On May 4, the Rotary Club of Edina will team up with Rotarians from Maple Grove, Plymouth, Eden Prairie, Rogers, City of Lakes, Richfield and Chaska to host a Group Study Exchange (GSE) team from India. The five Indian businessmen and women–one of whom is a Rotary member–will spend a month here learning about their professions in the United States, and getting on-the-ground experience at American companies.
Edina Rotary has previously hosted GSE teams from Thailand, Korea, Finland and Brazil, and sent teams of Rotarians to India, Lebanon and Korea. In fact, the Edina Morningside club sent a GSE team to Rotary District 3040 in central India early this year. In exchange, that Indian Rotary club will send a delegation to the Twin Cities this summer.
The Rotary Foundation’s Group Study Exchange program is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for businesspeople between the ages of 25 and 40 who are in the early stages of their careers, according to Rotary’s website. Since it was founded in 1965, GSE has provided inspiring vocational, educational, and cultural experiences for more than 70,000 men and women. The program provides travel grants for teams to exchange visits in paired areas of different countries. For four to six weeks, team members experience the host country's culture and institutions, observe how their vocations are practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas.
