Dec 20, 2021
Global Undergraduate Exchange Program [Global UGRAD] 2022-23
The Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD) [Student Exchange Program] 2022-23 student application is now open! The application will close on January 6, 2022, at 12 midnight Eastern Time.
What is the Global UGRAD?
The Global Undergraduate Exchange Program is a student exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by World Learning.
The Global UGRAD provides a diverse group of emerging student leaders with a scholarship for one semester of non-degree academic study at a U.S. college or university. It is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State and aims to recruit participants from underrepresented backgrounds who have not had other opportunities to study in the United States.
Since 2008, World Learning has provided this opportunity to over 2,500 Global UGRAD students. Participants leave the U.S. with the tools to become leaders in their professions and communities. Global UGRAD alumni go on to receive Fulbright grants, obtain prestigious international internships, and work in business and government in their home countries and regions.
About the Global UGRAD Program
Successful applicants can expect in-depth exposure to U.S. society, culture, and academic institutions, as well as opportunities to enhance their professional skills.
All participants will be enrolled in full-time, non-degree, undergraduate coursework chosen from their host institution’s existing curriculum.
Participants will be required to take one, 3-credit U.S. studies course to enhance their understanding of the United States.
Participants will live in campus housing facilities with American peers, and will be required to participate in twenty hours of community service.
There will also be a virtual arrival orientation and an in-person end-of-program workshop.
Intake
Each year the U.S. Department of State selects approximately 250 promising young undergraduate leaders from some 60 countries across the globe.
Participating Countries
Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, China, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Georgia, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Macedonia, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, North Macedonia, Palestinian Territories (West Bank and Gaza), Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zimbabwe.
Program Goals
To promote mutual understanding between people of the United States and other countries.
Provide a fulfilling exchange experience to drive academic, cross-cultural, and leadership competencies for students from Global UGRAD countries.
Enhance students’ academic knowledge and professional skills needed to pursue long-term academic and career goals.
Cultivate students’ comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the U.S.
Facilitate opportunities for students to establish social networks with U.S. host institutions and local communities.
Empower students to engage constructively in the civic life of their local and global communities.
Eligibility
Applying candidate must be above 18 years of age;
Must be a citizen of a UGRAD participating country;
Must be enrolled in an undergraduate course in good standing at any accredited university, public, or private, and has at least one semester remaining at their home university at the conclusion of the UGRAD program;
Completed secondary education in their home country;
A solid command over English (Written and Spoken);
Able to begin studies in the US in August 2021 or January 2022;
Eligible to receive and maintain the US student exchange visa (J-1) required for the program;
Must be cleared by a physician to participate in the program;
Committed to returning to their home country after completion of the program.
How to Apply?
A complete Global UGRAD student application package includes the following documents:
Completed online application form,
Copy of passport bio page,
Academic transcripts for years of university study (with English translations),
Two (2) letters of reference (with English translations), and
Grade equivalence between local grading system and U.S. grading system.
Application Deadline
January 6, 2022
Contact Information
Gazmend Ilazi (Exchanges and Alumni Coordinator)
Public Affairs Office
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 389-2-310-2099
Important Information
For the official website of the World Learning Global UGRAD Program, click here.
For more information, click here.
