A non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, Cultural Vistas has used career exploration to facilitate connections between Americans and international visitors for more than 60 years.
Washington (PRWEB) February 10, 2014
Follow updates and see photos from their visit in real time at #InnotourUSA.
With an economic crisis nipping at their heels, many young Europeans are realizing the importance of boosting innovation to create solutions to the challenges they face and encourage future growth.
Cultural Vistas is delighted to welcome eight young professionals from seven European countries – most of whom have already founded their own startups and have made known their desire to inspire a more entrepreneurial mindset back home – for Innotour USA, a 10-day visit to the United States under the auspices of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).
The delegates – representing Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Portugal, and Romania – begin their program today in the nation’s capital. The group will then have the opportunity to travel to New York City and San Francisco to meet with fellow innovators to discuss and explore various perspectives on best practices and trends related to innovation and entrepreneurship in America.
The tour includes meetings with prominent entrepreneurs and experts, as well as planned visits to an array of centers for innovation, startups, and major media and tech organizations.
This short-term professional exchange is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and managed through the U.S. Mission to the European Union in partnership with the European Young Innovators Forum. The national program itinerary, designed by Cultural Vistas in close cooperation with the Department of State in order to accomplish the following objectives:
- Understand the policy and regulatory domains of innovation and entrepreneurship in the United States at the federal, state, and local levels;
- Explore the use of business intelligence and open data in the development of innovative technologies;
- Discover trends in entrepreneurship and innovation, including smart cities, digital social innovations, space services for citizens, and innovation centers; and
- Facilitate the exchange of innovative ideas and practices between hosts and participants.
Innovation & Entrepreneurship | Regional Voluntary Visitor Project, Europe
Program Itinerary, Hosts, and Themes
Washington, D.C. | Cultural Vistas and U.S. Department of State | February 10-12
- Overview of U.S. federalism
- Federal government advancements in innovation
- Impact of U.S. entrepreneurship on national and global economies
- Role of academia in advancing entrepreneurship and innovation
New York, N.Y. | U.S. Department of State, New York Program Branch | February 12-16
- Startups and business incubators
- Influence of U.S. entrepreneurship and innovation at the local and regional levels
- Smart cities
San Francisco, Calif. | Global Ties San Francisco | February 16-19
- Best practices used to develop entrepreneurial initiatives
- Supporting innovative entrepreneurial and business strategies
- Using big and open data for innovation
About Cultural Vistas
A non‐profit organization, Cultural Vistas has facilitated professional exchange programs and services for visitors coming to the United States, and Americans seeking overseas experiential learning opportunities, since 1950. As one of seven National Program Agencies (NPAs), Cultural Vistas works in close cooperation with the U.S. Department of State to administer, design, and implement IVLP programs that directly support and advance U.S. foreign policy goals. — Learn more at culturalvistas.org.
Follow @CulturalVistas on Twitter.
About the International Visitor Leadership Program
Launched in 1940, the International Visitor Leadership Program seeks to build mutual understanding between the United States and other nations through carefully designed professional visits for current and emerging foreign leaders. Each year some 5,000 International Visitors are selected by U.S. embassies to travel to the United States through IVLP. More than 330 current or former Chiefs of State or Heads of Government are IVLP alumni. — Learn more at exchanges.state.gov/ivlp.