About Educational Programs

Promoting Rotary's goal of world peace, goodwill, and understanding, The Rotary Foundation's Educational Programs include Ambassadorial Scholarships, Grants for University Teachers, Group Study Exchange, and Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution. Learn more how these programs foster peace by building understanding through person-to-person contact, friendship, study, and cross-cultural exchange.

Ambassador Scholarships

The Rotary Foundation's oldest and best-known program is Ambassadorial Scholarships. Since 1947 more than 30,000 men and women from 100 nations have studied abroad under its auspices. Today it is the world's largest privately funded international scholarships program. More than 1,100 scholarships were awarded for study in 2002-03. Through grants totaling approximately US$26 million, recipients from some 69 countries studied in more than 64 nations.

The purpose of the Ambassadorial Scholarships program is to further international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries. The program sponsors several types of scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students as well as for qualified professionals pursuing vocational studies. While abroad, scholars serve as ambassadors of goodwill to the people of the host country and give presentations about their homelands to Rotary clubs and other groups. Upon returning home, scholars share with Rotarians and others the experiences that led to greater understanding of their host countries.

Rotary Grants for University Teachers

Rotary Grants for University Teachers provide funds to higher education faculty to travel abroad to teach at colleges and universities in developing countries. The program is intended to build international understanding and foster development while strengthening higher education in low-income countries. The program also aims to establish ties between higher education institutions, leading to the exchange of ideas and information across the globe. The subjects taught by grant recipients must be relevant to the needs of the local population and contribute to the area's socio-economic development. For 2002-03, 38 grants were awarded.

Rotary Centers for International Studies
in peace and conflict resolution

The Rotary Foundation has partnered with eight leading universities around the world to establish the Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution. Each year, Rotary will select up to 70 scholars to study at one of the seven Rotary Centers worldwide. The selected Rotary World Peace Scholars will begin two-year master's-level degree programs in conflict resolution, peace studies, and international relations. Each Rotary district may nominate one candidate for the selection process. The inaugural class of Rotary World Peace Scholars will graduate in 2004.

The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International has established the Rotary Centers for International Studies:

• to advance research, teaching, publication, and knowledge of issues of peace and goodwill, causes of conflict, and world understanding;
• to provide advanced educational opportunities for a group of Rotary World Peace Scholars chosen from various countries and cultures in order to advance knowledge and world understanding among potential future leaders of government, business, education, media, and other professions;
• to establish a program through which The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International and the member clubs of Rotary International may become increasingly effective in promoting greater tolerance and cooperation among peoples, leading to world peace and understanding.

Generous contributions from Rotarians worldwide represent continued faith that the students who are Ambassadorial Scholars today will be tomorrow's community and world leaders.

Group Study Exchange

The Group Study Exchange (GSE) program of The Rotary Foundation is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for young business and professional men and women between the ages of 25 and 40 and in the early years of their professional lives. The program provides travel grants for teams to exchange visits between paired areas in different countries. For four to six weeks, team members experience the host country's institutions and ways of life, observe their own vocations as practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas.

For each team member, The Rotary Foundation provides the most economical round-trip air ticket between the home and host countries. Local Rotarians in the host area provide for meals, lodging, and group travel within their district.

For more information on the above mentioned programs and other programs, visit Rotary International at www.rotary.org or send a message to our club via “guest registration” on this website.