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      • Press Releases
        • USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Änjali Kaur Visits BangladeshUSAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Änjali Kaur Visits Bangladesh to Highlight U.S. Support for Economic Development
        • Inauguration of New Location for Edward M. Kennedy (EMK) CenterInauguration of New Location for Edward M. Kennedy (EMK) Center
        • 2024-2025 Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program ​​​​Website Announcement:Call for Applications for the 2024-2025 Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program
        • DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY AFREEN AKHTER VISITS BANGLADESH FROM OCTOBER 16-17Deputy Assistant Secretary Afreen Akhter Visits Bangladesh from October 16-17
      • News
        • Global UGRADEmbassy Dhaka is Accepting Applications for 2024-2025 GLOBAL UGRAD Program
        • USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Änjali Kaur Visits BangladeshUSAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Änjali Kaur Visits Bangladesh to Highlight U.S. Support for Economic Development
        • CALL FOR APPLICATIONS! SUSI: Study of U.S. Institutes For Global Student Leaders on Climate Change and the Environment June 22-July 25, 2024Call for Applications for the 2024 Study of U.S. Institutes For Global Student Leaders on Climate Change and the Environment (SUSI)
        • Call for Applications for the 2024-25 Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program
      • Alert
        • Great Seal of the United StatesDemonstration Alert – U.S. Embassy Dhaka, Bangladesh (October 28, 2023) 
        • Great Seal of the United StatesSecurity Alert – Worldwide Caution, October 20, 2023
        • Great Seal of the United StatesSecurity Alert – U.S. Embassy Dhaka, Bangladesh (October 19, 2023)
        • Great Seal of the United StatesDemonstration Alert – U.S. Embassy Dhaka, Bangladesh (July 11, 2023)
      • U.S. & Bangladesh
        • USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Änjali Kaur Visits BangladeshUSAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Änjali Kaur Visits Bangladesh to Highlight U.S. Support for Economic Development
        • Inauguration of New Location for Edward M. Kennedy (EMK) CenterInauguration of New Location for Edward M. Kennedy (EMK) Center
        • DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY AFREEN AKHTER VISITS BANGLADESH FROM OCTOBER 16-17Deputy Assistant Secretary Afreen Akhter Visits Bangladesh from October 16-17
        • Taking Steps to Impose Visa Restrictions on Individuals Involved in Undermining the Democratic Election Process in Bangladesh
      • Messages for U.S. Citizens
        • Great Seal of the United StatesSecurity Alert – U.S. Embassy Dhaka, Bangladesh (October 19, 2023)
        • Great Seal of the United StatesDemonstration Alert – U.S. Embassy Dhaka, Bangladesh (July 11, 2023)
        • Great Seal of the United StatesMessage for U.S. Citizens – Launch of Pay.gov DS-82 Program: Two ways to pay and renew an adult U.S. passport (June 21, 2023)
        • Great Seal of the United StatesDemonstration Alert – U.S. Embassy Dhaka, Bangladesh (May 21, 2023)
      • Speeches
        • Ambassador Peter Haas’ Remarks for Bay of Bengal Conversation Panel “Defining Competition in the Indo-Pacific”Remarks by Ambassador Haas at Bay of Bengal Conversation Panel “Defining Competition in the Indo-Pacific”
        • Climate Action ChampionsRemarks by Ambassador Haas at The Climate Action Champions Network
        • Remarks by Ambassedor Haas at Ambassador Talk Series on International Day of PeaceRemarks by Ambassador Haas at Ambassador Talk Series on International Day of Peace
        • U.S. Ambassador Peter Haas Remarks at the Defense Service Command and Staff CollegeRemarks by Ambassador Peter Haas at Defense Service Command and Staff College
      • Latest from ShareAmerica
          • International exchanges shape leaders of communities and countries
            International exchanges shape leaders of communities and countries
            Young people posing in front of Emerging Young Leaders Award sign (State Dept./Kelsey Brannan)

            During International Education Week (November 13–17) and year-round, the United States celebrates its tradition of promoting understanding between Americans and citizens of other countries through people-to-people exchanges.

            In 1940, the U.S. Department of State launched its first international exchange by inviting 130 Latin American journalists to visit U.S. newsrooms.

            Bar graph showing increase in international exchange participants in U.S. from 1980 to 2019 (State Dept./M. Gregory)
            (State Dept./M. Gregory)

            That first exchange led to the establishment, in 1946, of the Fulbright Program, which awards 8,000 fellowships annually to qualified applicants from the U.S. and elsewhere.

            In 1961, the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs was launched to oversee all of the U.S. government’s academic, cultural, sports and professional exchange programs. Since then, exchanges have served 1.7 million students, researchers, educators and scholars who live all over the world. They include:

            • 88 alumni who have since won Nobel prizes.
            • 121 who won Pulitzer Prizes.
            • 661 current and former heads of state and government.
            • 2,079 current and former high-level ministers or Cabinet members.
            • 82 Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
            • Community leaders in a variety of occupations.
            Bar graph showing increase in U.S. citizen participation in international exchange programs from 1980 to 2019 (State Dept./M. Gregory)
            (State Dept./M. Gregory)

            Today, 30 ambassadors to the United States are alumni of U.S. exchange programs. And four heads of government are exchange alumni.

            World map with photos of 4 alumni of U.S. State Department exchange program (Photos: © Alberto Pezzali/AP; © Petr David Josek/AP; © Boris Grdanoski/AP; © Lewis Joly/AP)
            (State Dept./M. Gregory)

            Rishi Sunak, who became prime minister of the United Kingdom in October, received a Fulbright Foreign Student award to support his pursuit of an MBA degree at the Stanford School of Business in 2005. Studying business in California’s Silicon Valley broadened his mindset about what is possible, Sunak said.

            North Macedonia’s President Stevo Pendarovski took part in an International Visitor Leadership Program in 2003, while Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema and Slovakia’s President Zuzana Čaputová both are alumni of the 2010 International Visitor Leadership Program.

            Learn more about U.S. exchange programs and how to apply as a U.S. citizen or non–U.S. citizen.

            A version of this article was originally published November 10, 2022.

          • Bolstering Southeast Asia’s clean energy transition
            Bolstering Southeast Asia’s clean energy transition
            Man in hard hat and vest taking photo of similarly dressed colleague as they stand next to large wind turbines (© Zul Kifli//AFP/Getty Images)

            When Son Nguyen lived in the United States, he saw rapidly advancing electric vehicle technology and heard stories from back in Vietnam about air pollution.

            So after returning home he launched Dat Bike in 2019. The company sells electric motorbikes in Danang, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and is exploring reuse of electric batteries and how to power its factory with green energy.

            Electric vehicles are “the most direct and efficient solution to improving the air quality in Vietnam, and in other countries in Southeast Asia,” Nguyen told Vietnam Investment Review in 2022.

            Over the last two decades, energy demand in southeast Asia increased by an average of 3%​ annually, according to the International Energy Agency’s​​ Southeast Asia Energy Outlook 2022.

            Dat Bike is one of numerous partners the U.S. government works with to meet this rapidly growing demand for clean energy. The U.S. also works with electric vehicle manufacturers VinBus and VinFast, as well as Vietnam’s largest electric utility, to support the country’s goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

            Electric vehicles charging at charging station with people beside them (© NamLong Nguyen/Shutterstock.com)
            The U.S. Agency for International Development works with Vietnamese electric vehicle manufacturers, such as VinFast, to reduce emissions. Above, a VinFast vehicle charges in Quang Ninh, Vietnam, in 2021. (© NamLong Nguyen/Shutterstock.com)

            The U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Vietnam Urban Energy Security project, helping Vietnam deploy electric vehicles, is one of the numerous U.S. government partnerships that are mobilizing billions of dollars to meet growing demand for clean energy in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states.

            Launched in December 2021, the USAID Southeast Asia Smart Power Program (SPP) aims to mobilize $2 billion for clean energy projects across the region. In June, SPP issued a $3 million grant to the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) to increase renewable energy in the region’s power systems.

            “Together, we will strive to increase clean and reliable power, reduce inefficiencies, enhance air quality, and advance climate mitigation efforts,” ACE Executive Director Nuki Agya Utama said in June, calling the partnership “pivotal in achieving our regional targets by 2025.”

            Here are several of the many partnerships advancing clean energy in Southeast Asia:

            Mekong region

            Since 2016, the U.S. government has worked with Lower Mekong countries and other ASEAN member states to encourage renewable energy investments. The cooperation has resulted in the installation of 10,000 megawatts of new energy capacity, enough to power nearly 8 million homes.

            USAID’s Mekong Sustainable Manufacturing Alliance​ helped textile manufacturers in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam continue to meet production goals while using less energy. In Cambodia and Vietnam, the alliance supported installation of solar rooftop systems projected to avoid or reduce 68,000 tons of emissions from the apparel manufacturing sector over the next 15 years.

            Indonesia

            Man walking at dusk on pier with solar-powered lights (© Dita Alangkara/AP)
            This pier on Indonesia’s Karampuang Island, seen in December 2022, is lighted with electricity from solar power. (© Dita Alangkara/AP)

            A U.S. grant announced in May will support a PT Medco Power Indonesia study needed to develop a wind power plant on Indonesia’s island of Sumbawa. The project advances the Indonesian-led Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) with the U.S., Japan and other partners. JETP is mobilizing $20 billion to accelerate Indonesia’s sustainable economic development.

            Since 2015, USAID support for new renewable energy generation capacity in Indonesia has brought clean energy to more than 3.3 million people. USAID also mobilized $1.62 billion in private and public sector clean energy investments expected to improve energy access for over 5.3 million Indonesians.

            The United States also supports completion of the Rantau Dedap geothermal power project and the Bayang Nyalo hydropower project, both on Indonesia’s island of Sumatra. At Rantau Dedap alone, the renewable energy plant improves electricity access for more than 1.2 million people.

            The Philippines

            In June, USAID announced over $1.16 million to support installation of solar roofing, nanogenerators and other renewable energy technologies in the Philippines. Improved energy access will help remote communities in Cagayan and Isabela prepare for and recover from natural disasters, USAID says.

            The grants are part of USAID’s Energy Secure Philippines project, launched in 2021.​ In 2022, the program supported the Philippines’ first renewable energy auctions to secure projects to meet growing clean energy demand. The Philippine Department of Energy awarded 18 contracts for solar, wind, biomass and hydropower energy, equal to nearly 7% of the country’s energy capacity.

            “Energy is the foundation for systems such as banking, telecommunications, digital platforms, health, education, and transport, among other services,” USAID Assistant Administrator Michael Schiffer said June 20. “We look forward to partnering with the Philippines to provide greater access to sustainable energy in remote communities, increasing prosperity for families across the country.”

            Men clearing road of debris and toppled electric posts (© Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images)
            USAID is supporting clean energy development that will help the Philippines’ Cagayan province respond to disasters. Above, workers clear debris in the province, north of Manila, after Typhoon Mangkhut on September 15, 2018. (© Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images)
            This story was previously published September 13.
          • November 9 marks a triumph for democracy
            November 9 marks a triumph for democracy
            People sticking flowers into remnant of Berlin Wall (© Markus Schreiber/AP)

            When the Berlin Wall — dividing a city, a nation and Europe — was taken down on November 9, 1989, celebrations erupted around the world.

            The concrete barrier, topped with barbed wire, had stood for nearly three decades, and its fall was embraced as a triumph of democracy and freedom.

            The Berlin Wall had its roots in the aftermath of World War II, following the Allied victory over Adolf Hitler’s Nazi forces. Because three Western powers (the U.S., the United Kingdom and France) and the Soviet Union were temporarily occupying Germany, the country was divided into a western zone — administered by the Western allies — and an eastern zone, administered by the Soviet Union.

            Although Berlin was in the eastern zone, it was similarly divided between Western and Eastern (Soviet) administrators. From 1949 onward, vast numbers of East Germans fled to West Germany, weakening East Germany’s economy and its political stability. The Soviet-supported East German government erected the Berlin Wall in 1961, with watchtowers manned by soldiers trained to shoot border-crossers.

            Man on watchtower looking over Berlin Wall toward Brandenburg Gate (© Heinrich Sanden Sr./AP)
            On November 25, 1961, the Brandenburg Gate is shrouded in fog as a man looks from a watchtower over the wall dividing Berlin. (© Heinrich Sanden Sr./AP)

            The Berlin Wall came to symbolize totalitarian tyranny and the Soviet Union’s division of Europe by force. On June 12, 1987, U.S. President Ronald Reagan stood 91 meters from the Berlin Wall and urged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall!” On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall came down. A reunified Germany was realized in October 1990. And in 1991, the Soviet Union itself collapsed.

            Today, fragments of the wall are preserved in Germany and in many other countries. One is housed at the National Museum of American Diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State. The museum features a fragment signed by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who herself grew up in East Germany. The fragments are reminders of the need to cherish and champion democracy everywhere.

          • Securing technology for a prosperous, safe future
            Securing technology for a prosperous, safe future
            Illustration of shining light bulb and circuits above man with binoculars and other people (State Dept./D. Thompson)

            Technological innovations can cure diseases, make food safer and address the climate crisis.

            Yet in the wrong hands, certain technologies also can disrupt economies, spread disinformation and threaten human rights.

            The potential benefits of technology are why the Biden-Harris administration puts technology “front and center” in its foreign policy and in its positive vision for the future, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in 2022.

            Here are a few ways the United States works with private and public sector groups from around the world to ensure technology helps — not harms — people, nations’ economies and the planet.

            Fostering innovation in health care, climate

            Cancer prevention: The United States announced new partnerships with African nations to prevent cancer, including funding for research teams in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa to adapt, engineer and apply new technologies.

            COVID-19 prevention and treatment: The U.S. has worked with France, Senegal, South Africa, South Korea and India among others developing and producing vaccines and treatments against COVID-19.

            Environmental protection: The U.S. is working with Brazil, Pacific island nations and other countries to combat climate change and develop clean energy and with Japan to develop small modular nuclear reactors to help bring safe and sustainable power to market.

            The U.S.-Japan alliance is the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region — and our relationship is stronger than ever before. I met with Prime Minister Kishida to deepen our cooperation on security, emerging technologies, clean energy, and more. pic.twitter.com/obC08hiCnO

            — President Biden (@POTUS) May 23, 2022

            Strengthening supply chains

            The United States works with the private sector, foreign governments, nonprofits and other partners to develop and use the latest technologies that enable global supply chains to deliver food, medicine and other consumer goods to people.

            U.S. and European researchers also are working to design early warning systems to signal potential disruptions in critical supply chains, such as for semiconductors.

            Delighted to host the third TTC ministerial at @UofMaryland College Park. Today’s discussion demonstrated that democratic and market-oriented approaches to trade, technology, and innovation can expand not just Transatlantic prosperity but global prosperity as well. pic.twitter.com/aJ7Zn6H0MC

            — Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) December 5, 2022

            Securing connectivity for all

            To keep cyberspace secure and safe, the U.S. government:

            • Convened 36 countries and the EU in October 2022 to develop concrete actions to stop the global spread of ransomware.
            • Launched an initiative with 60 countries committed to a single global internet that is open, fosters competition and respects privacy and human rights.
            • Affirmed commitments with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to uphold responsible state behavior in cyberspace and promote an open, reliable and secure internet.
            • Imposed sanctions, together with the United Kingdom, on members of a Russia-based cybercrime gang that targeted critical infrastructure in the U.S. and U.K.
            • Will help improve broadband access in Pacific Islands countries and develop open, reliable and secure digital connectivity.
            • Established the Department of State’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy and the Office of the Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technology.

            We’re proud to co-lead the Technology for Democracy Cohort of the U.S. Summit for Democracy, launched at the @TallinnSummit.

            Learn more about our objectives, from combating #InternetShutdowns to advancing algorithmic transparency ⬇ #TDS2022https://t.co/iFqbmTE8zm

            — Access Now (@accessnow) October 10, 2022

            As a result of President Biden’s 2021 Summit for Democracy, the U.S., U.K. and Estonia brought together 150 partners across 40 countries to develop “Technology for Democracy” initiatives that enhance connectivity and promote online inclusivity and transparency.

            Technology should be advanced “to lift people up, not to hold them down,” Biden said at the first Summit for Democracy in 2021.

            This story was previously published March 21.

          • Supporting Kenya’s changing agricultural landscape
            Supporting Kenya’s changing agricultural landscape
            Сушка цветков пиретрума в солнечной сушилке. (© Kentegra Biotechnology)
            Man and boy planting seedlings in field (© Kentegra Biotechnology)
            The U.S. government is honoring U.S.-Kenyan biotech firm Kentegra for its partnership with Kenyan farmers. Above, a farmer shows his grandchild pyrethrum seedlings. (© Kentegra Biotechnology)

            Kentegra Biotechnology works to meet growing demand for organic pesticides while boosting the livelihoods of farmers in Kenya.

            The U.S.-Kenyan company contracts with over 10,000 farmers in more than a half-dozen Kenyan counties to produce pyrethrum, a flower used to produce a natural insecticide.

            Grown year-round, pyrethrum provides farmers with a steadier income than other crops, says Kentegra Chief Revenue Officer and Co-Founder David Payne. In addition to buying farmers’ crops, the company, which operates out of Nairobi, provides training and equipment to maximize yields.

            Gladys Mbithi says farming with Kentegra increased her income eightfold. The extra money helped her buy a home, pay for her children’s schooling and launch a new business to further expand her income.

            Flowers drying inside wood-framed structure (© Kentegra Biotechnology)
            Pyrethrum flowers, seen above in a solar dryer, are used to make a natural insecticide. (© Kentegra Biotechnology)

            John Ngugi Ng’ang’a, a farmer in Kenya’s Nakuru County, has upgraded his home, including adding access to reliable electricity, which more than 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa still live without, according to the World Resources Institute.

            Kentegra’s support for sustainable pyrethrum production in Kenya earned the company the U.S. State Department’s 2023 Award for Corporate Excellence for innovation October 30. The award recognizes U.S. companies that uphold high standards in the communities where they operate and demonstrate that sustainability can support the economy.

            Linda Capwell, Kentegra’s head of marketing, says the award “gives us a thumbs up, adding fuel to the engine to innovate further.”

            The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation has provided Kentegra a loan to build a new pyrethrum processing facility in Kenya.

            This story was written by freelance writer Grace Hayward.

          • Ukrainian refugees forge new lives abroad
            Ukrainian refugees forge new lives abroad
            Woman wearing blue jacket reading 'Ukraine' opening curtains (© Giovanni Mereghetti/UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images)

            After arriving in Italy from Ukraine, Liubov Bastriukova felt like she might have found a second home. A family let her stay with them, and she found work at a clothing store in Milan.

            “Thanks to this job I have the prospect of becoming independent and one day being able to live with my two families, the Italian one and the Ukrainian one,” Bastriukova, of Kharkiv, told La Difesa del Populo, an Italian newspaper.

            She is one of the more than 6.2 million people (as estimated by the U.N. Refugee Agency, or UNHCR) who have fled Ukraine since Russia began its war in February 2022.

            Helping children learn

            Groups such as Milan-based AVSI Foundation, which helped Bastriukova find a job, are helping others like her adjust to life abroad. In August, AVSI completed its second summer camp for youth, helping children and adolescents among the more than 160,000 Ukrainian refugees estimated to have arrived in Italy.

            È l’international #YouthDay!

            AVSI and @UNICEF insieme nel programma “Empower the Next Generation” per sostenere l’#integrazione e l’#istruzione dei giovani ucraini e dei bambini e adolescenti vulnerabili attraverso attività scolastiche e campi estivi.https://t.co/mVYlSWslx1

            — Fondazione AVSI (@FondazioneAVSI) August 12, 2023

            [Editor’s note: The post above reads, “AVSI and @UNICEF together in the ‘Empower the Next Generation’ program to support the #integrazione and #istruzione of young Ukrainians and vulnerable children and adolescents through school activities and summer camps,” according to an X translation.]

            Camp activities, such as trips to the seaside and Milan’s historic center, show Ukrainian children the history and culture of their new home. AVSI, which supports humanitarian and development projects in 40 countries, will continue to support Ukrainian youth in Italy with after-school activities.

            In Rome, host to more than 13,000 Ukrainian refugees, the Intersos 24 Center offers Ukrainian women Italian language classes and guidance on how to access health care and enroll their children in school.

            ‘You can find work’

            Like Bastriukova, many others have found themselves in unfamiliar countries and unexpected new homes … and succeeding.

            Woman working a jigsaw puzzle with her small children (© UNHCR/Rafal Kostrzynski)
            Darya left Zaporizhzhia in March 2022. She has found a job, an apartment and a school for her children in Krakow, Poland. (© UNHCR/Rafal Kostrzynski)

            Darya felt welcomed in Poland after she arrived from Zaporizhzhia in March 2022. UNHCR provided money for food and clothes. She later found a job and an apartment in Krakow and a school for her two young children. “You can find work, make friends and acquaintances that will help you in all they can,” Darya told UNHCR in March 2023. “And there are volunteers who will help you too.”

            Maksym Bunchukov is one of 160 Ukrainian refugees to arrive in North Dakota, a U.S. state that has long been home to people of Ukrainian descent, according to Voice of America. Bunchukov is from Zaporizhzhia and arrived as part of a program that finds refugees jobs in or around oil fields in the state.

            Two men talking over a meal (© Jack Dura/AP)
            The Ukrainian Cultural Institute in Dickinson, North Dakota, hosted a lunch in July 2023 to welcome several Ukrainians who will work in the oil industry. (© Jack Dura/AP)

            Finding community

            By the time Olha Zharko arrived in Canada in March 2023, she, her mother and young son had spent more than a year being uncertain of where they would end up. Once in Canada, she was able to find a job with her former employer in Ukraine, which also had offices in Calgary. The city is host to 20,000 of Canada’s 200,000 Ukrainian refugees, according to the Centre for Newcomers, an organization that supports refugees.

            Zharko remains separated from her husband by war and unsure of what the future holds. “I don’t know now when my husband could come here or [if] we can come to Ukraine,” she told CBC News. “But of course, we want to be together.”

            Like Zharko, Bastriukova longs for an end to the war. Until its end, “I would like to continue living in Italy, a country that is now my second home,” she says.

          • Uptick in U.S. Hispanics turning to political life
            Uptick in U.S. Hispanics turning to political life
            Young woman filling out form on clipboard another young woman is holding (© John Locher/AP)

            From local school boards to the halls of Congress, the ranks of elected officials of Hispanic heritage has surged throughout the United States.

            In two decades (between 2001 and 2021), the number of elected Hispanics — who serve on local school boards or as town officials, as state legislators or as governors, or as members of the U.S. Congress — nearly doubled, from 4,060 to 7,087, according to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, a nonpartisan group that encourages Hispanics to take part in the U.S. political process.

            Bar graph showing number of U.S. Hispanics/Latinos elected to office in 2001 and 2021 (State Dept./S. Wilkinson)
            (State Dept./S. Wilkinson)

            “There’s a lot of room for growth,” says Dorian Caal, a director at the fund, because this group is becoming a larger share of the U.S. population and the voting-age population.

            Nationally, the percentage of Hispanics among all eligible voters in the U.S. has been growing, according to the Pew Research Center, and is up from 7.4% of eligible voters in 2000 to 14.3% in 2022. And so is the share of Hispanics as a percentage of the U.S. population, which has grown to 19% today, according to the polling firm Ipsos.

            The trend is happening in states like Florida and California, which have large Spanish-speaking populations, but also across the country, Caal says. He notes that Hispanics are also being appointed to prominent government or court positions too. He points to the 2009 appointment of Sonia Sotomayor as a U.S. Supreme Court justice.

            Recently, both the U.S. House and Senate set records for Hispanic/Latino representation. The House set a new record after the 2022 midterm elections, with 52 Hispanic members, Caal says. The Senate has a record six Hispanic members. (The Congressional Research Service lists 54 House members with Hispanic/Latino heritage.)

            State legislative seats across the country also saw a jump after the 2022 elections — from 344 to 376.

            Michelle Lujan Grisham with the blue field and stars of the U.S. flag in the background (© Alex Brandon/AP)
            Michelle Lujan Grisham was the first Democratic Hispanic woman to be elected governor of a U.S. state. She leads New Mexico, whose voters have elected a number of Hispanic governors. (© Alex Brandon/AP)

            The number of Hispanic governors, while slowly growing, has been most remarkable in the state of New Mexico, whose voters elected current Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, the first Democratic Hispanic woman to be elected governor in the history of the U.S. Lujan Grisham followed the first female Hispanic governor, Republican Susana Martinez. Before Martinez, New Mexico voters elected several male Hispanic governors, including Toney Anaya, the late Jerry Apodaca and the late Bill Richardson, who also served in Congress and in the Cabinet as energy secretary and as U.S. representative to the United Nations.

            Kristoffer Shields, director of Rutgers University’s Eagleton Center on the American Governor, says the dominance of Hispanic candidates in New Mexico is partly because the success of Hispanic candidates breeds more success and partly because of a strong voting bloc of Hispanics in the state.

            According to the Pew Research Center, New Mexico is the only state where Hispanics are the largest ethnic/racial group, at 42% of eligible voters.

            “Representation always matters. You have to see it to believe,” Shields says. “We are a diverse nation. It’s important, especially at higher levels of government, to get people with diverse backgrounds who understand their communities so those communities have a say.”

          • Refugees living abroad cling to their ‘Ukrainian soul’
            Refugees living abroad cling to their ‘Ukrainian soul’
            Woman leaning over table talking to another woman (© Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images)

            When Nika arrived in Rome in 2022, Italy offered her a chance to get back to daily life and feel happy. But months after fleeing her hometown of Kharkiv, the Ukrainian teenager began to see some unsettling scenes of big city life as a reflection of her own uprooted existence.

            She noticed people without homes on the streets, for instance. “Who knows, maybe they too had a good life and, because of the war or other reasons, they had to start from scratch,” she told UNICEF. “My biggest wish is to go back to my old life, maybe that’s why I feel close to those people who have gone through a similar change and are hoping to get back to some kind of normalcy … to be well again.”

            Nika is one of the more than 6.2 million people who have fled Ukraine since Russia’s brutal war began in February 2022. An estimated 167,500 Ukrainian refugees arrived in Italy as of mid-August 2023, according to Statista, a German data-gathering firm. Many of the arrivals are women and children. UNICEF puts the number of children who have crossed Italy’s northern border since the war began at 50,000.

            Love for Ukraine

            Refugees in Italy, across Europe and beyond are looking for jobs, learning new languages and finding schools for their children. But even those like Nika, who have found moments of respite or opportunity abroad, say they miss their family, friends and homeland.

            Three men, one wearing T-shirt with U.S. flag on it, getting food from buffet line (© Jack Dura/AP)
            Ivan Sakivskyi (right) is among the Ukrainian refugees who found work in North Dakota, but longs to return home someday. (© Jack Dura/AP)

            “My heart and my soul” are in Ukraine, Ivan Sakivskyi, a refugee from Odesa told Voice of America. Sakivskyi found work in the oil industry of North Dakota, a U.S. state that has long been home to many Ukrainians. Yet Sakivskyi doesn’t plan to stay long-term. “It’s my friends,” he said of why he hopes to return. “It’s my family.”

            Refugees look for work

            After arriving in New York, Krystyna Matafolova went looking for a job. Even this effort did not take her mind off of her mother’s safety. Matafolova left Ukraine after bombs fell on Mariupol. “It was very hard to leave because my mom is still there,” she told CBS News at a job fair in New York.

            Woman handing a box of diapers to another woman (© Giordanno Brumas/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images)
            Anya, a Ukrainian refugee from Kyiv, receives diapers at a Montreal hotel serving as a refugee reception center. (© Giordanno Brumas/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images)

            Marina Yankula’s search for work in Canada reminds her of the work she misses back home. She arrived in Calgary in April and by mid-July still had not found a job. Yet Yankula has seen other Ukrainians in Calgary succeed and is determined to make her way.

            “I had a very good life in Ukraine, to be honest, and I have never thought about coming to another country,” Yankula told CBC News. “I will make here our wonderful life, and I will be [a] real Canadian and with Ukrainian soul.”

            Nika, in Rome, dreams of returning to the country she fled when she was awakened by the sound of bombs falling on Kharkiv. What keeps her going, she told UNICEF, “is the hope of finding that same clear sky again when I am able to return home.”

          • Check out 5 patents developed at U.S. universities
            Check out 5 patents developed at U.S. universities
            Woman standing in laboratory next to small slab of concrete (© Rebecca McElhoe/Purdue University)

            U.S. universities are innovation powerhouses, and one measure of their research prowess is the number of patents granted to them as recorded in the National Academy of Inventors’ list of Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents in 2022 (PDF 1.7MB). (A utility patent covers the creation of new or improved — and useful — products, processes or machines.)

            The list, based on data from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, shows that U.S. universities scored a collective 5,772 utility patents last year and occupied 14 of the top 20 spots.

            Representatives from five top U.S. universities talked to ShareAmerica to describe some of their recent discoveries:

            At Purdue University in Indiana, civil engineers led by professor Luna Lu invented “talking concrete” to help traffic flow and cut carbon emissions. An embedded sensor allows concrete to “communicate” with engineers about its strength. The “smart” concrete gives engineers real-time data to help them gauge when it needs to be repaired, thereby preventing potholes and reducing traffic congestion caused by construction work, while also saving money on road repairs. These sensors have already been embedded in highways in eight U.S. states, and this technology could replace methods the construction industry has been using for more than 100 years to test when concrete structures are ready to accommodate traffic loads.

            Foldable drone with four rotors (Courtesy of School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks/ASU)
            Arizona State University-based technologies that received patents in 2022 include foldable quadrotors (prototype shown). (Courtesy of School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks/ASU)

            At Arizona State University (ASU), researchers have developed a foldable quadrotor, “a type of drone that features four rotors akin to those found on a helicopter,” says Kyle Siegel of Skysong Innovations, ASU’s technology transfer and intellectual property management organization. “Unlike a fixed-wing drone, quadrotors have the ability to hover in place,” which is helpful for performing aerial photography or surveillance. Quadrotors can also typically execute more precise aerial maneuvers than fixed-wing drones. And when necessary, they can reduce their own size to reach tight spaces.

            In an important step toward greater integrity in sports, researchers at Duke University in North Carolina devised a method to detect autologous blood transfusion, or blood doping. Despite being prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency, blood doping — the transfusion of one’s own red blood cells after storing them — has been used by some athletes to improve performance. Until Duke’s solution, it was not possible to detect such cheating. Now, by extracting RNA samples from volunteers’ blood cells at eight different time intervals, researchers can detect changes in the RNA associated with blood storage.

            Droplets of water on leaf (Courtesy of MIT News)
            A green cabbage leaf is treated with pesticide-laden water using AgZen’s technology. By cloaking droplets in a tiny amount of plant-derived oil, the droplets stick to the leaf, minimizing over-spraying, waste and pollution. (Courtesy of MIT News)

            Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed systems to enhance the surface retention of fluids on plants. The systems are a response to a global problem: While pesticides increase crop productivity by eliminating insects, microbes and other elements, most pesticides end up polluting soil, air and water. Because MIT’s approach allows retention of fluids on hydrophobic (water-repellent) plant surfaces, it can help increase the amount of pesticides and water absorbed by a plant and decrease pesticide contamination elsewhere.

            The University of Texas system has supported development of the ClearCam company’s ClearScope device, a disposable windshield wiper for laparoscopic surgery. ClearScope eliminates the need for surgeons to continually remove and clean a scope during surgery. The doctor can maintain a clear visual field and operate on a patient without interruption. For the patient, it means less time in the operating room and greater safety. It has already been used in nearly 2,000 procedures across the U.S., gaining traction in thoracic, general and gynecological surgeries.

            “The mission of a university is research, teaching and service,” says Julie Goonewardene, the University of Texas System’s chief talent and innovation officer. “We’re an enormous source of ideas for new companies. … These innovations save people’s lives, and we’re passionate about doing this work.”

            Learn about how to study in the U.S. 

Embassy Dhaka is Accepting Applications for 2024-2025 GLOBAL UGRAD Program

Embassy Dhaka is Accepting Applications for 2024-2025 GLOBAL UGRAD Program

Apply now for the 2024 Study of U.S. Institutes (SUSI)

Apply now for the 2024 Study of U.S. Institutes (SUSI)

Call for Applications for the 2024-25 Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program

Call for Applications for the 2024-25 Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program

Deputy Assistant Secretary Afreen Akhter Visits Bangladesh from October 16-17

Deputy Assistant Secretary Afreen Akhter Visits Bangladesh from October 16-17

Remarks by Ambassador Haas at Bay of Bengal Conversation Panel

Remarks by Ambassador Haas at Bay of Bengal Conversation Panel

  
  • Embassy Dhaka is Accepting Applications for 2024-2025 GLOBAL UGRAD ...
  • Apply now for the 2024 Study of U.S. Institutes (SUSI)
  • Call for Applications for the 2024-25 Fulbright Visiting Scholar Pr...
  • Deputy Assistant Secretary Afreen Akhter Visits Bangladesh from Oct...
  • Remarks by Ambassador Haas at Bay of Bengal Conversation Panel

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Global UGRAD

Embassy Dhaka is Accepting Applications for 2024-2025 GLOBAL UGRAD Program

6 November, 2023 | Education, News, Scholarships and Exchanges

Are you a Bangladeshi undergraduate student interested in studying at a U.S. college or university as an exchange student? The Global UGRAD Program may be…

USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Änjali Kaur Visits Bangladesh

USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Änjali Kaur Visits Bangladesh to Highlight U.S. Support for Economic...

26 October, 2023 | Agriculture, News, Press Releases, U.S. & Bangladesh

Änjali Kaur, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia, visited Bangladesh from October 22-26 to highlight USAID investments in…

Great Seal of the United States

Demonstration Alert – U.S. Embassy Dhaka, Bangladesh (October 28, 2023) 

26 October, 2023 | Alert

Subject:  Demonstration Alert – U.S. Embassy Dhaka, Bangladesh (October 28,2023) Location:  Dhaka, other cities across Bangladesh. Event:  On October 28, political rallies and sit-ins are…

Inauguration of New Location for Edward M. Kennedy (EMK) Center

Inauguration of New Location for Edward M. Kennedy (EMK) Center

22 October, 2023 | Alumni, Ambassador, American Spaces, Art & Culture, Culture, Education, Press Releases, U.S. & Bangladesh

Today, the U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas inaugurated the new location of the Edward M. Kennedy (EMK) Center in Gulshan.  The EMK Center aims…

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Security Alert – Worldwide Caution, October 20, 2023

20 October, 2023 | Alert

Subject: Security Alert – Worldwide Caution, October 20, 2023 Location: Worldwide Caution Event:  Due to increased tensions in various locations around the world, the potential…

Great Seal of the United States

Security Alert – U.S. Embassy Dhaka, Bangladesh (October 19, 2023)

19 October, 2023 | Alert, Messages for U.S. Citizens, Security & Emergency Messages

Security Alert – U.S. Embassy Dhaka, Bangladesh (October 19, 2023) Location: Dhaka, other cities across Bangladesh. Event: The U.S. Embassy in Dhaka is closely monitoring the…

2024-2025 Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program ​​​​Website Announcement:

Call for Applications for the 2024-2025 Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program

19 October, 2023 | Education, Press Releases, Scholarships and Exchanges

Are you a Bangladeshi secondary student interested in studying for one year in the United States?

DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY AFREEN AKHTER VISITS BANGLADESH FROM OCTOBER 16-17

Deputy Assistant Secretary Afreen Akhter Visits Bangladesh from October 16-17

18 October, 2023 | Human Rights, Press Releases, U.S. & Bangladesh

Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for South Central Asia Afreen Akhter traveled to Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar from October 16-17 to meet with senior government officials,…

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS! SUSI: Study of U.S. Institutes For Global Student Leaders on Climate Change and the Environment June 22-July 25, 2024

Call for Applications for the 2024 Study of U.S. Institutes For Global Student Leaders on Climate Change...

18 October, 2023 | Education, News, Press Releases, Scholarships and Exchanges

Calling all applicants for SUSI! What is SUSI you may ask?  It is the Study of U.S. Institutes (SUSI) -- a four-week undergraduate academic residency…

Call for Applications for the 2024-25 Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program

17 October, 2023 | Education, News, Press Releases, Scholarships and Exchanges

U.S. Embassy Dhaka is pleased to announce a call for applications for the 2024-25 Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program. 

Community Solutions Program (CSP)

Call for Applications for 2024-2025 Community Solutions Program (CSP)

11 October, 2023 | Education, Press Releases, Scholarships and Exchanges

U.S. Embassy Dhaka is pleased to announce a call for applications for the 2024-2025 Community Solutions Program (CSP). 

Ambassador Peter Haas’ Remarks for Bay of Bengal Conversation Panel “Defining Competition in the Indo-Pacific”

Remarks by Ambassador Haas at Bay of Bengal Conversation Panel “Defining Competition in the...

9 October, 2023 | Ambassador, Events, Speeches

Ladies and Gentlemen,  Distinguished High Commissioners and Ambassadors, esteemed guests, researchers, and analysts from the Centre for Governance Studies, I am honored and excited to stand…

Climate Action Champions

Remarks by Ambassador Haas at The Climate Action Champions Network

1 October, 2023 | Ambassador, Environment, Speeches

Good afternoon. For many of you hailing from India, Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka – welcome to Bangladesh! It’s inspiring to see champions from throughout…

U.S. Embassy Hosts Climate Action Champions in Dhaka

28 September, 2023 | Ambassador, Environment, Press Releases

On September 26-28, the U.S. Embassy Dhaka, in collaboration with GenLab, a youth-led social enterprise, successfully hosted youth climate activists to discuss collaboration opportunities to tackle…

Taking Steps to Impose Visa Restrictions on Individuals Involved in Undermining the Democratic Election...

22 September, 2023 | Human Rights, Non Immigrant Visas, Press Releases, South & Central Asia, U.S. & Bangladesh, Visas

The Department of State is taking steps to impose visa restrictions on Bangladeshi individuals responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the democratic election process in…

United States Announces $116 Million in Humanitarian Assistance to People in Burma, Bangladesh, and the...

21 September, 2023 | Press Releases, U.S. & Bangladesh, U.S. Secretary of State

The United States will provide more than $116 million in additional humanitarian assistance to support vulnerable populations in Burma, Bangladesh, and the region, including more…

Remarks by Ambassedor Haas at Ambassador Talk Series on International Day of Peace

Remarks by Ambassador Haas at Ambassador Talk Series on International Day of Peace

21 September, 2023 | Ambassador, Events, Speeches

Vice Chancellor Islam, Board of Trustee Chair Mr. Ahmad, distinguished faculty, and dear students, the future leaders of Bangladesh, Happy International Day of Peace! 

United States and Bangladesh Hold 7th Bilateral Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement Council...

20 September, 2023 | Press Releases, U.S. & Bangladesh

The United States and Bangladesh today convened the seventh meeting of the United States-Bangladesh Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement (TICFA) Council.

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