History

1990

Intelligentsia International, Inc. was formed in 1990 under the name American-Soviet Cooperative Exchange, Inc. (ASCE) as a mechanism for organizing educational exchanges between the United States and republics of the former Soviet Union. Initial directors of the organizations were Igor Bogdanov, Supreme Soviet member from Nizhniy Novgorod and John Capece, University of Florida graduate student, serving then as president of the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students, Inc. (NAGPS).

1992 - 1998

In 1992 ASCE changed its name to Intelligentsia International, Inc. (III) and secured its 501c3 status as an educational non-profit organization. Between 1990 and 1998 the organization conducted variety of exchanges, involving approximately 200 participants including academic, youth, military, scientific, business, agriculture and governmental representatives. Its largest project was with the Nizhniy Novgorod region, developing exchanges between Florida Atlantic University (FAU), University of Florida (UF), and the Language University of Nizhniy Novgorod (LUNN). The exchanges eventually resulted in United States Information Agency (USIA) grant to create an American Center at LUNN, in cooperation with FAU and UF. Staffing the project for III were Ilya Solarev, LUNN graduate based at UF and Carole Glover, NAGPS President based in Nizhniy Novgorod.

Other projects during the early 1990's included an agricultural university exchange program with the Kuban region (Krasnodar in south Russia); a Sister City exchange program between Gainesville, Florida and Novorossiysk, Russia; university speaking tours for Russian political officials; military exchanges with installations in Sevastopol, Ukraine; high school student exchanges between Russian and U.S. minority students in Florida; and agricultural technical assistance in Moldova through the Eastern European Linkage Institute at University of Central Florida. III also hosted the first U.S. visit and tour by Mr. Andrei Sharonov and business officials from Toliatti. Mr. Sharonov became then Russian Minister for Youth Affairs and he recently served as Russian Federation Deputy Minister for Economic Development and Trade.

Since 1999

Since 1999, Intelligentsia's primary aim has been managing an international program in cooperation with Southern DataStream, Inc. (SDS) in LaBelle, Florida. To date, more than 480 participants from 68 nations have completed the SDS/III program, with an average duration of 3.7 months.