- American Councils welcomed a crowd to its DC headquarters last week for the 9th annual silent auction, which garnered support for scholarships for bright, international scholars. The annual fundraiser focuses on a region of the world where American Councils operates and, this year, programs in Albania and Kosovo took center stage. Dignitaries from both countries addressed the VIP reception, which was officiated by AC board of trustees’ member, Gazmend Gjonbalaj. In his opening address, Mr… Read More
- Editor's note: Hannah Combe is not a dancer by trade, but her enthusiasm for dance helped her find community while living overseas. Ms. Combe has lived in Georgia, where she taught English as a Peace Corps volunteer. She has also taught English in Bulgaria as a Fulbright scholar. She is currently a program assistant on the AC Study and Research abroad team. When I was four years old I refused to wear anything but my pink tutu. At the peak of my illustrious dance career, I ran around a… Read More
- Nearly two dozen Open World alumni were elected or reelected to serve as members of parliament in Ukraine's snap parliamentary elections last month, according to a press release from the Open World Leadership Center. Representing a wide political scope, including both single-mandate delegates and party lists, these Open World alumni have demonstrated key leadership roles within their government and communities.Among the newly elected Open World alumni are single-mandate delegates:Maksym… Read More
- The Master’s and Internship Program (MIP) was established in 2016 by the Albanian – American Development Foundation (AADF), to provide young Albanian professionals, future leaders, and managers a unique opportunity for master's degrees and professional internships in the fields of agriculture, business administration, heritage, eco-tourism and hospitality, education, information technology and computer science, public health, public policy, and public administration.Furthering the mission… Read More
- Exchange years are formative for many high school students, and Andriy Shevchenko was no exception. A native of Ukraine’s rugged and tradition-steeped western region of Ivano-Frankivsk, he traveled to Alameda, California in 1993 through the Future Leaders Exchange program, which was founded by US Senator Bill Bradley. Today, the Ukrainian ambassador to Canada credits Senator Bradley for inspiring his own political career.Speaking during the 20th anniversary celebration of the FLEX program… Read More
- Veronica Guzman tells her students that learning a language can open up their worlds to new opportunities. She knows because she’s experienced it. Her first language is Spanish, and she also grew up speaking English. In school, she studied Italian but later switched to Russian because she wanted to further challenge herself. “Being able to study and use a critical language gives you a better understanding of other cultures and really opens you up to other perspectives,” she said.… Read More
- Growing up in the capital city of Macedonia, Emir Hasanovic learned about America through pop culture and Hollywood.When he applied for the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program in 2008, social media did not have the same level of prominence that it does today. After he was accepted, he imagined how his American story would unfold.He assumed he would be placed in a big city, like he had seen in movies – New York City or Chicago. He was placed in Lyle, Minnesota.In 2008, the… Read More
- Nataliya Bugayova has never let unlikely odds get in her way. It was unlikely that she would become the first female CEO of a major Ukrainian publication at 25, but she did. It was unlikely that she would be accepted to a master’s program at Harvard at 21, as an international student, but she was. In 2004, it was unlikely that she would be selected as a Future Leaders Exchange student, but she was. She has her mother to thank for that. They lived in a small town, away from the big… 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
- American Councils has signed on to support a master’s degree fellowship for Albanian professionals, the sponsoring organizations announced on Saturday. The Master’s and Internship Program, first established by Albanian-American Development Foundation (AADF) in 2016, is a merit-based opportunity for Albanians to earn master’s level degrees at accredited US universities. The fellowship is open to Albanian residents who are expected to demonstrate professional aptitude and leadership potential in… Read More
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