🌍 What does it take to become a leader who builds bridges instead of barriers?
MIIC's annual program, Cross-Cultural Pathways to Leadership Summer Program 2026, has officially wrapped up this year! We were privileged to work with 18 young Americans of Czech heritage who have come to the Czech Republic to deepen not only their understanding of their roots, but also their capacity to lead across cultures.
Over two weeks, participants have engaged in remarkable conversations with distinguished Czech leaders from diplomacy, government, academia, and civil society. We are deeply grateful to Jaroslav Kantůrek (Consul General), Jiri Kratky (Commissioner for Czech Diaspora), Prof. Michal Vrablík (Vice Rector, Charles University), Jana Sehnalkova (Director of the Fulbright Commission Czech Republic), Dr. Leona Stašová (Vice Rector), Prof. Blanka Klimova (Vice Dean of University of Hradec Kralove), Dr. Stanislav Klusáček (Vice Dean of BUT), MP Zdeňka Blišťanová, and many others for generously sharing their insights and opening doors through exclusive visits to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Charles University, the University of Hradec Králové, Brno University of Technology, and the Parliament of the Czech Republic.
But leadership is not learned only through inspiring conversations.
One of the most powerful parts of the program was an interactive Theatre of the Oppressed workshop led by Dr. Lenka Polankova and Dr. Eva Janebova, together with local students from Brno University of Technology.
Through experiential learning, participants stepped into real-life intercultural situations, explored hidden biases, confronted discrimination, and practiced how to respond to prejudice, exclusion, and racism. Rather than simply discussing these issues, they experienced them, reflected on them, and developed practical strategies for becoming courageous allies and inclusive leaders.These are the kinds of transformative learning experiences that stay with people long after a summer program ends.
At the Mestenhauser Institute for International Collaboration (MIIC), we believe that preparing the next generation of cross-cultural leaders requires much more than teaching about cultures—it means creating opportunities to experience empathy, challenge assumptions, and develop the courage to foster understanding across differences.
This is how we build the next generation of cross-cultural leaders.
Reflecting on Cross-Cultural Pathways for Young Leaders Program 2026
