US and Romania Co-Fund Advanced Youth Exchange Programs for 2026-2027

The Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) program, a cornerstone of immersive international education, has formally announced its relaunch for the 2026-2027 academic year, underscoring a strengthened educational partnership between Romania and the United States. This merit-based opportunity provides secondary school participants with an approximately ten-month academic tenure in the U.S., reflecting a sustained interest in high-caliber international education and exposure to democratic principles.

The renewal follows a significant co-financing agreement formalized on January 13, 2026, between the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research and American Councils for International Education, with essential backing from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This commitment, first signaled in late 2025, marks a key development as the Romanian government now shares program costs for both Romanian and American participants, ensuring a more reciprocal exchange structure.

Twenty Romanian high school students, selected from a substantial applicant pool—over 18,000 Romanians have applied since 2015—will integrate into American communities by attending local high schools and residing with volunteer host families. The FLEX program, originally established in 1992 under the FREEDOM Support Act, aims to foster lasting international relationships through personal immersion, a model that has seen alumni advance into senior roles across public administration, business, and media in the 22 participating countries.

To advance this bilateral cooperation, the FLEX Abroad initiative, inaugurated in 2024, enables American high school students to study in Romania for a comparable duration under the same co-funding structure. This reciprocal element allows American youth to gain firsthand experience of Romanian culture, directly aligning with progressive educational goals of developing globally competent citizens through structured immersion facilitated by American Councils for International Education.

The success of this model is further supported by the robust FLEX Alumni program, which offers grants and professional development to former participants, ensuring their cross-cultural competencies translate into tangible community contributions upon their return. These structured international exchange platforms function as strategic frameworks designed to build enduring international partnerships through the development of the next generation of influential leaders.