Apr 14, 2008 - 04:05:05 CDT
A group from Sweden will soon have the opportunity to benefit from one of the largest cultural exchange programs offered by Rotary International. They will be staying with Bismarck host families and learning more about North Dakota.Between April 21 and April 25, the group will stay in Bismarck and meet with different professionals based on their jobs in Sweden, said Dan Preszler, program coordinator.
The Rotary Foundation's Group Study Exchange program is a cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for business people and professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 who are in the early stages of their career. The program provides travel grants for teams to exchange visits in different countries. For four to six weeks, team members will experience the United States' culture and institutions, observe how their vocations are practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas.
Coming to Bismarck will be Maria Svensson, 29, a Swedish police officer; Anna Mia Johansson, 28, who works for the public service and legal law; the team leader, Ulf Ohlsson, 61, a retired major for the Swedish Air Force; Sabina Andersson, 34, a municipal government employee; and Marcel Salinder, 30, a communications officer at the Church of Sweden.
On April 22, the group will tour Basin Electric and in the evening a welcoming reception with wine and cheese will be held, and the Swedish team will be putting on a presentation. April 23 will be a vocational day in which each team member will work one on one with different people dealing with their profession.
"This is a way to give people experience in a profession from another country, but in the end what they really find out is that they aren't much different," said Preszler. The remainder of the week will include a tour of Fort Lincoln State Park, the state Capitol, and the Heritage Center.
Bismarck participates in the Rotary's Group Study Exchange every year, said Preszler, but with so many cities in the district, groups only come to Bismarck every couple years. Next year, the Bismarck Rotaries will be participating in the Group Study Exchange in Taiwan. "Many employers in foreign countries feel it's an honor to have an employee go," said Preszler. "They feel they have gotten a better person back."
The Rotary Foundation's Group Study Exchange is built off the idea of allowing professionals to get a better understanding of the world, said Preszler, so they can go back home and share what they have learned.
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