American professor to teach Hindi in Mumbai

'I am thrilled and excited by my selection, not only for the opportunities it allows for study, but also for the opportunity it offers to be an ambassador for Idaho State University (ISU) and American higher education,' said Alan Johnson, ISU Associate Professor of English, who was raised in India.

Johnson's specialty, according to the university is postcolonial literature and theory, with a focus on South Asian literature, primarily Indian.

'It will be interesting to see how that university works and to become familiar with Indian higher education,' said Johnson. 'It may be useful for me to share my experience as we live in an increasingly globalised world and ISU tries to attract more international students. It is not just the subjects I teach, but the reciprocal relationships I wish to cultivate that are important.'

The Fulbright Programme is the flagship international educational exchange programme sponsored by the US government and is designed to 'increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries,' according to the organization's website.

Approximately 294,000 'Fulbrighters,' 111,000 from the US and 183,000 from other countries, have participated in the programme since its inception more than sixty years ago.