(C) U.S. State Dept This story was originally published by U.S. State Dept and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . International exchanges shape leaders of communities and countries [1] ['Maureen Gregory'] Date: 2023-12-07 20:00:31+00:00 During International Education Week (November 13–17) and year-round, the United States celebrates its tradition of promoting understanding between Americans and citizens of other countries through people-to-people exchanges. In 1940, the U.S. Department of State launched its first international exchange by inviting 130 Latin American journalists to visit U.S. newsrooms. That first exchange led to the establishment, in 1946, of the Fulbright Program, which awards 8,000 fellowships annually to qualified applicants from the U.S. and elsewhere. In 1961, the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs was launched to oversee all of the U.S. government’s academic, cultural, sports and professional exchange programs. Since then, exchanges have served 1.7 million students, researchers, educators and scholars who live all over the world. They include: 88 alumni who have since won Nobel prizes. 121 who won Pulitzer Prizes. 661 current and former heads of state and government. 2,079 current and former high-level ministers or Cabinet members. 82 Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Community leaders in a variety of occupations. Today, 30 ambassadors to the United States are alumni of U.S. exchange programs. And seven heads of government are exchange alumni. Andrés Manuel López Obrador, now the president of Mexico, took part in a 1992 International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) on international trade. Suriname’s President Chan Santokhi participated in a 1996 IVLP on international crime issues. Rishi Sunak, who became prime minister of the United Kingdom in October 2022, received a Fulbright Foreign Student award to support his pursuit of an MBA degree at the Stanford School of Business in 2005. Studying business in California’s Silicon Valley broadened his mindset about what is possible, Sunak said. North Macedonia’s President Stevo Pendarovski took part in a 2003 IVLP, while Uruguay’s President Luis Lacalle Pou is an alumnus of a 2005 IVLP on sustainable development and environmental protection. Also, Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema and Slovakia’s President Zuzana Čaputová are alumni of IVLPs held in 2010. Learn more about U.S. exchange programs and how to apply as a U.S. citizen or non–U.S. citizen. A version of this article was originally published November 10, 2022. [END] --- [1] Url: https://share.america.gov/international-exchanges-shape-leaders-of-communities-and-countries/ Published and (C) by U.S. State Dept Content appears here under this condition or license: Public Domain. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/usstate/