Join American Councils' Virtual

50th Anniversary Conference

Join American Councils for International Education to celebrate our 50 years of excellence in public diplomacy, language acquisition, and cultural exchange programs with the conference, Public Diplomacy and International Exchange in the 21st Century. The conference will engage diplomatic, government, business, and academic leaders in lively discussions on the transformative power of international education and its vital role in today’s diverse and interconnected world.

While the event will be held in person with limited seating in Washington, DC, it will also be streamed live on Zoom where all of our friends and partners from around the world may attend these important conversations virtually.

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Celebrating American Councils

50th Anniversary with the

50 Alumni for 50 Years Initiative

To recognize five decades of fostering international ties and cultural exchange, American Councils launched the year-long "50 Alumni for 50 Years" initiative that highlights 50 distinguished alumni who exemplify the organization's commitment to transforming lives through public diplomacy, language acquisition, and cultural exchange. These 50 alumni share their unique journeys and contributions, reflecting the impact of American Councils' mission and the important influence of international education programs in promoting mutual understanding and global cooperation.  

Find out more about 50 Alumni for 50 Years participants and their work in the fields of higher education, foreign affairs, entrepreneurship, and humanitarian and sustainability initiatives.

BridgeUSA Ukrainian Academic Fellows Foster Collaborative Partnerships at Florida State

On June 25, Florida State University (FSU) became the first American university to host fellows on the BridgeUSA Ukrainian Academic Fellows Program. After a month of close collaboration with FSU's Ukraine Task Force (UTF), the four Ukrainian fellows departed Tallahassee enriched both personally and professionally. 

The BridgeUSA Ukrainian Academic Fellows Program (BridgeUSA UAFP) is designed to forge lasting connections between Ukrainian and U.S. scholars, fostering long-term collaboration in research, pedagogy, course development, and publication. The program's main goal is to support Ukrainian universities in educating and training professionals critical to the country's recovery and reconstruction from Russia’s full-scale invasion through enduring partnerships with U.S. institutions of higher education. 

Read more about the Bridge USA Ukrainian Academic Fellows Program.

Alumni in the World

Naranjargal Bold is a Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX) alumna from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Her exchange year in the U.S. opened her eyes to understanding the world from different perspectives and inspired her to start a Girls Coding Bootcamp in her hometown, Khovd, to educate young girls in STEM fields. 

Naranjargal’s interest in STEM started at an early age. Since first grade, she has taken part in the annual math olympiads. During her exchange year she studied at Monomoy Regional High School in Massachusetts and took coding classes for the first time. “Even though I enjoyed every other class I took, coding classes were the best as every little detail was interesting, such as how computers carry information, how to make applications, and more,” Naranjargal shared.

Read about Naranjargal's FLEX experience and her work as a STEM advocate.   

Alliance for International Exchange Honors American Councils Romania Country Director

Congratulations to American Councils' Romania Country Director, Eliza Chirilă-Pop, for being awarded the 2024 McCarry Leadership Award from the Alliance for International Exchange. The McCarry Leadership Award facilitates the professional development of emerging leaders in the U.S. exchange community by acknowledging their contributions to the field thus far and creating new opportunities for awardees to gain leadership experience and build relationships. Under Chirilă-Pop's leadership, American Councils in Romania implements major programs like Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX), FLEX Abroad, and Open World, as well as regional initiatives such as the Elie Wiesel Study Tour and SURE – Students for a United and Resilient Europe. 

Read more about Chirilă-Pop's work at American Councils and the McCarry Award.

American Councils

is Hiring

Do you have a passion for international education, language learning, or public diplomacy? American Councils is a diverse international nonprofit with openings at all levels of experience in our Washington, DC headquarters and offices throughout the world.

Click here to find out more about employment opportunities at American Councils.

Upcoming Application Deadlines

October 1: Funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII), the American Councils administered Combined Research and Language Training (CRLT) Program provides full support for U.S. graduate students, faculty, and independent scholars seeking to conduct in-country, independent research in Eurasia and Eastern Europe, while increasing proficiency in regional languages.

October 1: Funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Program for Research and Training on Eastern Europe and the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union (Title VIII), the American Councils administered Research Scholar Program provides full support for U.S. graduate students, faculty, and independent scholars seeking to conduct in-country, independent research for three to nine consecutive months throughout Eurasia and Eastern Europe.

October 15: One of the longest-running and most respected Russian language and cultural immersion programs, Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP) combines intensive classroom instruction with a wide range of extracurricular activities, including internships and community service, regional field studies, conversation partners, and discussion groups with local students. RLASP serves both graduate and undergraduate students as well as working professionals. 

October 15: The Balkan Language Initiative (BLI) offers intensive highly individualized academic programming with structured overseas immersion, enabling students to make rapid gains in language proficiency and knowledge while living and studying in Southeast Europe. Through homestays, conversation partners, in-class instruction, and extracurricular activities, participants enjoy an unprecedented opportunity to immerse themselves in daily local life in a region largely unserved by study abroad programs. 

October 15: The Eurasian Regional Language Program (ERLP) provides high-quality language instruction, specially designed cultural programs, and expert logistical support to participants studying the languages of Central Asia, the South Caucasus, Ukraine, and Moldova. 

October 15: The Taiwan Intensive Semester Language Program (TISLP) enables dedicated students of Mandarin to make impressive language proficiency gains through a combination of intensive study at Taiwan’s premier universities and immersion in local Taiwanese society and culture.



November 4: The National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) Summer 2025 and Academic Year 25-26 applications are NOW OPEN! NSLI-Y) provides merit-based scholarships for eligible high school students (ages 15-18) to learn less commonly taught languages in overseas immersion programs. NSLI-Y is a program of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This year, you may complete one application to simultaneously apply for NSLI-Y, YES Abroad, and FLEX Abroad.

December 4: Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad program is looking for qualified applicants to join our cohort of world-savvy changemakers. Are you an open-minded and adaptable world traveler, bridge-builder, adventurer, or self-starter? Then YES Abroad may be for you. YES Abroad is a U.S. Department of State citizen diplomacy scholarship to: live abroad with a host family, attend a local school, and immerse yourself in your host community. This year, you may complete one application to simultaneously apply for NSLI-Y, YES Abroad, and FLEX Abroad.

December 4: The Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Abroad 2025-2026 application is now open! Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the FLEX Abroad program provides fully funded scholarships for eligible American high school students to study and live overseas in select FLEX countries for an academic year. This year, you may complete one application to simultaneously apply for NSLI-Y, YES Abroad, and FLEX Abroad.

Ongoing: Host an International Exchange Student. Welcome a high school scholarship student (aged 15-18) into your home for an academic year (August to June). Students from more than 50 countries spend the year at local high schools, eagerly sharing their cultures, contributing to their new communities, and joining school activities. This initiative is a program of the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Thanks for being part of our world.