Since the Institute s founding in 1993, its graduates have moved into important positions of influence in business, government, journalism and education. Students leave the Institute as members of a growing network of alumni from The Fund for American Studies Institutes living throughout the world. It is a group of young leaders and professionals who share their relationships and intellectual resources that can prove beneficial throughout their careers. Institute participants will come together in the classroom to contemplate how emerging democracies might draw on the American experience to transform their economies and governmental structures. Nations represented in the Institute have been Azerbaijan, Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, the United States and Yugoslavia.
Students living throughout Europe and the former Soviet Union are eligible to apply.
The success of the Institute is evident by the growth of the program. As the Institute grows, the quality of the students continues to improve as Central and Eastern Europe continues to offer greater opportunities for young minds. The students have excellent English language ability, strong academic credentials, and proven leadership skills. Equally important, the students have strong commitment to free market, democratic reform in their countries. Applications from students throughout the region have increased dramatically, and the Institute s admissions have evolved into a competitive and difficult process.