Ambassador Urbancic welcomed the guests and explained how the U.S. Embassy is spearheading a new initiative to support local alumni chapters, with the goal of increasing outreach to local schools and starting a network of local businesses that could offer internship opportunities to recent graduates

Local alumni of U.S. universities and U.S. government-sponsored programs gathered together and shared fond memories of studying in the States during a summer reception that U.S. Ambassador Frank C. Urbancic hosted at his residence on July 8, 2009. Cypriot alumni of colleges and universities across America joined past recipients of Fulbright scholarships and training grants, including the Cyprus-American Scholarship Program, as well as alumni of the prestigious International Visitors Leadership Program. Over 150 alumni from both the Turkish-Cypriot and Greek-Cypriot communities, representing fields as diverse as business management, interior design, and chemistry, attended the event.

Ambassador Urbancic welcomed the guests and explained how the U.S. Embassy is spearheading a new initiative to support local alumni chapters, with the goal of increasing outreach to local schools and starting a network of local businesses that could offer internship opportunities to recent graduates. In addition, education counselors Anna Argyrou and Gulsen Oztoprak from the Cyprus Fulbright Commission explained how local alumni are best suited to explain to local students the value of a U.S. education.

The occasion was also an opportunity to help alumni of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs sign up for the STATE Alumni global networking community at alumni.state.gov at one of three live computer terminals set up at the event.