August 31, 2007
For Immediate Release
For an interview:
Rusty Butler
(801) 863-8994
Utah Valley State College will host 15 prosecutors, court personnel and judges from Kyrgyzstan Sept. 7-15.
“Delegates will receive training on the American judicial system and share experiences from their native country with us,” said Maryna Storrs, coordinator of international affairs at UVSC. “They will also stay with host families and experience American lifestyle.”
The Open World Leadership Center is an independent legislative branch
entity headquartered at the Library of Congress. This training
initiative is part of its Open World Program which brings political
and civic leaders from former Soviet republics to experience American
democracy and civil society in action. The program recently expanded
to include the countries of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Tajikistan
and Kyrgyzstan. Each U.S. visit concentrates on a set theme – Kyrgyz
delegation’s is The Rule of Law – in line with the delegates’
occupation, exposing them to ideas and practices they can learn and
implement in their home country.
The Kyrgyz delegation’s visit will include training sessions by UVSC faculty, meetings with Utah judges, legislators and educators, tours of courthouses, museums and law libraries, participation in a mock trial, as well as visits to sites in Salt Lake City. UVSC’s co-host for the Open World delegation, Senator John Valentine, has also arranged for a mock session of the State Senate at Utah’s Capitol.
“The Open World Program is a great opportunity to showcase American society, economy and culture to foreign guests as well as to get to know theirs,” Storrs said. “It’s also a great opportunity for UVSC to build community relations because people will see the good the college is doing, not only locally, but internationally.”
Funding for the program comes entirely from a government grant given by the Library of Congress.
# # #
College Marketing Contact:
Megan Laurie
(801) 863-7149
Written by:
Scotty Spjut
(801) 863-7205