. Iceland has a small local currency, while Greece is part of the Euro zone. There are political, cultural and societal differences, but also some similarities between the two countries. Both have strong economic and political ties with the U.S.
