Romania-US student and diplomatic exchange expansion

The Romanian Ministry of Education and Research and American Councils for International Education have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to extend the FLEX Global and FLEX Abroad Global exchange programs for the 2027-2028 academic year.

The agreement expands opportunities for student exchange, providing up to 70 Romanian high school students with scholarships to study in the United States for one school year. Conversely, up to 20 American students will be able to study in Romania. These programs are funded equally by the Romanian Government and the U.S. Government through the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The selection process for the upcoming cycle is anticipated to commence in November 2026.

In addition to these educational expansions, the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched the inaugural Romania-United States Exchange Program. This diplomatic initiative involves a delegation of U.S. Congressional advisors from committees focused on defense, foreign policy, and intelligence, alongside representatives from think tanks such as RAND and the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA). The program is intended to strengthen the transatlantic relationship by fostering inter-human contacts and discussing security and economic cooperation, including defense industry partnerships.