Exchange Ambassador Grants Recipient: Paul Ioan Runcan
Authored By:
In honor of the CIEE Work & Travel USA 50th anniversary, we established the CIEE Exchange Ambassador Grants to support exchange alumni who are working to make change in their home countries. These grants are designed to give our exchange alumni an additional boost in their efforts to improve their communities through their careers or personal pursuits.
Paul Ioan Runcan
Country: Romania
Program Year: 2014, 2016, 2017
U.S. City/State and Host Employer: Mackinac Island, Michigan - Mission Point Resort and Mackinac Cycle
CIEE Exchange Program: CIEE Work & Travel USA
Project Theme: Social Justice
Grant: Professional Development
Following his Work & Travel USA experience on Mackinac Island, MI (2014-17) and his experience as a CIEE Civic Leadership Fellow in 2014, Paul switched from a career in law to politics in order to be the kind of leader that the future depends on. As a part of his work on transparency in the decision-making process in Romania, he collaboratively published a political map of the distribution power in the Romanian Parliament that has been an excellent resource to help journalists, interest groups, politicians, and the general public understand who holds power and influence in the country.
Paul collaboratively published a political map of the distribution power in the Romanian Parliament that has been an excellent resource to help journalists, interest groups, politicians, and the general public understand who holds power and influence in the country. Paul was selected to attend the 2019 Word Justice Forum hosted in The Hague, Netherlands. This Forum is the premier international event for the rule of law and this year’s theme was ‘Realizing Justice for All’. At the Forum, Paul was tasked with the role of rapporteur where he documented high-level legal discussions on behalf of WJP. Paul gained a great deal of personal and professional development as he experienced the power of networking among a very accomplished group of attendees. The sessions reinvigorated his passion for law and challenged him to think critically about the role it plays to advance justice, opportunity, and peace.
Please visit our website to learn more about CIEE Exchange Ambassador Grants and the Work & Travel USA program.