The flagship international educational program sponsored by the United States Government, widely known as the Fulbright Program, is designed to "increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries..." With this goal as a starting point, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 230,000 participants - chosen for their leadership potential - with the opportunity to observe each others' political, economic and cultural institutions, exchange ideas, and embarks on joint ventures of importance to the general welfare of the world's inhabitants.