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Outsiders Get an Inside View of American Politics August 20, 2012 by Jessica Yonke As the number of democracies increases globally, citizens worldwide look to the U.S. political system as a model of peaceful democracy. Many view the U.S. system as a successful functioning democracy, with citizens playing an active role and flexing a legitimate voice in politics and the selection of leaders. Few outsiders get the chance to participate in the American election process.	Senior State Department Official Welcomes Youth Leaders to U.S. August 9, 2012 by Kaia Benson Ann Stock, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, welcomed more than 150 international youth leaders to the U.S. to begin academic and cultural programs at more than 80 universities and colleges across the U.S.country as part of the Global UGRAD-Pakistan and Global UGRAD in Eurasia and Central Asia programs. Ms. Stock reminded the students that they are citizen ambassadors for their countries, who “will leave a remarkable impact” on their host communities, building relationships “that can and should last.”
A Cultural University July 2, 2012 by Don Allan Mitchell Don Allan Mitchell is an assistant professor of English at Delta State University. The article below was an opinion column originally edited by Jordan Thomas and published in May 2012 in the Cleveland Current and the Delta Business Journal. Recently at Delta State, we said farewell to our friends from the Global UGRAD program: Sirojiddin, Ecaterina, Susanna, David, and Akzer. The U.S. State Department sponsors global UGRAD in Cleveland, Mississippi and similar college towns like Kearney, Nebraska and Troy, Alabama. The highly selective exchange invites university students from Eurasia, to spend a year in residence at U.S. colleges, where they serve as ambassadors for their home countries and learn about American history, culture, and government. I, for one, have learned a lot from these five students.	Georgian Women Honored by U.S. State Department June 18, 2012 IREX congratulates Lia Putkaradze, a 2009 Global UGRAD student, on being honored as the June 2012 State Alumni Member of the Month. Putkaradze, one of more than a million State Department alumni, is currently serving as one of Georgia’s first young Corporate Social Responsibility professionals at the Alliance Group Holding company.
Cultural Ambassador Winners Announced for Global UGRAD May 29, 2012 by Jessica Yonke IREX is pleased to announce the winners of the 2011-2012 Cultural Passport to America Competition for the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in Eurasia and Central Asia (Global UGRAD). Throughout the year, the Global UGRAD Fellows collected stamps for their cultural passport and blogged about their experiences. Anzor (Kazakhstan; Graceland University), Khayyomjon (Tajikistan; Southeast Community College), and Yuliya (Ukraine; SUNY Plattsburgh) were recognized as exemplary cultural ambassadors. They participated in a wide range of cultural events and blogged regularly about their experiences, sharing them with a broader audience.	Winners of 2012 Global UGRAD Video Competition Announced April 23, 2012 Global UGRAD students have been busy documenting their diverse experiences since they arrived in the United States in August 2011. The IREX Global UGRAD Team extends its congratulations to three 2011-2012 Global UGRAD students for their outstanding videos: Anton, from Ukraine, studying at the University of Louisiana at Monroe; Asel, from Kyrgyzstan, studying at Utica College; and Batyrbek, also from Kyrgyzstan, studying at Augustana College.
Young Women Leaders Represent Russia at Girls 20 Summits April 9, 2012 What started as an undergraduate course on gender and communication in the U.S. propelled one young Russian woman to a leadership position on women’s issues and equality. Ekaterina Mordvinova studied at the University of Idaho from 2010-2011 as a Global UGRAD fellow and returned home to Russia to become its only delegate to the Girls 20 Summit in 2011. The Girls 20 Summit, patterned after the G20 Summit, brings together young women leaders to build coalitions in support of women’s rights and issues.	Americans' Lives Changed through Global UGRAD March 12, 2012 Each year, dozens of undergraduate students from Eastern Europe and Central Asia travel to the U.S. as Global UGRAD fellows. The changes they experience—as youth who gain professional skills, learn about community service, and share cultural knowledge—are well documented and widely told. But their effect on the hundreds of Americans they touch each year is rarely discussed. IREX asked Americans how their lives were changed as a result of knowing current or past Global UGRAD students. Here are a few of their stories.
Hosting Opportunities Available for Global UGRAD in Eurasia and Central Asia February 21, 2012 The Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in Eurasia and Central Asia (Global UGRAD ) is now accepting applications from two- and four-year institutions to host outstanding leaders from 12 countries for the 2012-2013 Academic Year.	International Volunteer Day: Eurasian Students Help Clean Up After Joplin Tornado December 5, 2011 by Ian Jobe Three Global UGRAD students helped clear debris after a devastating tornado leveled the Joplin, Missouri community. The service experience left an impression they will carry back to their countries for the rest of their lives.