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[Senate Report 111-383]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                                                       Calendar No. 727
111th Congress                                                   Report
                                 SENATE
 2d Session                                                     111-383

======================================================================

 
            INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONAL EXCHANGE ACT OF 2010

                                _______
                                

               December 22, 2010.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

          Mr. Kerry, from the Committee on Foreign Relations,
                        submitted the following

                                 REPORT

                         [To accompany S. 3688]

    The Committee on Foreign Relations, having had under 
consideration the bill S. 3688, to establish an international 
professional exchange program, and for other purposes, reports 
favorably thereon and recommends that the bill do pass.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page

  I. Purpose..........................................................1
 II. Committee Action.................................................2
III. Discussion.......................................................2
 IV. Cost Estimate....................................................4
  V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact..................................4
 VI. Changes in Existing Law..........................................4

                               I. PURPOSE

    The purpose of the International Professional Exchange Act 
of 2010 is to establish a two-way professional exchange program 
between the United States and select Muslim-majority countries 
to promote career development and cross-cultural understanding 
for young to mid-career professionals. In so doing, this bill 
seeks to address some of the long-term challenges facing the 
global economy by sharing professional expertise and building 
civil society capacity in the United States and in Muslim-
majority countries, including minority populations in those 
countries. This legislation also promotes international 
cooperation and peace by improving mutual understanding, 
changing perceptions and strengthening people-to-people ties 
between Americans and people in Muslim-majority countries.

                          II. COMMITTEE ACTION

    Senator Kerry introduced S. 3688 on August 2, 2010. By 
voice vote on December 14, 2010, the committee ordered that S. 
3688 be reported favorably without amendment.

                            III. DISCUSSION

    Numerous studies have cited the important role of language 
skills and cultural awareness in building a nation's security 
and its ability to compete in the global marketplace. 
International exchange programs are a proven way of promoting 
these skills and building bridges between societies. Existing 
U.S. Government-funded programs, such as the Fulbright Program, 
have helped thousands of Americans study around the world, and 
have helped thousands of foreigners study and learn in the 
United States. Today, over 300,000 people call themselves 
``Fulbrighters,'' including 40 Nobel Prize winners and 20 heads 
of state. This legislation builds upon the success of these 
academic exchanges and creates an exchange program for young 
professionals.
    Outreach and engagement with Muslim communities globally 
has arguably never been more important. President Obama spoke 
in Cairo in June 2009 of a ``new beginning between the United 
States and Muslims around the world'' and, in 2010, he 
emphasized the importance of ``deepen[ing] ties between 
business leaders, foundations, and entrepreneurs in the United 
States and Muslim communities around the world.''
    Demographic shifts and growing populations are creating 
economic strains with profound consequences for the world. This 
legislation seeks to address some of these challenges by 
building capacity in the work force, strengthening civil 
society, and improving ties between the United States and 
Muslim-majority countries through a two-way exchange of 
professional fellows.
    Specifically, this act authorizes the Secretary of State to 
establish a three-year pilot program to help build professional 
capacity and contribute skills and know-how to local 
communities through a reciprocal exchange of fellows. The act 
establishes a pilot program to see how best to design a 
successful two-way exchange of young professionals with the 
intent that these best practices can then be applied in future 
legislation to authorize a professional exchange program. 
Though the program is designed for exchanges between the United 
States and select Muslim-majority countries, the program does 
not exclude non-Muslims from participating in the exchange.
    Fellowships will last between three and six months, 
including time for relevant orientation, training, community 
service, and cultural and professional immersion. It is 
expected that the majority of a fellow's time will be spent in 
a position that complements a fellow's professional background 
and builds relevant professional skill sets. Community service 
is also a key component of this fellowship in order to expose 
participants to issues important to the local community, 
highlight the role of civic engagement, and in some cases, 
provide an opportunity to learn about different faiths. This 
legislation intends for the Americans going abroad as fellows 
to be placed in a professional capacity with local companies, 
local governments, and civil society organizations to the 
extent possible to best learn about the local culture and be 
immersed as fully as possible in that new society.
    All fellows will be between 21 and 40 years of age and will 
be selected from a variety of professional backgrounds with a 
preference for individuals who work in the public sector, 
including teachers, urban/city planners, public health workers, 
and public administrators; or civil society, including 
journalists, faith-based leaders, interfaith leaders, and 
employees of nonprofit organizations. By targeting these 
professionals, it is the intent of this legislation to help 
bolster the workforce around the world and contribute to 
economic growth.
    The Secretary of State will select between 4 and 7 Muslim-
majority countries from which the initial group of inbound 
fellows will be selected, and these countries will be chosen 
based on geographic criteria so that the program includes a 
diverse set of participants and countries. All participants in 
the two-way exchange should have demonstrated leadership in 
their communities, have relevant professional and language 
qualifications, and should be prepared for cultural immersion. 
For the recruitment of fellows from Muslim-majority countries, 
the Secretary should build upon existing programs to engage 
Muslim communities, and also reach out to graduates of English 
learning programs and request the assistance of both the 
private and public sector in identifying a diverse pool of 
candidates.
    The fellowship program will begin with an orientation for 
each class of fellows to include appropriate cultural and 
professional training, but this fellowship is not intended to 
teach fellows professional competency in the working language 
of the country in which fellows are placed. Fellows should have 
a working-level knowledge of the language necessary for the job 
before the placement is made. If necessary, the program can 
provide refresher language training.
    Graduates of the fellowship will receive a certificate from 
the Department of State upon completion of the program, and are 
encouraged to meet and build relationships with former fellows 
and remain linked with the program through an active alumni 
network that the Department of State will help support through 
communications technology and other networking opportunities.
    This legislation strongly encourages the Secretary of State 
to form public-private partnerships to support program costs 
and goals. This support can take the form of in-kind 
contributions, financial assistance for travel and 
administrative costs, job placement and recruitment assistance 
from the private sector, private foundations, foreign 
governments and other interested parties.
    The Secretary of State is required to submit a report at 
regular intervals (15 months, 27 months, and 39 months after 
enactment) during the course of this three-year pilot program 
to describe the administration and outcomes of the program. 
These reports will be used by the Senate Foreign Relations 
Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the Senate 
and House Appropriations Committees to judge the success and 
progress of this program and consider its continuation after 
the three-year pilot period.
    This legislation authorizes such sums as may be necessary 
for fiscal year 2011-2014.

                           IV. COST ESTIMATE

    Rule XXVI, paragraph 11(a) of the Standing Rules of the 
Senate requires that committee reports on bills or joint 
resolutions contain a cost estimate for such legislation. In 
the interest of filing the report prior to the close of the 
111th Congress, the committee notes that it has yet to receive 
the Congressional Budget Office estimate.

                   V. EVALUATION OF REGULATORY IMPACT

    Pursuant to Rule XXVI, paragraph 11(b) of the Standing 
Rules of the Senate, the committee has determined that there is 
no regulatory impact as a result of this legislation.

                      VI. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

    In compliance with Rule XXVI, paragraph 12 of the Standing 
Rules of the Senate, the committee has determined that there 
are no changes to existing legislation as a result of this 
legislation.

                                  
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