Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals
Program Overview
The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals is a full-year work-study fellowship program with a strong focus on cultural exchange. CBYX annually provides 75 young Americans with an understanding of everyday life, education, and professional training in Germany. The program begins in July and includes two months of intensive German language training (no prior German language knowledge required), four months of classroom instruction at a German university or college of applied sciences, and a five-month internship in each participant’s career field.
The CBYX for Young Professionals program is intended primarily for young adults in business, vocational, scientific, engineering, technical, and agricultural fields, though applicants from all fields are encouraged to apply.
Participants actively participate in securing their internship positions with assistance from our partner organization in Germany, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, and are expected to cover incidental expenses as well as represent the United States diplomatically while abroad.
Program Benefits
- Full-year scholarship including round-trip transatlantic flight, university tuition, language training, living stipend, and program-related travel costs in Germany
- Two-months German language training in Germany
- Four months of study at a German university or university of applied sciences
- Five-month internship in a German-speaking work environment
- Accommodation in a German home or student residence
- Orientation, midyear, and final evaluation seminars
- In-country support throughout the program
- Health and accident insurance
Eligibility
Candidates for CBYX must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- 18-24 years old at the beginning of the program
- Minimum of high school diploma or equivalent
- Completed general coursework in target internship field at a community college, college, or university
- Completed some relevant work experience (short-term, volunteer, or internship) in target internship field
- Previous knowledge of the German language is preferred, but is not required
- Ideal candidates have clear career goals, good communication skills, and exhibit flexibility and diplomacy
Please note that previous Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for High School Students or Vocationalists may not apply.
Application Deadline
December 1, 2012 for the 2013–2014 program year.
where do you want to go? See which
Cultural Vistas programs are right for you
“It has been especially interesting here in former East Germany, hearing firsthand accounts of how it was during the DDR. Working as an intern at Nordex has contributed to my career objectives and goals because it has allowed me to work in an international engineering setting. Being able to see how large-scale production in another country is set up has taught me a lot about the nature of international business.”
William Buescher
University Abroad: Universität Rostock
Company Abroad: Nordex Energy GmbH
“I cannot be more happy and pleased with my year in Germany—it has turned out to be even more amazing than I could ever imagine. I have done many things for the first time here alone, such as banking, registering with a city as a foreigner, and navigating the university system, and I did them in German! If I can handle these already complicated enough things in a language that I had barely known at the beginning of the year, then I can handle pretty much anything else the world can toss at me.”
Stephanie Hilz
University Abroad: Technische Universität Dresden
Company Abroad: Max-Planck-Institute for Genetics and Developmental Biology
“I am currently in law school, where my focus is sustainability law. This program has allowed me to study in-depth Germany’s policies and use the German experience as a lens to understand other countries’ renewable energy policies, including the United States. I now know how I will shape the remainder of my legal education.
This experience has opened the door to the rest of the world. While reading about the world and its people is important, and traveling for any length of time can be worthwhile, living in a country for an extended amount of time provides a perspective that can not be acquired any other way.”
Nathan Hopkins
University Abroad: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
Company Abroad: International Solar Energy Society e.V. and Petite Planète