- Editor's note: Maria Karapetyan arrived in Wisconsin in 2003, an exchange student on the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program. Through the program she learned about American society and values, shared Armenian values with her community, and developed leadership skills. She has continued to hone her leadership skills through the years and in January 2019, she became a member of parliament in her home country of Armenia. Give us an overview of your… Read More
- American Councils’ supporters enjoyed a reception and tour last week at the Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center in Washington, DC at the 2019 donor appreciation event. This annual gathering celebrates the generous contributions of American Councils' donors, whose support funds scholarships for outbound participants and helps to make study abroad programs more accessible to students across the United States. To date, donors have supported more than 100 scholarships for American students studying… Read More
- Editor's note: Yulia Bychkovska spent the 2015-16 school year attending high school in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, as part of the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program. She is currently studying international business and business administration at Columbia College in Missouri. She's not sure yet what she'll do after graduation, but she knows she'll have her mom's support. When my mom met me at the airport after my exchange year in Ohio, instead of balloons or a cheesy poster, she met me… Read More
- WASHINGTON — The US House of Representatives invited American Councils’ Acting President David Patton to offer testimony yesterday on the impact of citizen exchange programs. Speaking at the Public Witness Hearing for the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, Dr. Patton recommended increased funding for fiscal year 2020, and encouraged continued support of exchange programs, particularly in Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the former Soviet… Read More
- WASHINGTON — American Councils for International Education President Lorne Craner stepped down on Wednesday. “The board is grateful to Lorne for his service to American Councils,” said Board of Trustees Chair Robert Rhea. “As we look forward to the months ahead, we have full confidence in the strategic direction of American Councils, its leadership, and its remarkable staff. Its vital programs in cultural exchange, language immersion, and professional development in almost 90 countries… Read More
- When the outgoing Kyrgyz ambassador to the US invited me to join him at his farewell reception in January, I gladly accepted. Attending a gathering at Blair House–the US president’s guest house–was a first for me. I was doubly honored when Ambassador Kadyr Toktogulov thanked me by name during his remarks. And I was completely surprised by what I heard next. “Did you study in Moscow in the 1980s?” a man standing near me asked. We recognized each other immediately.… Read More
- BUDAPEST, Hungary — United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lauded the Future Leaders Exchange Program during an international trip this week, noting that the scholarship program is now available for students from Hungary. During his first visit to Hungary as secretary of state, Mr. Pompeo gave remarks alongside Peter Szijjarto, the Hungarian minister of foreign affairs and trade. During his address, Mr. Pompeo announced several initiatives to increase “support for people-to-people ties… Read More
- American Councils is pleased to congratulate our partners at Lehigh University for earning the 2019 Andrew Heiskell Award in student mobility for the Iacocca International Internship Program. American Councils' Study and Research Abroad has partnered with Lehigh on the custom internship program since 2012. The annual award from the Institute of International Education (IIE) recognizes innovative and impactful models for internationalization of campuses, study abroad, and international… Read More
- An American friend recently sent me a message about how proud she is of me. She said that I have come a long way, overcoming my obstacles and challenges. She watched me struggle on my first day learning English and adapting to the [American] culture. She praised my hard work on events on campus at Saint Michael’s College. She said I made a powerful impact and will leave a legacy that will stay forever in this school. She said that I am her biggest inspiration. I receive that compliment almost… Read More
- Long before she was on the shortlist for the Sony World Photography Award— before she ever considered becoming a professional photographer— Anush Babajanyan was an exchange student with a 23 mm film camera. It was a gift from her host mom, Judy Mothershead. As she recalled the story of her first camera, in an interview with American Councils, Ms. Babajanyan said she had never realized before that her interest in photography started back then, in Citronelle, Alabama. “I remember… Read More
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