EVENTSABOUTSCHOLARSHIPSFUND RAISINGCONTACT US           About Us The United States New Zealand Educational Exchange program is a partnership between the American Australian Association and the Kiwi Expat Association (KEA). Both organizations are working together to raise corporate and individual financial sponsorship for educational exchanges between the US and New Zealand. AMERICAN AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATION Founded in 1948, the American Australian Association is the largest national non-profit public charity in the United States devoted to relations between the United States and Australia and New Zealand. Its goal is to encourage stronger ties across the Pacific particularly in the private sector. The Association has an active program of corporate, economic, educational, cultural and social activities. The Association's corporate membership includes many of the most prominent commercial and financial institutions engaged in business between the United States, Australia and New Zealand. The Association provides the main New York forum for Australian and New Zealand government and business leaders to meet with senior corporate executives with interests in the region. The Association also runs a range of educational, social, cultural and philanthropic programs. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS The American Australian Association operates intensive Educational programs financed from the proceeds of annual benefit dinners. The Association's blue ribbon Fellowship program has become the largest privately funded Education program between Australia and the United States and is the cornerstone of our activities in Education. To celebrate the Association's fiftieth anniversary, a June 30, 1998, dinner featured Rupert Murdoch as the guest of honor. An outstanding success, the dinner lifted the Association to a new level of prominence. Proceeds were used to establish an Education Fund to promote further interchange between the United States and Australia/New Zealand. Proceeds from this and other subsequent dinners went to enhance the Education Fund, which now totals over $2.2 million. 2002 marked the first year that Fellowships were awarded from the Education Fund for postgraduate research and study. A total of 34 fellowships have been awarded to date to both Americans and Australians. The Fellowship program is supplemented by our J-1 Visa Exchange visitor program launched in late 2003 which facilitates educational and cultural exchanges between foreign nationals and the U.S. through the use of the J-1 visa; our Life Sciences Center that assists institutions findings resources and funding for research and development in the Life Sciences arena and our annual Association Internship Program for Australian, American and New Zealand undergraduates and recent graduates seeking exposure to the American workplace and practices, and the Association's programs and activities. INTERNSHIPS The Association offers a one to three month long, unpaid (except for daily travel commutation charges) year round internship program positions for recent graduates and 3rd/4th year students from credible institutions in the United States, Australia and New Zealand - please contact via e-mail only the Director of Corporate Relations and Education for the application information sheet. Three letters of references must be provided along with a cover letter and your most recent resume/curriculum vitae. In addition volunteering & internship opportunities are available in social & cultural event management. J-1 VISA PROGRAM The American Australian Association has been designated by the U.S. Department of State as an Exchange Visitor Program sponsor in accordance with the administrative regulations issued under the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (Public Law 87-256, also known as the Fulbright-Hayes Act). The Exchange Visitor Program facilitates educational and cultural exchanges between foreign nationals and U.S. citizens through the use of the J-1 visa. The purpose of the American Australian Association's J-1 Visa Program is to expose trainees to American business practices, corporate organization and substantive occupational experiences, as well as U.S. social and cultural history, which they may take back to their chosen career in their home countries. In turn, employees of the trainee's host company will gain valuable experience working with a person from a different cultural background and an understanding of the business culture of foreign companies with whom they might do business in the future. AUSTRALASIAN LIFE SCIENCES CENTER In recognition of the needs of Australian and New Zealand life science researchers and of the potential funds available in the U.S. to support their work, the American Australian Association has established The Australasian Life Sciences Center (ALSC). The American Australian Association's general goal in establishing the ALSC is to enhance relationships between life sciences organizations in Australia, New Zealand and the US. KIWI EXPAT ASSOCIATION (KEA) In an age where the cost and ease of global travel and communications are ever improving, it is wrong to presume that once people leave a home country, they can have no meaningful economic contact with it. With 20% of New Zealand's population currently living overseas, the importance of strong relationships and networks, regardless of location, is paramount. Additionally, there is a large number of people of other nationalities who have spent time in New Zealand through employment, education or personal reasons. KEA is open to people of all nationalities, not just New Zealanders. The common link is a desire to be connected with New Zealand from a business, investment, professional, academic or cultural perspective. KEA members range from people at the start of their careers through to senior executives and professors. KEA was founded by Stephen Tindall, Professor David Teece and Dr George Barker in late 2001.It is a non-profit organisation, based in Wellington, New Zealand. Using a 'hub and spoke' model, it provides its KEA groups around the world with common website technology, constitutional template and governance. Each group has a local management team who cover a broad range of sectors and expertise. There are KEA groups located in the United States, and particularly in NY and Boston. KEA also provides a single point of communication to manage relationships with public and private sector groups. It is New Zealand's global network and spans 72 countries, with active chapters in eight overseas cities. KEA enables the sharing of knowledge, ideas, opportunities and contacts around the world.