Exchange 2.0: The Science of Impact, the Imperative of Implementation

Exchange 2.0 is a critical next step in international education and exchange that leverages the power of new technologies to vastly increase the number and diversity of students who have a profound cross-cultural experience as part of their education. The pressing need to multiply constructive people-to-people connections and build bridges across divided cultures is clear. And yet, in recent years, the pressure to expand exchange opportunities has collided with a resource-constrained environment in which all programming outside core priorities has come under renewed scrutiny.

Virtual exchange provides a possible solution: high-impact, affordable, cross-cultural exchange programs with the potential to reach the more than 98 percent of young adults who will not participate in a physical exchange or study abroad program.

At this event, policy-makers, funders, researchers and program implementers from the Exchange 2.0 coalition met to present and discuss new research that demonstrates the shift away from hostile attitudes that virtual exchange programs can produce. These experts also explored opportunities for public-private collaborations to scale up this untapped resource for reaching out to publics in countries where relations are strained and long term conflict management strategies are needed. 

Click here to view the video of this event.