Are Exchange Programs Useful?

After two World Wars and major collisions in various parts of the world countries started talking about international partnership and friendly cooperation between ex enemies. Organizations like UNO and UNESCO were founded to restore piece on earth and bring happiness and quiet in homes of milliards of people. To establish good relations with countries of former Soviet Union and Third World countries, major countries like the US, England and Japan established exchange programs in order to show each other culture, folkways and morays of the country and lifestyle of people in general. Various programs still exist and continue developing. Recently after the war in Iraq the US has shortened the budget for exchange programs and international educational affairs. Was it because of increase of the budget of the war or just because they were declared useless? Let us analyze.

International exchange programs were established in the nineteenth century to restore piece and understanding between the countries that were enemies once. American groups of students were invited to Germany and vice a versa; students from the countries of former Soviet Union were invited to Germany and the US and vice a versa (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu). These programs were helpful, for children and young men and women are the future of the country, the fundament of the society. Making friends and getting acquainted with people from other country, we touch upon another mysterious culture with its wonders. The more cultures you know the closer you get to the answer of the question: “Under what are we all united in this world”. First students from Germany and former Soviet Union learned how to build a democratic society from American people who were hospitable enough to accept representatives of ancient cultures under their roofs to learn something new themselves.

What awaits an exchange student after the finish of the program? After being alone in a foreign country a young person grows outstanding communication skills, ability to analyze a situation and make a right decision. Resume curriculum vitae of a former exchange student is destined to find success during the first interview. It is quite easy to build a resume if there is a lot to include. But not only exchange students profit from such an opportunity to have a wonderful experience. Host-countries, communities and families also profit from making foreign friends. Some scholars dream about universal international culture that will unite all nations and show how close we are to each other. But there always will be a gap between; a special charm of every culture can not be ruined by universalism of it. Communicating with a foreign student, friends, families, schools and communities get to know how rich and ancient other countries can be, what are the traditions their ancestors established, how rich the culture is. The more cultures you know, the more educated you are considered to be. But let us not forget that those who forget their own cultures seeking wonders elsewhere will never understand the aim of humans on earth and their mission.