50 Years of International Professional Exchange
2020 marks 50 years since the former Columbus International Program, today known as the International Program of US Together, was founded. Join us in celebrating this milestone by taking a look at our history with professional exchanges and how our story started.
Before the Start of the International Program
The unique origin story of the International Program begins in 1934 Germany. Henry Ollendorff was a German Jewish legal advisor when the political dominance of Hitler escalated in 1934, and the fear of persecution rendered him unable to continue practicing law. Due to Henry’s Jewish heritage, rumors of Jews being taken to concentration camps and the threat of war, Henry and his wife Martha left Germany in 1938 and sought refuge in the United States. Here, Henry earned his Ph.D. in Social Work in New York before moving to Cleveland, Ohio.
In 1954, after working with underprivileged children, youth, and adults for over a decade, Henry was approached by the U.S. Government State Department to speak on American youth leadership in Germany. His seminar received considerable interest from German youth leaders who wanted to see how youth groups worked in the U.S. So in 1955, Henry requested and received funding to bring 25 German youth leaders to the U.S.
The first participant group of 18-25-year-olds traveled to the U.S. in 1956 by boat. Their experience was carefully planned by Henry with a goal of international understanding and acceptance of cultural differences. During the next six weeks, the group participated in a variety of cultural experiences including tours of the city, lectures and demonstrations, and concerts. The program was an immense success that led to Henry formalizing the program with the Cleveland International Program (CIP).
The Cleveland International Program kept expanding with new ideas being introduced each year in response to the needs and interests of the government and participants. It grew to have an enhanced focus on education and training with comprehensive selection criteria of participants’ English language skills, personality, and more. This led to Henry founding the Council of International Programs, today’s CIPUSA, in the 1960s with affiliate offices across the U.S. This organization would be the inspiration of Columbus International Program, which in 2017 merged with US Together to become the International Program of US Together.
History of US Together and Professional Exchanges
In 1970, Dean Richard Medhurst of The Ohio State University College of Social Work and Dr. Len Schneiderman founded the Columbus International Program (CIP). Since its foundation the program has attracted participants from all over the world seeking training in the U.S. for a wide range of occupational fields. Since the program’s start, we have hosted over 1,100 professionals from nearly 120 countries.
In October of 2017, CIP merged with US Together to become the International Program of US Together. We have continued CIP’s efforts to enhance public and cultural diplomacy. We provide opportunities for international professionals from around the world to gain valuable insight and experience through our professional exchange programs throughout central Ohio.
Why We Are Passionate About Professional Exchange 50 Years Later
“Finally, the [Fulbright] Program aims [...] to bring a little more knowledge, a little more reason, and a little more compassion into world affairs and thereby to increase the chance that nations will learn at last to live in peace and friendship.”
With globalization, our world is becoming increasingly connected. You can easily reach someone on the other side of the world through different social medias or a simple email. You can watch a YouTube video and learn about cultures and languages you did not know existed. Yet, online interaction does not replace the experience of learning about another culture in its country of origin.
We believe international professional exchanges offer a unique experience for a person to improve their personal and professional skills. Through communicating with co-workers across different cultures participants don’t only improve their communication skills, but also their cultural competence and emotional intelligence, all sought after skills. Additionally, participants learn to adapt in new situation improving their adaptability to a range of situations and develop a better ability to problem solve. At the end of their professional exchange experience, participants will have valuable experiences and knowledge in their occupational field, but are also likely to experience a growth in their confidence.
Another important factor of professional exchange is the impact it has on international understanding and creating mutually beneficial partnerships among nations. When people from different countries connect on a personal level and share knowledge, it helps them to see their humanity. When many of these relationships are created across cultures, religions and norms, they can help wear away at the obstacles to peace. Exchanges are therefore considered a powerful diplomatic tool tool to create and maintain peace.
The International Program of US Together are committed to facilitate these relationships as we believe they are beneficial for the individual and for world peace. In 2020, we celebrate our efforts to promote international understanding for 50 years. And we are looking forward to providing our participants with one of a kind opportunities for intercultural exchange for the next 50 years.
Thank you to International Program Intern Andrea Edland for researching and writing this article.