Mike Hawkins, a lecturer with both the Program in International and Comparative Studies (PICS), and the Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award to work in the Philippines during the 2026-2027 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
Hawkins' award is supported by the the Philippine-American Educational Foundation (PAEF) and the Institute of International Education (IIE). In Manila, he will be hosted by the Department of Geography at the University of the Philippines Diliman where he will spend January-April, 2027 conducting research.
His work in Manila will consist of interviews and archival research for a book project entitled: Working Manila’s Waterfront: From Colonial Cargo to Global Containers. The book will examine how work has changed at the Port of Manila across a series of historical episodes from 1898 to the present. Anchoring itself on Manila's waterfront, the book narrates how the lives and labor of Manila's dockworkers, trade union leaders, and truck drivers have been transformed by significant events in Philippine history, and how these port workers have themselves shaped these histories.
University of Michigan applicants to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program are supported by the fellowships & grants team at the International Institute. For more information about Fulbright and how to apply, visit the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program pages on the International Institute website.
Fulbright U.S. Scholars are accomplished faculty, researchers, administrators, and established professionals who teach or conduct research in partnership with institutions around the world. Through these affiliations, they expand their professional networks and often seed future research, innovation, and institutional partnerships. When they return home to their campuses, labs, and classrooms, Fulbright Scholars share their experiences and insights, becoming champions of international collaboration. Many go on to host visiting scholars, and inspire colleagues and students to pursue transformative opportunities abroad.
Fulbright provides opportunities for exceptional Americans and participants from 160 countries and locations to study, teach, and conduct research abroad. For eight decades, Fulbrighters have been leaders at the forefront of discovery and innovation, conducting cutting edge research, advancing critical industries, and preparing future generations with new skills and perspectives. Fulbrighters have included 46 heads of state or government, 63 Nobel Laureates, 93 Pulitzer Prize winners, 83 MacArthur Fellows, and countless leaders in all sectors and industries across the United States and around the world.
Fulbright U.S. Scholars teach or conduct research or professional projects abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. In addition, recent college graduates, graduate students, and early career professionals pursue graduate study, conduct research, or teach English in schools abroad each year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.
Fulbright is a program of the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. Government. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program.
In the United States, the Institute of International Education implements the Fulbright U.S. Student and U.S. Scholar Programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of State.
The deadline to apply for 2027-2028 Fulbright U.S. Scholar awards is September 15, 2026.
