The Fulbright non-profit association will award the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award to President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic for her global contributions as a leader, diplomat and public servant.

“With this award, the Fulbright Association honours President Grabar-Kitarovic for her remarkable contributions as a leader, diplomat and public servant,” Fulbright said in a press release.

“President Grabar-Kitarovic embodies the best of leadership in times of unrelenting global crises and challenges and joins the highly distinguished company of other recipients,” the press release goes on to say.

Other laureates included John Hope Franklin, Renee Fleming, Philip Glass, David Bradley, Rita Hauser, Thomas Pickering, Ruth Simmons, John Lithgow and Rita Dove.

The award ceremony will take place on October 26 in Arlington, USA.

The award honors alumni whose distinguished careers and civic and cultural contributions have sought to expand the boundaries of human wisdom, empathy and perception, the press release said.

The Fulbright Association was founded in 1977 and works with partners in more than 160 countries and 70 sister alumni organisation around the world.

The Fulbright Programme implements Senator J. Williman Fulbight’s visionary concept of promoting mutual understanding between countries through academic and bicultural exchange. Foreign countries contribute over $ 100 million to the programme each year.

Annually, about 8,000 grantees participate in exchange programmes and the programme has sponsored about 390,000 grantees since being established.