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Maker Movement Engages Egyptian Visitors
“Makers: Innovation, Education and Entrepreneurship,” is an International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) specifically for Egypt that took place from September 15 to October 3, 2014.
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Polish Professionals Gain Insight on Veterans Care
During a 3-week program entitled “Wounded Warriors Assistance,” a group of two doctors, a psychologist, a journalist, and a disabled veteran, focused their studies on veteran care.
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Diplomacy Begins Here Summit in Tulsa
The series of citizen diplomacy summits aim increase support for exchange programs by bringing attention to the critical role that public and citizen diplomacy play in building a more peaceful, prosperous world at home and abroad.
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Stevens Initiative Announces 13 Grants to Fund International Virtual Exchange
The Aspen Institute’s J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative has announced thirteen new grants to expand the Initiative’s reach.
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Jazz Appreciation Month
To celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month this April, the U.S. Department of State is hosting a panel discussion, jazz performance and cultural diplomacy exhibit at the U.S. Diplomacy Center.
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Religious Leaders Arrive in the United States for International Visitor Leadership Program
Twenty six community and faith leaders from around the world arrived in the United States to begin an International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) on interfaith dialogue and religious freedom. The participants, representing different religious and faith-based organizations, as well as secular institutions, will engage in discussions with one another and their American counterparts to promote interfaith dialogue and explore ways to ensure the rights of religious minorities are protected.
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International Sports Delegates from Belgium Visit the U.S.
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ (ECA) Sports Diplomacy Division brought 12 adaptive martial arts coaches and administrators to the U.S. from Belgium for the Sports Visitor Program.
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Jalal Naser
First Name
JalalParticipant Headshot
Short Biography
Content created by Virtual Intern Meghan Crowley
Jalal Naser is a prominent figure in the Bahraini nonprofit community and a resource management consultant. His volunteer work has benefited many people in Bahrain, from students who receive eyeglasses to organizations who benefit from his advocacy efforts.
In 2013, Naser developed many skills that he uses in his work today as an IVLP participant. He believes that the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) experience gave him more confidence in his client presentations. He credits his IVLP for allowing him to quickly receive a promotion. Naser also gained an appreciation for the importance of a global perspective, and he increased the global reach of the Bahrain Statistical Society by including non-Bahrainis as friends of the society. Through the IVLP he was able to reach statisticians in Jordan and Algeria. Since 2018, Naser has been an active researcher for the DC-based Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE). He developed a policy paper that was utilized as part of the Bahraini national agenda and was a member of CIPE’s steering committee for a CIPE-sponsored private sector initiative.
One of Naser’s proudest achievements is becoming a founding member of the Bahraini IVLP Alumni Association (B-IVLP). He worked with fellow IVLP alumni and created the organization in 2019. B-IVLP is connecting IVLP alumni in Bahrain to provide opportunities to leverage their IVLP experiences. B-IVLP also provides resources to Bahrainis who are selected for an exchange program so they are well informed and can gain maximum benefit from their experience. Jalal Naser is a civil society leader who is building global awareness on a daily basis and connecting Bahrain to contacts around the world.
Content edited by Sallie Bestul, Regina Navarro-Gomez, and Jenna Williams
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Last name
NaserIVLP Alumni
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Dr. Katrine Camilleri
First Name
KatrineParticipant Headshot
Short Biography
Content created by Virtual Intern Bridget Raymundo
Dr. Katrine Camilleri is a Maltese lawyer and Director of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Malta. She advocates for migrants, often at personal risk and is known for her work with boat refugees. Dr. Camilleri was awarded the United Nations Nansen Refugee Award in 2007 and the Roland Berger Human Dignity Award in 2015. This year, she was awarded the Julia Taft Refugee Fund award by the U.S. Embassy in Malta. She is often sought-after as a tough yet compassionate voice on migration and her work provides professional services, including information, legal assistance, and psychosocial support to migrants and asylum seekers arriving in Malta.
In 2008, Dr. Camilleri participated in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) project "Managing Integration of Refugees and Asylum Seekers with Emphasis on African Migrants." During the exchange, she noted that "Beyond and in spite of the huge differences between the United States, and my country Malta, which is a tiny island in the Mediterranean, public and political discourse on immigration could sound eerily similar.”
Dr. Camilleri found that public opinion, law, and policy are shaped not just by objective considerations like the availability of resources, but by fear. This is why she steadfastly continues her work to counter negative stereotypes about migration. As mentioned in her Politico highlight, Dr. Katrine Camilleri is "a longtime advocate of creating safe routes of passage for those fleeing war zones and hardship, and seeking a better life in Europe."
Edited by Virtual Interns Regina Navarro-Gomez and Kristin Mitra
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Last name
CamilleriIVLP Alumni
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Dr. Liliya Hrynevych
First Name
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Short Biography
Content created by Virtual Intern Adelle Barkhuizen
Dr. Liliya Hrynevych, a Ukrainian educator, politician, former Member of Parliament, and ex-Minister of Education and Science, has devoted her career to eliminating corruption in and developing the Ukrainian education system.
Through her visit to the United States on the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), Dr. Hrynevych immersed herself in American culture and history leading her to re-evaluate how she approached her own work in Ukraine. She took particular note of the issues that arose because of educational policies and the importance of transparency and integrity in universities. During her exchange, Dr. Hrynevych recognized the value of ensuring that quality education is available to people across Ukraine.
Since returning to Ukraine, Dr. Hrynevych advanced fundamental reforms in Ukrainian secondary and higher education and introduced standardized testing to decrease corruption in admissions to higher education institutions. Dr. Hrynevych also initiated the first reform of secondary education since Ukrainian independence, improving the quality of education across Ukraine in rural and urban schools. She has actively promoted academic integrity and been a crucial advocate for legislation to reduce corruption, plagiarism, and cheating in Ukrainian education and science. Additionally, Dr. Hrynevych was instrumental in adding media literacy as a core subject in the Ukrainian education curriculum.
The impact of her work in education reform was documented in a sociological study showing a decrease in corruption at the entry-level of higher educational institutes and, in her own words, "the introduction of a transparent admission process in Ukraine is considered one of the most successful educational reforms and is supported by 70% of the population."
Dr. Liliya Hrynevych is an education innovator who has made higher education more accessible to Ukrainian students and brought the Ukrainian education system more in line with western standards.
Edited by Virtual Interns Regina Navarro-Gomez and Kristin Mitra
Home Country
Last name
HrynevychIVLP Alumni