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Expansion of the EducationUSA Academy
The EducationUSA Academy aims to prepare international youth to pursue higher education in the United States by providing participants with the information, skills, and experience needed to submit strong applications for admission to U.S. colleges and universities.
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U.S. Department of State Pilots Open Educational Resources
In 2015, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ Collaboratory launched and ran three open education pilots as part of our commitment to the second U.S. Open Government National Action Plan. One year in, the Collaboratory examined all three pilots and shared lessons learned from these programs.
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Chilean IVLP Alumna Reconnects with American Counterparts
Five years after her International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) experience, Geraldine Mlynarz, a Chilean biotech CEO and entrepreneur, will share with her American counterparts the impact that her IVLP experience had on promoting women’s entrepreneurship in Chile and the region.
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State Department Announces Gilman Top Producing Institutions
The U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce the inaugural list of U.S. higher education institutions that sent the most students overseas on the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program in academic year 2016-2017.
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Vered Cohen-Barzilay
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Vered Cohen-Barzilay" src="https://eca.state.gov/files/bureau/Participant-headshot/ivlp_profiles_barzilay.png" width="1126" height="1164" />
Content created by Virtual Intern Bridget Raymundo
Vered Cohen-Barzilay is an Israeli-born social entrepreneur and tenacious advocate for aviation, space and science education. The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) inspired Cohen-Barzilay, a journalist and women’s rights activist, to change career paths and focus on building religious and cultural bridges through innovation and education. Upon her return to Israel, she founded the nonprofit “Out of the Box” to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), space education, and entrepreneurship for youth in Israel.
Cohen-Barzilay runs the Science Accelerator, a program that has had over 350 student participants. The program is a partnership between many stakeholders, including American iLEAD Charter Schools, the NASA Ames Research Center, U.S. Embassy Jerusalem, the Israeli Ministry of Science, and the Israeli Space Agency. Through lectures and interactive lessons, Israeli and American students interact with space and science experts and entrepreneurs, acquiring the skills to effectively utilize high-tech tools and to pitch and promote their innovative ideas.
Vered Cohen-Barzilay’s passionate promotion of STEM and space education inspires youth in Israel to reach for the stars.
Content edited by Sallie Bestul, Regina Navarro-Gomez, and Jenna Williams
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Cohen-BarzilayIVLP Alumni
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Giovanni Falcone
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Content created by Virtual Intern Stevia Ndoe
In 1991, one of his most important accomplishments was establishing the witness protection program. The program served as a turning point in combating the Italian Mafia and still functions in Italy today. During his time in Palermo, Falcone played a fundamental role in Palermo’s Maxi Trial, a significant criminal trial in Sicily that ran from 1986 to 1987, and that resulted in hundreds of convictions for Mafia-related crimes. Falcone immersed himself in the world of anti-Mafia law and accepted a position in the Ministry of Justice in Rome in 1991. In 1992, after several previous attempts, Falcone, his wife, and three bodyguards were assassinated by the Mafia while driving from the Palermo airport into the city.
Falcone was posthumously recognized as an extraordinary hero of conscience for his lifelong work fighting the Mafia in Italy. Giovanni Falcone was a tenacious fighter for justice and he personally credited the International Visitor Leadership Program as an important component for some of his key accomplishments.
Judge Falcone is commemorated each year in Palermo by his family and friends who have formed the Fondazione Falcone.
Content edited by Sallie Bestul, Regina Navarro-Gomez, and Jenna Williams
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FalconeIVLP Alumni
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Dr. David Tawei Lee
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Content created by Virtual Intern Shayna Canty
A long-serving diplomat, Dr. David Tawei Lee was appointed Secretary-General to the President of Taiwan on August 3, 2020. Lee also served Taiwan as Minister of Foreign Affairs between 2016 and 2018 and as Secretary-General of the National Security Council until May 2020. He has been known for his close ties with the United States.
He started his international affairs career at the age of 21 as a foreign affairs major from the National Taiwan University. During his collegiate career he was selected as one of 12 students to take part in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) on the East-Asia Student Leaders Program in 1972. He said, "the experience was mind-opening... I learned so much during my time in the program." He indicated in a speech that “it was an impressive experience that led me to decide to dedicate my career to international affairs.”
After the IVLP, he went on to receive his M.A. and Ph.D. in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia. Lee also served as Taiwan's senior representative to numerous countries including Australia, Canada, the European Union, and the United States.
Dr. David Tawei Lee is a scholar and career diplomat who has helped build bilateral connections around the world.
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LeeIVLP Alumni
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David Ríos Duran
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Content created by Virtual Intern Regina Navarro-Gomez
Working in the law enforcement field in Panamá, David Ríos Duran has been an advocate for building relationships across Latin America and the United States. Ríos Duran's leadership is built on the foundations of interpersonal relationships and communication as he works to maintain the security and well-being of Panamanians.
Ríos Duran says, "there is a before, during, and after an International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP)." In 2012, Ríos Duran participated in the "Administration of Justice" IVLP, during which he attended workshops and court hearings focused on human trafficking, money laundering, and the rule of law.
Following his IVLP, Ríos Duran built a strong relationship with other IVLP participants. "There was a richness of connections that were made after the program," says Ríos Duran, noting that some of those contacts had been useful in the resolution of several important cases he handled while managing a regional immigration office. Years later, in 2018, he traveled back to Washington D.C. and completed a one-year-long Master's of Science in Inter-American Defense and Security at the Inter American Defense College. He attributes his IVLP to his acceptance into the Master's program and says, "my IVLP project opened the doors to millions of opportunities."
David Ríos Duran brings his enthusiasm, drive, and leadership to law enforcement initiatives in Panamá.
Edited by Virtual Interns Regina Navarro-Gomez and Kristin Mitra
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Ríos DuranIVLP Alumni
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Fortune-U.S. Department of State Global Women's Mentoring Partnership
This month, talented, emerging women leaders from 11 countries began the 15th annual Fortune-U.S. Department of State Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership, a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of State, Fortune’s Most Powerful Women, and Vital Voices Global Partnership.
