U.S. Department of State Exchanges for International Citizens

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

Exchange Programs for International Citizens

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs funds many exchange programs for professionals, teachers, researchers, and college/university and high school students.  Check with the U.S. Embassy in your country of origin or contact the agency administering the program for more information on these opportunities. People with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Listings for:

Scholars and Professionals

Graduate Students

Undergraduate Students

Youth (18 and Under)

Youth Internet and Exchange Programs

Scholars and Professionals

INTERNATIONAL VISITOR LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
Community Relations Branch
Office of International Visitors
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
U.S. Department of State, SA-44
301 4th Street, S.W., Room 255
Washington, D.C. 20547
Tel: (202) 453 - 8629

The International Visitor Leadership Program brings participants to the United States from all over the world each year to meet and confer with their professional counterparts and to experience the U.S. firsthand. The visitors, who are current or potential leaders in government, politics, the media, education, and other fields, are selected by American Officials overseas.

The Department of State directs the program in cooperation with a wide range of non-profit organizations operating under cooperative agreements with the Department of State.

HUBERT H. HUMPHREY FELLOWSHIPS PROGRAM

Institute of International Education (IIE)
The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program brings accomplished professionals from the designated countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Europe and Eurasia to the United States at a midpoint in their careers for a year of study and related professional experiences.

OFFICE OF CITIZEN EXCHANGES
Western Hemisphere and East Asia and the Pacific Division
Office of Citizen Exchanges (ECA/PE/C)
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
U.S. Department of State
SA-44, 301 4th Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20547
Tel: 202.453.8181

Near East/South Asia and Africa Division (ECA/PE/C/NEA-AF)
Office of Citizen Exchanges
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
U.S. Department of State
SA-44, 301 4th Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20547
Tel: 202.453.8159

Office of Citizen Exchanges supports professional programs that take place in the United States and overseas. These exchanges demonstrate how Americans deal with the issues of professional interest to foreign participants.  Programs may extend over more than one fiscal year and include travel by American specialists overseas and visits of foreign specialists to the U.S. as part of the same, coordinated program.

Subject areas for Office of Citizen Exchanges include conflict resolution, environmental protection, trade unions, education, administration and curriculum reform, media development, judicial training, local government, intellectual property rights, rule of law, public administration, small business development and management training, citizen networking, and other academic and professional disciplines. Emerging leaders and young professionals in a range of fields are preferred for participation in these programs.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING ASSISTANT PROGRAM (FLTA)
Institute of International Education
The Foreign Language Teacher Assistant Program provides an opportunity for young, international teachers of English to refine their teaching skills, increase their English language proficiency and extend their knowledge of the cultures and customs of the United States while engaging in non-degree studies.

JUNIOR FACULTY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
American Councils Headquarters
1776 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Suite 700
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: 202-833-7522
Fax: 202-293-0037
E-mail: jfdp@americancouncils.org

The new Junior Faculty Development Program (JFDP) provides university faculty in the early stages of their careers with strong potential for leadership in their disciplines opportunities to upgrade their knowledge of the subjects they teach and to maintain on-going contacts between their home and host institutions. Scholarships will be awarded to participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The program is for one semester to develop curricula, acquire new teaching skills, and upgrade their knowledge in certain fields.

To qualify for a JFDP Fellowship, an applicant must hold a university degree; be currently teaching at an institution of higher education; have at least two years of teaching experience at an institution of higher education; and have a mastery of the English language.

THE EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM

The Educational Partnerships Program fosters linkages in the humanities and social sciences between U.S. and foreign academic institutions. Grants support curriculum, faculty and staff development and collaborative research, and outreach activities having a multiplier effect and positive long-term impact. The program currently extends to all world regions, except those covered by the Freedom Support Educational Partnerships Program. Eligibility of countries within each world region varies for each competition.

Funding may be used to defray travel and per diem costs. Grants also provide for educational materials, communications, and administrative expenses. Participating institutions are required to maintain faculty and staff on full salary and benefits during the exchange.

Grants are awarded through annual competitions announced each fall in the Federal Register. Competitions are limited to specific countries and geographic regions as well as identified themes and fields of study. The complete application packet is made available each year on the Bureau's Requests for Grant Proposals website. Final awards are usually announced in the summer.

VISITING (NON-U.S.) FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR PROGRAM
Council for International Exchange of Scholars
3007 Tilden Street NW, Suite 5L
Washington, D.C. 20008-3009
Tel: 202.686.4000

Eligibility: Must be a citizen of country where applying, with a doctoral degree or equivalent professional training, proficiency in English, of sound mental and physical health. Individual grants are available to scholars from over 130 countries.

Individuals who meet the eligibility requirements apply for grants through the Fulbright Commission or Public Affairs section of the U.S. Embassy in their home countries.

THE FULBRIGHT VISITING SPECIALISTS PROGRAM
Direct Access to the Muslim World
Council for International Exchange of Scholars
3007 Tilden Street, NW, Suite 5L
Washington, DC 20008
E-mail: vstngspec@cies.iie.org
Tel: 202.686.4000
Fax: 202.362.3442

Eligibililty:  History of teaching, good understanding of U.S. higher education, fluent English skills and attained mid to senior level of professorship or career achievement.  Does not need to be of Muslim faith. The Fulbright Visiting Specialists will lecture on and off campus on a variety of humanities and social science disciplines, including the arts, with some relevance to Islamic society or civilization for short-term (3 to 6 weeks) programs.

The Fulbright Visiting Specialists will also work together with the U.S. host institution on projects with longer-term benefits such as curriculum consultation, faculty development, and institutional linkage-building.

Applicants may specify a host institution. However, the Fulbright Program reserves the right to assign the successful applicants to particular host institutions that it sees most appropriate. Search CIES for a list of eligible countries.

OCCASIONAL LECTURER PROGRAM
Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES)
3007 Tilden Street, NW Suite 5L
Washington, DC 20008-3009
E-mail: olp@cies.iie.org

The Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) provides travel awards through the Occasional Lecturer Program (OLP), which enable Fulbright Visiting Scholars except for those on the Fulbright Visiting Specialists Program: Direct Access to the Muslim World, who are currently in the U.S. to accept guest lecturing invitations at colleges and universities. OLP Awards are granted based on travel distance to hosting countries.

To apply for an award, the Visiting Scholar must submit to CIES at least one month before the visit is to take place a formal letter of invitation from an institution, in which the institution indicates the dates of the OLP visit and the lecture topic. Within one week of receiving the application, CIES will inform the scholar whether or not the OLP Travel Award has been approved. The scholar is responsible for purchasing an airline ticket or arranging some other means of transportation, such as a train, bus or rental car. The Fulbrighter will then receive the award after the OLP visit. 

FULBRIGHT NEW CENTURY SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Council for International Exchange of Scholars
Suite 5L, 3007 Tilden St., NW
Washington, DC 20008
E-mail: NCS@cies.iie.org
Tel: 202.686.4000

Successful candidates may be established senior scholars or promising younger ones; they will be active in the academic, public or private sector and will demonstrate outstanding qualifications and a distinguished record of experience, research and accomplishment in an area clearly related to the current New Century Scholars' theme. Applicants must be conducting current research relevant to the program's theme and objectives, be open to exploring and incorporating comparative, interdisciplinary approaches in their investigations, and interested in developing collaborative activities with other NCS Scholars.

AMERICAN COUNCIL OF YOUNG POLITICAL LEADERS (ACYPL)
The American Council of Young Political Leaders
2131 K Street, NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20037
Telephone: 202.857.0999
Fax: 202-857-0027

The American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) provides US and international young political leaders primarily between the ages of 25 to 40 years old with direct knowledge of political systems in countries around the globe and here in the United States.  ACYPL’s main programs are reciprocal international political study tours that are usually between 10 and 14 days in length.

Graduate Students

THE FULBRIGHT FOREIGN STUDENT PROGRAM


Application procedures for Fulbright grants to study or teach in the United States vary from country to country. Fulbright Commissions or the American Embassies administer the program, with the assistance of local educational authorities and institutions. Contact the Fulbright Commission  in your country. If there is no commission in your country, contact the U.S. Embassy. The Fulbright Foreign Student Program is administered by the following cooperating agencies:

• Institute of International Education (IIE): administers the Fulbright Foreign Student for Africa, Eurasia, Europe, East Asia and Pacific, South Asia, and parts of the Middle East and the Western Hemisphere.
• America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc. (AMIDEAST): administers the Fulbright Foreign Student Program for Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Syria, Tunisia, the West Bank/Gaza, and Yemen.
• LASPAU: Academic and Professional Programs for the Americas administers the Fulbright Foreign Student Program (faculty development and the Fulbright-OAS Ecology Initiative) for the Western Hemisphere.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING ASSISTANT PROGRAM (FLTA)
Institute of International Education
The Foreign Language Teaching Assistant Program (FLTA) provides young teachers of English as a Foreign Language the opportunity to refine their teaching skills and broaden their knowledge of American cultures and customs while strengthening the instruction of foreign languages at colleges and universities within the United States. The FLTA Program is administered by the International Institute of Education (IIE).

EDMUND S. MUSKIE GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
International Research & Exchanges (IREX) Board
2121 K Street NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20037
TEL: (202) 628-8188
FAX: (202) 628-8189
E-MAIL: irex@irex.org

Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program (Muskie) confers fellowships for Master's degree-level study in the U.S. in the fields of business administration, economics, education, environmental policy and management, international affairs, journalism/mass communications, law, library and information science, public administration, public health and public policy for students and professionals from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan for one-year non-degree, one-year degree or two-year degree study in the United States.

Undergraduate Students

GLOBAL UNDERGRADUATE EXCHANGE PROGRAM (UGRAD)
International Research & Exchanges (IREX) Board
2121 K Street NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20037
TEL: (202) 628-8188
FAX: (202) 628-8189
E-MAIL: irex@irex.org

Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (UGRAD) offers scholarships for one academic year of study in the U.S. to undergraduate students in the fields of agriculture, American studies, business, computer science, economics, education, environmental management, international relations, journalism/communications, political science and sociology. UGRAD provides fellowships to first-, second-, and third-year undergraduate students from regions around the world.

STUDY OF THE UNITED STATES INSTITUTES FOR STUDENT LEADERS

Study of the U.S. Institutes for Student Leaders provide a unique opportunity to learn about and discuss values, issues, and institutions that have played important roles throughout the history of the United States. The participants in these programs live on a U.S. college campus, attend lectures, roundtable discussions, and site visits with academics and civic leaders, meet ordinary American citizens in a variety of cities and towns, engage in local community service activities and, most importantly, have the opportunity to discover the United States and its diverse cultures for themselves.

Students interested in participating in future Study of the U.S. Institutes should contact the Public Affairs Office at the U.S. Embassy in their home country.

BUSINESS INTERNSHIP INITIATIVE (BII)
AIESEC International
Teilingerstraat 126
3032-AW Rotterdam
The Netherlands
Tel: 31 10 443 4383
Fax: 31 10 265 1386
E-mail: info@ai.aiesec.org

This program offers reciprocal international internship opportunities for undergraduate students with academic backgrounds in business management, information systems, economics, and education. AIESEC will provide 30 U.S. undergraduate students with internships in Tunisia, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt and 24 undergraduate students from those countries with internships in the U.S. Students will be placed in three- to twelve-month internships in the fields of Business, Administration, Education, and Information Technology. In addition, students will participate in community service, cultural, and social events in their host country and develop their awareness of issues relating to program goals.

Youth (18 and Under)

AMERICAN SERBIA & MONTENEGRO YOUTH LEADERSHIP EXCHANGE (A-SMYLE)
American Councils Headquarters
301 4th St. SW
Suite 700
Washington, DC 20547
Tel: 202-203-5029
Fax: 202-453-8640
E-mail: general@americancouncils.org

Students from Serbia and Montenegro, aged 15-17, will have the opportunity to explore civic responsibility, community activism, democracy, and American society, as well as educate Americans about their country and culture. The program will provide scholarships for approximately 205 secondary school students to spend up to one academic year in the United States, living with American host families and attending high school.

Students will take part in community service, civic education, and leadership development activities during the U.S. program and will participate in alumni activities as they apply their experiences in the United States to their lives at home.

CONGRESS – BUNDESTAG YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAM
Youth Programs Division
U.S. Department of State, SA-44
301 4th Street, SW - Room 568
Washington, DC 20547
Email: YouthPrograms@state.gov

The Congress – Bundestag Youth Exchange Program (CBYX) is administered in the U.S. by the U.S. Department of State, designed to strengthen ties between the younger generations of both countries. In addition to improving their career skills through formal study and work experience, participants expand their perspectives and awareness of each other's culture, society, history and politics.

THE FUTURE LEADERS EXCHANGE (FLEX)
American Councils Headquarters
1776 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Suite 700
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: 202-833-7522
Fax: 202-833-7523
E-mail: general@americancouncils.org or FLEX@state.gov

The Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program is a US government-sponsored program for secondary school students from the 12 republics of the former Soviet Union (Countries participating in the FLEX program include: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine. The program provides scholarship funding for students to travel to the United States, attend a US high school for a full academic year, and live with a US host family.

GERMAN AMERICAN PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM (GAPP)
Youth Programs Division
U.S. Department of State, SA-44
1014 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10028, USA
Email: YouthPrograms@state.gov                                                                                                                         Telephone: 1 212 439 700                                                                                                                                                    
The German American Partnership Program is a high school linkage program between American high schools with German departments and secondary schools in Germany. Each year approximately 5,000 American high school students and teachers visit their partners in Germany, and 8,000 German high school students and teachers are hosted by American families and high schools. 

DIALOGUE IN UNDERSTANDING THROUGH YOUTH (DUTY) PROGRAM
Jewish Agency For Israel North America
North America
USA 633 3rd Ave, 21st Floor
New York NY 10017
Tel: 212-339-6000
Fax: 212-318-6121

Participating Countries: United States, Poland, and Israel

The Dialogue in Understanding Through Youth (DUTY) program was developed to bring together youth, ages 15-17, from the U.S., Poland and Israel. Students in Poland with be selected from Lodz, the sister city of the Baltimore Polish community. Students in Israel will be selected from Ashkelon, the Baltimore Jewish community’s sister-city in Israel. The goal of the program is to provide opportunities for high school students to share their respective historical and cultural heritages through dialogue, educational travel and training. This program is implemented by the Jewish Agency for Israel, in conjunction with the Baltimore Jewish Council and the Polish Heritage Association.

YOUTH EXCHANGE AND STUDY (YES)

Youth Exchange and Study (YES) provides scholarships for secondary school students from countries with significant Muslim populations to spend up to one academic year in the U.S. The YES program is administered by the following organizations and their counterparts in each country:

YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS (THEMATIC PROJECTS)

The Youth Leadership Programs (Thematic Projects) Initiative focuses on cultural, civic, and educational exchanges and business internships as vehicles through which the following generation can re-engage in a dialogue for greater understanding.  Current projects are:

ACCESS
The ACCESS (Access to Community and Civic Enrichment for Students) Program enables teenagers (ages 15-17) and adult educators to participate in intensive, thematic, month-long projects in the United States focused on civic education, leadership, conflict resolution, tolerance and respect for diversity, and community activism.

Center for Excellence in Education
The Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) supports the participation of approximately twelve high school students from various countries with significant Muslim populations in RSI, a six-week intensive program in math and science offered at Massachusetts Institute of Technology during the summer. The program includes classroom work, individual research projects, internships and cultural enhancement activities in the Boston area. In previous years, students have been recruited from Morocco, Kuwait, Jordan, India, Pakistan, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, UAE, and Bahrain, and have joined approximately 60 other students from across the United States and other countries at RSI.

LINC Program
The Partnerships for Learning Thematic Youth Projects Initiative: Linking Individuals, Knowledge, and Culture (LINC) fosters mutual understanding between the United States and countries with significant Muslim populations through intensive, usually reciprocal, short-term exchanges of high school students.

Youth Internet and Exchange Programs

ARMENIA SCHOOL CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM (ASCP)

The Armenia School Connectivity Program provides high-quality computers, Internet access, equipment, and training for a growing network of schools across all 11 regions of Armenia. ASCP provides students, educators, and community members with opportunities to access and share information, to engage in innovative online collaborative projects, and to develop technical skills marketable in a digital world. The program increases school-community interaction, US-Armenian partnerships at the school and community levels, and civic engagement on the local, national, and international levels.

THE GLOBAL CONNECTIONS & EXCHANGE PROGRAM
Youth Programs Division
U.S. Department of State, SA-44
301 4th Street, SW - Room 568
Washington, DC 20547
E-mail: YouthPrograms@state.gov

The Youth Programs Division has initiated the Global Connections and Exchange Program for secondary school Internet connectivity and curriculum development. Both teachers and students are offered opportunities to travel to their partner schools as a way to strengthen mutual understanding and solidify virtual relationships through face-to-face meetings. Global Connections programs EMPOWER youth to use technology to tackle universal issues such as gender equity, health, environment, diversity and human rights. Current projects include partnerships with the countries of Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and the West Bank.

BUILDING RESPECT THROUGH INTERNET DIALOGUE AND GLOBAL EDUCATION (BRIDGE)
475 Riverside Drive Suite 450
New York, NY 10115
Telephone: 212-870-2693

Building Respect through Internet Dialogue and Global Education (BRIDGE) project seeks to build the capacity of secondary schools in selected countries in the Arab and Southeast Asian Islamic world to work with other schools around the world in online thematic project activities. Project work explores themes such as Culture, Civil Society, Globalization, and Language Learning. The Bridge Project promotes academic, cultural, and community exchange through on-line professional development courses, student/teacher exchanges to the US and abroad, individualized national workshops, and a regional conference.

The program is being administered by AFS-USA and its partner, the Chinese Education Association for International Exchange. Twenty-four schools, twelve in each county, have been selected from geographically diverse regions of both countries and matched with a partner school. Students and educators at all of these schools are connected so that they can work together on Internet-based projects. The partnerships are supported in three or four-week reciprocal exchanges of students and teachers during the school year.