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Northwood University Hosts European Marshall Memorial Fellows

Published on 10/25/2009 1:22:15 PM

Under the direction of Advertising and International Business Department Chair and Professor, Jennifer McFarland, Northwood University was pleased to host six European Marshall Memorial Fellows on October 22, 2009.

As the only university in the nation on the group's itinerary, Northwood University student ambassadors, campus leaders and professors were able to meet with the group and share information relating to relevant economic, political and educational topics.

"It was a wonderful opportunity for all," said McFarland. "Our meeting with the Marshall Memorial Fellows allowed for an open exchange of ideas and a true 'learning environment' for all in attendance. Everyone, including students, professors and the visiting Fellows, discussed and learned more about hot topics that span the world, from cultural differences to the oil crises," she said.

Jan Rodusky, Palm Beach County Cultural Council Director of Grants and Local Program coordinator, introduced the cohort of fellows to art & culture, government and economic development. "Bringing the European Fellows to West Palm Beach has put Florida on the German Marshall Fund map," said Rodusky. "This program has paved way for our local leaders to work with the MMF fellows on a range of international and domestic policy challenges. As an alumna of the program, I am proud of the inaugural trip to our community and look forward to making it a permanent stop in the program," said Rodusky, who had travelled to Europe in 2008.

The Marshall Memorial Fellows included:

• Tibor Beres: Program Manager with Autonomia Foundation of Budapest, Hungary
• Karel Ceryny: Researcher at Charles University in Prague
• Juraj Fellegi: Reporter and editor of Pravda Newspaper in Slovakia
• Astrid Lang: Legal consultant with the Ministry of the Interior and Sports in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
• Thijs Niemantsverdriet: Political Reporter with Vrij, Nederland, Holland's
• Verda Ozer: Research Analyst with the Defense Academy of the United Kingdom

Founded in 1982, the Marshall Memorial Fellowship (MMF) was created by the German Marshall Fund of the United States to introduce a new generation of European leaders to America's institutions, politics, and people. In 1999, GMF launched a companion program to expose future U.S. leaders to a changing and expanding Europe. Over the past 27 years, the MMF program has attracted more than 1,650 of the best and brightest from all sectors, including politics, media, business, and nongovernmental organizations. GMF awards more than 100 Marshall Memorial Fellowships each year to leaders in politics, government, business, media, and the nonprofit sector committed to strengthening the transatlantic relationship.

Beginning with the four original countries - Denmark, France, Germany, and the Netherlands - Fellows now come from across the United States and from 22 European countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, the Slovak Republic, Spain, and Turkey). GMF works closely with partners in more than 60 cities on both sides of the Atlantic to make the MMF program possible.

The Marshall Memorial Fellowship provides a unique opportunity for emerging leaders from the United States and Europe to explore societies, institutions, and people on the other side of the Atlantic. American and European Fellows each visit five cities during the 24-day program. They meet formally and informally with a range of policymakers and prominent members of the business, government, political, NGO, and media communities. GMF works closely with partner institutions and individual coordinators in each city, providing Fellows with an invaluable local perspective on the transatlantic and domestic issues on the agenda. Along the way, each Fellow has the opportunity to explore his or her own professional interests beyond the group programs, which focus on a range of domestic and international policy areas.