The Rotary Club of Briarcliff Manor invites applications from professionals and businesspersons (men and women) between 25 and 40 to be part of the Group Study Exchange team which will visit Tokyo, Japan in February 2013 for a month-long vocational and cultural trip, all expenses paid, including pre-trip language and cultural sessions. The deadline for completed applications to be received by the Club is July 30, 2012.
What is Group Study Exchange?
The Group Study Exchange (GSE) program of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for young business and professional men and women between the ages of 25 and 40 in the initial years of their professional life. The program provides travel grants for teams of participants to exchange visits between paired areas in different countries. For four to six weeks, team members study the host country’s institutions and ways of life, observe their own vocations as practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas. Team members can come from corporations, small businesses, community organizations, medical and educational facilities, government offices, and nonprofit agencies.
Who Should Apply?
Individuals who participate in this rewarding, once-in-a-lifetime experience will return home with a broadened cultural perspective and new understanding of a nation’s history, language, commerce and government. A GSE offers a unique opportunity to develop leadership skills, work on team building, and increase self-confidence. The program is designed to have an invaluable impact on the career of a young professional in the increasingly global workplace by creating networking opportunities and lifelong friendships. Members of any Rotary Club, and certain close relatives of Rotarians, are ineligible to apply.
What are the benefits to employers and to the community?
GSE enhances the international perspective of the next generation of young leaders that will take your company into the future. GSE participants return with new communication and facilitation skills that promote tolerance and collaboration with professional people of other cultures. GSE fosters a creative approach to problem solving by expanding the employee’s skill set, exposure to alternate methodologies, and preparation for addressing community needs. In addition, GSE provides a great public relations opportunity to promote awareness of your business or organization, as local and international media may feature interviews, photos and articles about the exchange.
For an application form, and for more information, contact Rotarian President Kris Chittur at kchittur@post.harvard.edu or International Services director Rotarian Scott Lanoff at scottl@asmhome.com.
