Heads of State/Government

Forty-two Fulbright alumni are serving or have served as heads of state or government of their home countries. They are listed below in reverse-time order, according to the start of their term in office:

Leslie Voltaire - Haiti
President 2024-Present
Fulbright Student 1980

Muhammad Yunus - Bangladesh
Chief Adviser 2024-Present
Fulbright Student 1965

Luc Frieden - Luxembourg
Prime Minister 2023-Present
Fulbright Student 1987

Felipe de Borbon y Grecia - Spain
King 2014-Present
Fulbright Student 1993-1994

Alexander De Croo - Belgium
Prime Minister 2020-2025
Fulbright Student 2002-2003

Garry Conille - Haiti
Prime Minister 2011-2012 and 2024
Fulbright Student 1998

Rishi Sunak - United Kingdom
Prime Minister 2022-2024
Fulbright Student 2005

Mahamadou Ouhoumoudou - Niger
Prime Minister 2021-2023
Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow 2002-2003

Francisco Sagasti - Peru
President 2020-2021
Fulbright Distinguished Visiting Lecturer 1982

David Granger - Guyana
President 2015-2020
Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow 1995-1996

Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic - Croatia
President 2015-2020
Fulbright Scholar 2002-2003

Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera - Costa Rica
President 2014-2018
Fulbright Student 1978
Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence 1983

Ashraf Ghani - Afghanistan
President 2014-2021 
Fulbright-Hays Program 1985

Miro Cerar - Slovenia
Prime Minister 2014-2018
Fulbright Scholar 2008

Arthur Peter Mutharika - Malawi
President 2014-2020
Fulbright Student 1965

Juan Manuel Santos Calderón- Colombia
President 2010-2018
Fulbright Student 1980-1981

Iveta Radičová - Slovak Republic
Prime Minister 2010-2012
Fulbright Scholar 1999 and 1998

Sebastián Echenique Piñera - Chile
President 2010-2014
Fulbright Student 1974 and 1973

John Evans Atta Mills - Ghana
President 2009-2012
Fulbright Student 1970

Barnabas Dlamini - Swaziland
Prime Minister 1996-2003, 2008-2018
Fulbright Student 1967

Sidi Mohamed Boubacar - Mauritania
Prime Minister 2005-2007 and 1992-1996
Fulbright Student 1981

Marek Marian Belka - Poland
Prime Minister 2004-2005
Fulbright Student 1979 and 1978

Gerard R. Latortue - Haiti
Prime Minister 2004-2006
Fulbright Scholar 1963

Beatriz Merino Lucero - Peru
Prime Minister 2003
Fulbright Student 1976

Zlatko Lagumdzija - Bosnia and Herzegovina
Chairman of the Council of Ministers 2001-2002
Fulbright Scholar 1988

Ivy Leona Dumont - The Bahamas
Governor General 2001-2005
Fulbright Teacher Exchange 1962

Alejandro Toledo Manrique - Peru
President 2001-2006
Fulbright Scholar 1984

Giuliano Amato - Italy
Prime Minister 2000-2001 and 1992-1993
Fulbright Student 1962

Jamil Mahuad Witt - Ecuador
President 1998-2000
Fulbright Student 1988

Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz - Poland
Prime Minister 1996-1997
Fulbright Scholar 1980

Lamberto Dini - Italy
Prime Minister 1995-1996
Fulbright Student 1957

Fernando Henrique Cardoso - Brazil
President 1995-2003
Fulbright Seminar Programs 1986

Ingvar Gosta Carlsson - Sweden
Prime Minister 1994-1996 and 1986-1991
Fulbright Student 1960 and 1997

Abdul Ghani Abdul Aziz - Yemen
Prime Minister 1994-1997
Fulbright Student 1967

Pascoal Manuel Mocumbi - Mozambique
Prime Minister 1994-2004
Fulbright Student 1961

Moeenuddin Ahmad Qureshi - Pakistan
Prime Minister 1993 
Fulbright Student 1951

Andreas Papandreou - Greece
Prime Minister 1993-1996 and 1981-1989
Fulbright Scholar 1959

Colville Norbert Young - Belize
Governor General 1993-2021
Fulbright Scholar 1992 and 1991

Hyun Seung-Jong - Republic of Korea
Prime Minister 1992-1993
Fulbright Student 1955

Lee Hyun Jae - Republic of Korea
Prime Minister 1988
Fulbright Student 1971

Lee Han Key - Republic of Korea
Prime Minister 1987
Fulbright Student 1955 and 1954

Zelman Cowen - Australia
Governor General 1977-1982
Fulbright Scholar 1953

Wallace E. Rowling - New Zealand
Prime Minister 1974-1975
Fulbright Teacher Exchange 1955

Kofi Abrefa Busia - Ghana
Prime Minister 1969-1972
Fulbright Student 1954