Leadership development is at the core and center of this entire program. It will be prominent in our advice to the presenters as they plan and deliver their respective topics. Along with the concept of "service", particularly community service, you will better understand leadership at different levels and of different types, as experienced in an American context.
Our expectation—and that of the US Department of State—is that upon returning to your home countries, you will be able to apply at least some of the new leadership knowledge and skills in your own environment. For this to occur we will emphasize practical skills acquisition and this entails your active participation in all aspects of the experience and a willingness to grow into a new role in a short period of time.
The degree to which this happens will determine the success of the Institute as an educational activity focused on making a small but significant contribution to yourself as an individual, to your family, community and country as a whole. In all of this, the contribution of the United States to better international and intercultural understanding is more than significant—and indeed a model of the very leadership and community service inherent in this program.