The Global Undergraduate Exchange Program
(Global UGRAD)

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The Global UGRAD Program is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State.

Become a Global UGRAD!
Application opens annually in early November through December

The Global UGRAD Program is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State.

Experience U.S. higher education, travel, and explore new cultures and values

The Global UGRAD Program is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State.

Host Global UGRAD students at your university

The Global UGRAD Program is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State.

About Us

Test – The Global Undergraduate Exchange Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by World Learning.

Each year the U.S. Department of State selects approximately 250 promising young undergraduate leaders from some 60 countries across the globe to participate in a one-semester exchange at U.S. colleges and universities. Program participants take courses alongside their U.S. peers, engage in community service, and develop skills critical to success in the 21st century. Participants leave the United States 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.

Participating Countries/Locales (subject to change): 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, 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

Alumni Voices

Ping Ann Oung, Cambodia, 2014-15

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Fabiola Castillo, Nicaragua, 2017-18

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Xana Maunze, Mozambique, 2017-18

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Vladyslav Shapoval, Ukraine, 2018-19

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Carla Gurunian, Lebanon, 2018-19

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Global UGRAD is…?

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Impact

  • My biggest take away from this program is that I learned to co-exist with people from different continents, sharing our ideology and perspectives and living in a harmonious community where people could live in peace and overcome conflicts with unity. 

    Global UGRAD Participant, 2019-20
  • Honestly, the past four months were the best four months of my life. I gained knowledge from my courses and American people way more than what I expected I would. My Global UGRAD experience has motivated me to do more for my community. 

    Global UGRAD Participant, 2019-20
  • One thing that I have learned so far during my stay in the U.S. is to be open minded. I have seen a lot of new things that I was not accustomed to in my country and being open minded has helped me to learn a lot from different people.

    Global UGRAD Participant, 2019-20
  • I never thought I was shy until I left my country. However, doing community service is one of the things that is helping me overcome this weakness. During my community service, I have developed real-world skills to help me succeed in school and in life. 

    Global UGRAD Participant, 2018-19
  • We work with many exchange programs and in all honesty, the Global UGRAD team at World Learning is a total pleasure to work with. They give students the attention and resources to succeed, both pre-departure and in-program, which allows them to have the best experience possible. Also, as a result, they tend to be independent students who are academically strong, excited to get involved on campus and make the most of their time here. For these reasons, we are always happy to receive more Global UGRAD students

    Host Institution Advisor, 2017-18

By the Numbers

62

Countries Represented

250

Global UGRAD Participants Selected Each Year

76

Host Institution Partners Across 39 States and DC

Global UGRADs in the News

Edison Broce – 8 Remarkable Young Leaders Around the World Inspiring Us Right Now

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Poorna Malavath – On Top of the World

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Watthanakorn Kanthakeaw – Where There is a Will, There is a Way

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Aigerim Kurmanbekova – Global UGRAD student from Kyrgyzstan has experienced kindness from strangers and created lasting memories

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UGRAD Students Addressing Cultural Misconceptions

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Mariannly Marquez – Faces of Central Washington University

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Videos

What is Global UGRAD?

How Has Global UGRAD Inspired You:

Student Video from New York:

Student Video from End-of-Program Workshop: