The Global Village

The Global Village on the Move Program is an intensive leadership development program run by the Iacocca Institute at Lehigh University and administrated by American Councils for International Education. This exclusive Iacocca Global Village on the Move program for FLEX, YES, and YEAR exchange program alumni integrates global connections and cross-cultural cooperation with leadership development and innovative practical sessions. The Iacocca Global Village on the Move program, which took participants to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and Skopje, North Macedonia, focused on unique business and cultural contexts and provided intensive learning opportunities.

Participants began their leadership journey in a one-of-a-kind virtual global community with fellow Villagers from around the world, as well as interactions with alumni, academics, leaders, and changemakers. From May 9 to June 24, 2022, they worked in a cross-cultural and geographically diversified team on a flexible seven-week consulting assignment with an international customer. In a Clifton Strengths leadership assessment and coaching workshop, they created a personal leadership action plan. Through their virtual roommate experiences and gathering spaces, participants interacted with individuals from the Iacocca Global Village and other Institute programs, as well as mentors and guests, in addition to their own Villager cohort.

After completing the online section of the course, participants, mentors, and facilitators kept in touch online before traveling to Kyrgyzstan in late August and North Macedonia in early September 2022 for a five-day residency. Participants got to know their fellow Villagers and worked together to achieve Sustainable Development Goal Challenge projects. Throughout the week, participants collaborated with mentors and others to advance their leadership objectives and skills, experienced local culture, and site visits and met with community leaders. Participants in the North Macedonian cohort were divided into six groups of six people and worked on their SDGs projects during the week. Projects varied from each other a lot and were aimed at encountering the problems of accessibility of education, reducing inequality, creating an eco-friendly environment, etc.

Upon completing the program, participants earned certificates of completion and were welcomed into the Global Village Network of 2,330+ alumni from 141 countries.

Our Polish Alumni Coordinator Julia Szukała was one of the participants of Global Village.