US State Department, National Committee on United States-China Relations Professional Fellows Program (MA UCEDD/LEND)

October 15, 2018

The Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) participated in the Professional Fellows Program (PFP) sponsored by the US State Department through the National Committee on United States-China Relations this spring. The PFP is a two-way exchange for emerging leaders in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the U.S. in the fields of environment, philanthropy, legal aid, and community building among marginalized populations. In April, the ICI hosted Di Wu in a 4-week fellowship. Wu runs a social enterprise in China called Easy Inclusion, which promotes disability inclusion and diversity in businesses through training and consultancy. This August, Dr. Sheila Fesko, the assistant dean for the School for Global Inclusion and Social Development (SGISD) and a program manager at the ICI, participated in the reciprocal part of the program, traveling to China to work with Wu on her project and with representatives from other disability organizations in Beijing"The trip was an incredible opportunity to learn more about changes in China as they work to increase the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in employment," said Dr. Fesko. "Working with Easy Inclusion and other disability rights organizations throughout Beijing has provided me with a unique opportunity to explore future potential partnerships and to think about how to integrate strategies they are using in our work in the U.S."

Learn more about the National Committee on United States-China Relations's Professional Fellows Program: https://www.ncuscr.org/pfp

Learn more about AUCD's Professional Fellows Program on Inclusive Disability Employment:
http://pfp-idefellowship.org