Study USA celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
Formerly known as the Business Education Initiative, the programme offers students scholarships to spend a year studying business in the United States and is managed by British Council Northern Ireland on behalf of the Department for Employment and Learning.
Since its formation in 1994, the initiative has sent 1,800 students from Northern Ireland to all four corners of the United States where they have successfully completed a year studying business at one of 140 institutions.
During the year they gain valuable international experience and business knowledge, helping to develop their career prospects when they return to Northern Ireland.
With these newfound business skills, these alumni
now work for a diverse range of leading firms including Citi, KPMG, First Derivatives, Almac and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
To mark the occasion the British Council Northern Ireland hosted an evening at Titanic Belfast to bring together both the alumni and their employers.
The night, sponsored by Citi and Friarylaw, featured a graduation ceremony for the programmes latest cohort and a speech by guest speaker, Elizabeth Dibble, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in London.
Patrick Black, Study USA Product Delivery Manager at British Council NI, said: “We are delighted to be celebrating 20 years of success with Study USA. Nearly 2,000 undergraduate have benefitted from this incredible scholarship programme since it began in 1994.
“Through the study of business in a US context participants boost their core employability skills and gain invaluable experience working in an international setting. This enhanced global awareness is vitally important in developing Northern Ireland’s export driven economy.”
The White House provided their own endorsement for the programme in March 1995 in a letter written by President Bill Clinton to Rev Henry Postel, Chair of the NI Working Group in the Presbyterian Church USA, and member of the Inter Church Committee in NoI.
On a recent visit to NI President Clinton met with Study USA alumni and the Minister for Employment and Learning, Stephen Farry, where he congratulated the success of Study USA over the past 20 years.
Alumni or businesses still interested in attending can contact Patrick Black at British Council NI by email Patrick. Black@britishcouncil.org or telephone: 9019 2232.