November 6, 2008 Economic Development; Slovenia

ICW hosted Martina Lodrant, the current Third Secretary of the United Nations Permanent Mission in Slovenia. The program was sponsored by the Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program and was arranged by the Meridian International Center.  The objective of the program was to gain an understanding of U.S. foreign trade policy, the U.S. economic model, including the role of entrepreneurship and venture capitalism, and the role of government regulation in the global financial crisis. Ms. Lodrant met with several professors from the International Development and Social Change Department at Clark University, and attended a class on the United Nations and International Politics.

October 4-8, 2008 Counter-terrorism; France

The ICW hosted Judge Philippe Coirre from France.  Judge Coirre is currently the Vice President of Investigative Judges for the Paris Counter-Terrorism Section.  The visit was sponsored by the Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program. It was arranged by the Institute of International Education.  Judge Coirre's objectives were to obtain knowledge of the workings of the United States Judicial System, to gain insight into U.S. investigations and trials, and to understand the challenges posed by U.S. detentions and products of foreign intelligence and investigations.  These objectives were part of a broader goal of improving the efficiency of the ongoing relationships between the U.S. and France.

October 3, 2008 Civics Education; Romania

ICW hosted a group of 2 visitors from Romania for a program entitled: "Civics Education: A Project for Romania."  The visitors were invited under the auspices of the Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program.  The program was arranged by the Phelps Stokes Fund.  The two visitors, both teachers, participated in a program focused on civic education, specifically in the United States. Their program included visits to the American Antiquarian Society in Worcester to discuss teacher training programs under the Department of Education's Teaching American History Initiative.  They also attended an Advanced Placement History class at Wachusett Regional High School.

September 24-27, 2008 Spain

The ICW hosted a group of 4 visitors from Spain on a program entitled "U.S. Political System: A Project for Spain". These visitors were invited to the United States under the auspices of the Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program. Their program was arranged by Meridian International Center. The objectives of this group were to introduce and provide broad exposure to American political, economic and social issues and associated policy formulation; to gain an understanding of interrelated U.S. foreign and domestic policy topics, including economic, labor and gender issues and immigration and assimilation in a multiethnic society; and to promote mutual understanding through dialogue and discussion between Spanish participants and their U.S. counterparts.

September 19-27, 2008 Accountable Governance: Economic Development

The ICW hosted a group of 5 visitors from the city of Kaluga, Russian Federation on a program entitled "Accountable Governance: Economic Development". This program was administered by the Center for International Exchanges Academy for Educational Development (AED) under the Open World Program. Their program looks at government support for small business development programs; business-government relations; and the role of the Federal Government, State and local Administration in economic growth and support for entrepreneurship. They visited Main South Community Development Corporation and the Martin Luther King Jr. Business empowerment Center as well as met with the Mayor of Worcester and attended a Worcester City Council Meeting.

September 5, 2008 Cameroon

The ICW hosted the Cameroonian Minister of Culture and her colleagues for a program entitled "Advancing Economic Development through the Arts". They were invited to the U.S. under the auspices of the Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program. The visitors learned about U.S. perspectives in cultural preservation and effective strategies that would enhance the creation and sustainable management of artistic spaces with regard to the critical role they play in fostering tourism and development. The Minister is also very interested in networking and building alliances between Cameroonian and American artists and creating exchange programs with museums and theater groups.

August 6-9, 2008 Citizen Participation in Governance; China

The ICW hosted a group of 5 visitors from the People's Republic of China. They were invited to the U.S. under the auspices of the Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program. Their program wais arranged by Graduate School, USDA. Their program explored grassroots democracy and the intersection of U.S. government and civil society. They learned about rule of law and the maintenance of transparent governmental systems as well as the role of NGOs in economic development and urban planning.

August 7-26, 2008 Quality Improvement and Evidence-Based Medicine

The ICW hosted a group of 9 visitors from Azerbaijan. This program was a Community Connections Program sponsored by USAID. The overall objective of this program was to demonstrate ways in which health care providers, government agencies and professional associations in the United States monitor quality, set clinical guidelines, continue health service quality improvement, employ techniques of evidence based medicine and license hospitals and healthcare professionals. Visitors also observed the role of universities in providing updated data and new methodologies on health issues discovered through analysis and research. They will better understand how the government regulates the health sector and assures the quality of healthcare services provided by private and public providers.

June 17, 2008 ICW Annual Meeting

ICW's 2008 Annual Meeting took place on June 17th at Clark University. The evening began with a potluck dinner, followed by the election of new officers. The new Board for 2008-2009 is reported below. The Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Vita Aronson who is our Membership Manager.

Professor Nataliya Korchagina was the keynote speaker. Professor Korchagina is the Chair of the Dept. of World Economy, Head of the Russian-American Center of Education and Scientific Research at Astrakhan State University.  She also teaches the course, Microeconomics of Competitiveness (developed by Professor Michael E. Porter, Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness, Harvard Business School).  At the meeting she discussed the developing relationship between the International Center and the State University of Astrakhan. She explained the work we are doing to form a bond between the University of Astrakhan, Clark University, WPI, Harvard, and other US educational institutions.

May 23-June 11, 2008 Tolerance, Community Relations and Minority Rights

The ICW hosted a group of 10 visitors from St. Petersburg. This was a Community Connections Program sponsored by USAID. The program worked to promote more tolerant attitudes between individuals towards members of different races, adherents of other religions, and people with different views on sensitive issues. It demonstrated how various governmental and non-governmental agencies work together to create a more tolerant environment in their communities, how all sectors of society are involved in tolerance work, how educational institutions provide education on the subject and their collaboration with law enforcement agencies. Participants in this group were shown how grassroots organizations in the United States work to support community dialogue, integration, and tolerance of non-mainstream cultures.

May 5-7, 2008 Grassroots Democracy and Good Governance; Angola and Mozambique

The ICW hosted four visitors from Angola and Mozambique invited to the United States under the auspices of the State Department's International Visitor Program. Their national program is administered by Phelps Stokes Fund. The objective of this program was to provide a better understanding of the democratic form of government in the U.S. and the significance of citizen participation in the democratic process. The group also be traveled to Washington, DC, Little Rock, AZ, Bozeman, MT, and Denver, CO during their stay in the United States. While in Worcester they observed democracy in action at the local level by observing a town hall meeting.

April 19 - 29, 2008 Higher Education in the United States; Astrakhan

ICW hosted a group of 11 delegates from Russia. This program was a Fee for Service program sponsored by the State University of Astrakhan. The group met with faculty from both WPI and Clark University. The group spent the last four days of their trip in New York City visiting the NY School of Visual Arts and Columbia University as well as getting the chance to do some sightseeing. This group is part of the ongoing partnership between the ICW and the University of Astrakhan.

February 23-March 2, 2008 Secondary Education; Russia

ICW hosted five secondary educators from Russia participating in this Open World Program. Their program was coordinated by the Academy for Educational Development. The main objective was to examine educational issues within the context of the highly decentralized American model, with a focus on educational policy, technology integration into classrooms, alternative financing of public education, equity/access, the role of testing in educational assessment and access to higher education, community involvement, extracurricular and after-school activities, and school-to-work programs. They were able to visit with several principals from the area as well as the Assistant Director of the Massachusetts Secondary School Administrators' Association (MSSAA) and members of the Worcester Public Schools Central Administration. The group was also able to enjoy a day in Boston.

January 24- February 5, 2008 Professional Education and Methodology in the U.S.; Astrakhan