Oglethorpe students and faculty met with Open World Program delegates from the Ukraine to discuss fiscal policy.

Oglethorpe students and faculty had the opportunity to meet with Ukrainian delegates from the Open World Program who are in the country studying government operations with a focus on budget.

Five young policy professionals from Ukraine visited Atlanta as part of a series of exchanges between the emerging European leaders and their U.S. counterparts in democratic institutions. Delegates are provided with extensive exposure to American politics, civic life, and are hosted by American families as part of Friendship Force International.

Dr. Joe Knippenberg, who attended the session with Dr. John Orme and Dr. Rebecca Clark Schmerer, said the group had a lively bilingual conversation about budgetary and fiscal policy at the federal, state, and local levels. Students Gabriela Flores, Will Sherlock, Luis Trujillo, and Cheryl Kates also participated.

The Open World Leadership Center administers the Open World Program and is the first and only international exchange agency in the U.S. Legislative Branch that is completely controlled by Congress. In 1999, Congress authorized the creation of Open World to offer bipartisan support to Members of Congress in creating cultural exchanges for Eurasian leaders to witness democracy building in action.