We welcome the Group Study Exchange team from Kansas

Last Tuesday, the Club warmly welcomed incoming GSE team from Kansas, USA led by team leader Rtn David Huston of District 5710 and outgoing GSE team led by alternate leader Rtn J Ganesh from Rotary Club of Dombivli. They were accompanied by GSE Chairman Rtn Ajay Gupta, The Rotary Foundation Programs Avenue Chairman Rtn Dr Balkrishna Inamdar.

What is the Group Study Exchange programme?

Group Study Exchange (GSE) is an educational program of the Rotary Foundation arm of Rotary International. It is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for young business and professional men and women between the ages of 25 and 40 in the initial years of their professional life. The program provides travel grants for teams of young participants to exchange visits between paired areas in different countries.

For four to six weeks, team members study the host country’s institutions and ways of life, observe their own professions as practised abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas.

GSE began in 1955 as an idea of a District in New Zealand. It became an official RI educational program in 1965.

Since then, the Group Study Exchange program has provided grants for countless teams of men and women in the early stages of their business and professional careers to travel abroad and share vocational information with representatives of their respective professions in another country. Team members spend four to six weeks studying the host country’s institutions, economy, and culture, while observing how their own professions are practiced abroad. More than 500 exchanges between paired Rotary districts occur every year, advancing the program’s ultimate goal of promoting international understanding and goodwill.

Rotary districts select teams comprising four non-Rotarians and one Rotarian leader, engaged in different businesses and professions. Each of two paired districts sends and receives a team for a four- to six-week study program. Pairings are usually determined by The Rotary Foundation’s trustees to ensure wide geographical distribution, but exchanges can also be arranged by the participating districts.

While visiting abroad, GSE team members follow a carefully planned itinerary, including visits to government and cultural institutions, schools, religious and historic sites and other points of interest. In addition, every member spends at least five days studying and observing the practice of his or her profession in the host district.

The Foundation grant funds round-trip air transportation for every team member. Rotarians provide lodging and boarding at their homes, in addition to arranging group travel, and providing the opportunity for participants to become acquainted with the customs and culture of the local people.

As at the end of last Rotary year, nearly 10,000 teams which included 50,000 participants participated in the exchange program at a cost of over US$ 80m.

Our District has been a frontrunner in participating in this program for many years. This year, it has paired with District 5710, Kansas, USA, and received the Kansas team on 7th January. The outgoing team will leave on 9th April.

The uniqueness of the program is that it involves a large number of Rotarians from the entire District. This year is no exception with a large contingent making a stupendous effort to ensure a great success. Our District’s six zonal co-ordinators (ZCs) Rtns Banibrata Poddar, Jhankar Gadkari, Kanti Solanki, Ramesh Sabnis, Shirish Rege and Vikash Agarwal along with our TRF programs Avenue Chair, Dr Balkrishna Inamdar, have made immense efforts to ensure a memorable program.

23 applications were received for the post of team leaders, of whom Rtns Sudeep Basu and J Ganesh were the two team leaders selected. Of the 120 applicants for team members, six were selected.

This year, the incoming and outgoing teams will have to address only six large zonal programs held in the district, which will enable it to simultaneously meet all the clubs in the zones. This will ensure that the incoming team does not tire itself out by making repeated presentations to individual clubs. It will also ensure great fellowship between the clubs.

Our District thanks all participating clubs and their presidents, and the host families which have taken it upon themselves to make this program a grand success.