WASHINGTON, DC: In partnership with the U.S. Department of State, Cultural Vistas is proud to announce the eight finalists selected for the first cohort of the 2023-2024 Professional Fellows Program Oceania (PFP Oceania).

These professionals represent five different Pacific countries and are part of the prestigious Professional Fellows Program (PFP), which facilitates these two way professional exchange opportunities all around the world.

This September 2023, PFP Oceania participants will complete four-week long fellowships across the United States where they will gain hands-on experience in their professional area of expertise. While in the United States, fellows will build their professional networks within their host organizations and prepare to implement a follow-on project in their home communities and organizations in the Pacific, centered on the theme of Economic Empowerment. After the fellowships have concluded, Professional Fellows from around the world will travel to Washington, D.C. to participate in the Professional Fellows Congress, where they will share their program experiences and provide peer-feedback on prospective follow-on projects.

This is the second year Cultural Vistas is implementing the Professional Fellows Program in the Pacific region, and we are delighted to welcome such talented professionals from a wide array of backgrounds.

Please see below for the selected fellows’ names and professional areas of interests that will guide their placement and follow-on projects:

• Nina Tokavou, Fiji – Disability Support Services and Community Programming
• Hilda Hadashar Audubo, Papua New Guinea – Health & Wellness Systems and Community Programming
• Grace Boker Mungkaje, Papua New Guinea – Forensic Accounting & Anti-Corruption
• Serah Pyawa, Papua New Guinea – Environmental Management Consulting & Waste Management
• Marie Enosa, Samoa – Disability Support Services & Community Programming
• Unaloto Lolohea Aneta Sili, Tonga – Sports Management, Good Governance & Leadership Development
• Lola Liava’a Tonga, Tonga – Waste Management/Recycling and Community Programming
• Iuma Bani, Vanuatu – Flood Management, Hydrology & Urban Planning

 

Following the exchanges, program alumni will be eligible for seed funding to complete a follow-on activity within their home communities in advancement of their professional goals. Additionally, alumni will also have the opportunity to host an American Fellow for a ten-to-fourteen-day reciprocal exchange in support of their follow-on activity. All participant program travel costs and accommodations will be covered by the program and coordinated by Cultural Vistas.

If you are interested in hosting a PFP Oceania Fellow or learning more about the program, please contact Cultural Vistas at pfpoceania@culturalvistas.org. Hosting a Professional Fellow is a great way to build relationships with these esteemed international professionals and learn more about the wide variety of programming facilitated by the U.S. Department of State.

About the Professional Fellows Program:

The Professional Fellows Program (PFP) is a two-way, global exchange program designed to promote mutual understanding, enhance leadership and professional skills, as well as build lasting, sustainable partnerships between mid-level emerging leaders from foreign countries and the United States. PFP participants are placed in intensive fellowships in non-profit organizations, private sector businesses, and government offices across the United States for an individually tailored professional development experience. They build a broad network with American and other program participant colleagues as they develop a deeper understanding of U.S. society. The PFP is a two-way exchange, with American participants who have hosted foreign fellows traveling overseas for participant-driven reciprocal programs.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) builds relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries through academic, cultural, sports, professional and private exchanges, as well as public-private partnerships and mentoring programs.  These exchange programs improve foreign relations and strengthen the national security of the United States, support U.S. international leadership, and provide a broad range of domestic benefits by helping break down barriers that often divide us.  Visit eca.state.gov or contact ECA-Press@state.gov to learn more.