Edmund S. Muskie Internship Program website
WASHINGTON – In conjunction with the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Diplomatic Mission to Kazakhstan, Cultural Vistas is pleased to announce that it will host the inaugural Edmund S. Muskie Alumni Conference to take place on March 29-30, 2019 in Astana, Kazakhstan.
The event will bring together over 80 alumni of the 2015-2018 Edmund S. Muskie Internship Program for leadership training, professional development, and networking opportunities.
Throughout the conference, program alumni will participate in local cultural activities, share their professional achievements, and exchange success stories. The former participants will also receive a full day of professional training to enhance their leadership skills and help in advancing their careers.
The alumni training will be in the form of an interactive workshop designed to address the very challenges Muskie program participants experience in the workforce, be they leadership dilemmas, communication issues, or change facilitation.
Participants will experience, learn and apply Human Understanding and Engagement (HUE.Life) tools and techniques, including Insights Discovery® and Technology of Participation® methods. Each participant will receive an Insights Discovery Personality Profile, a psychometric tool based on the psychology of Carl Jung created to help people understand themselves, understand others, and make the most of the relationships that affect them in the workplace.
The conference will conclude with a special reception celebrating continuous collaboration between the United States and the 12 program countries located in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus.
Representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Astana and other local organizations will join the reception to support the Muskie alumni network and meet alumni of other U.S.-sponsored programs in the region.
The alumni conference in March will take place during a milestone year for the program as Cultural Vistas prepares for its fifth class of Muskie interns. By bringing together program alumni to take part in this extended training and professional development long after their programs have concluded, Cultural Vistas demonstrates its continued commitment to former, as well as current, Muskie participants.
The long-standing summer internship program funded by the U.S. Department of State provides emerging leaders from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia with the opportunity to gain real-world experience to complement and enrich their graduate studies in the United States.
Muskie interns show a commitment to developing practical skills, gaining a deeper understanding of American work culture, as well as preparing themselves to use this experience for implementing positive change and creating a long-lasting impact in their home countries.
About the Edmund S. Muskie Internship Program
While 2015 marked the first year featuring its new format and internship model, the Muskie Program has established meaningful connections between Americans and more than 5,000 emerging Eurasian leaders over the last two-plus decades. Named after the late Senator from Maine and preeminent U.S. environmental leader, the original academic program was established by Congress in 1992 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union to help ensure that countries in the region continued healthy economic and democratic growth.
Learn more about the Edmund S. Muskie Internship program at culturalvistas.org/muskie and follow conference updates at #MuskieAlumni and #CulturalVistans on Twitter.