CDS International - a nonprofit international exchange organization based in New York City. Founded in 1968, CDS International served 2,821 participants participants from 81 countries in 2007.

CDS currently administers over 30 customized programs, working with more than 15 partner organizations and placing participants 800 companies worldwide. Companies included: BMW AG, CNN International, Der Spiegel, Siemens USA, Google, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, amongst others.(too PR? Could be good internal links)

CDS programs include Internships and Fellowships to Germany, Russia, Spain, and Argentina, International Study Tours, and Internships to the USA.

CDS International is a U.S. Department of State authorized Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor for the Trainee and Intern categories of the J-1 visa. CDS' authorization permits CDS to issue the "Certificate of Eligibility" (Form DS-2019) to qualifying individuals who desire to participate in either the Trainee or Intern categories.

--Need to have exact numbers so it doesn't read like advertisement.

History

CDS International is a historically German-American organization incorporated on January 30th, 1968 in New York City by its then-German counterpart, the Carl Duisberg Gesellschaft.

In the 1920s, Carl Duisberg, General Director of Bayer AG in Germany, initiated the first transatlantic work-study programs between the United States and Germany with the help of the Deutsche Studentenwerke's (German Student Association) New York City office. He was convinced that transatlantic training programs were critical to the growth of German industry.

Program alumni rose to prominent positions following World War II at leading firms such as AEG, Bayer, Bosch, Daimler Benz, and Siemens, by introducing the mass production methods and business practices they learned while in the U.S. to their native Germany. The alumni from these initial exchanges were inspired by Carl Duisberg and in 1949 founded the Carl Duisberg Gesellschaft (CDG) to help engineers, businessmen, and farmers gain international work experience necessary for rebuilding post-war Germany and Europe.

In 1968, the Carl Duisberg Society was founded in New York City as a nonprofit organization designed to rekindle Duisberg's original exchanges and to facilitate international career training opportunities for Americans and Germans.The first program took place during 1968-1969 year and was an agricultural work/study exchange program with approximately 30 German participants.

As subsequent years, the number of programs offered increased as did the number of participants. In the late 1980's, approximately 600-800 participants were served yearly, while the 90's saw those numbers climb to 1000-1200 per annum. The Carl Duisberg Society's name was changed to CDS International in 1987 to reflect the increasingly international nature of their programs.

In addition to its headquarters in New York City, CDS International has regional representatives in Washington D.C., California, and Michigan as well as in Berlin, Germany.

Partner Organizations

CDS International continues to work with InWEnt: Capacity Building International (formerly CDG) and the Deutsche Studentenwerke as well as numerous other international partners in Europe and Asia. The Carl Duisberg Stiftung (Foundation) also provides stipends to deserving German and American exchange participants in CDS programs.

Mission

As stated on their website, CDS' mission is to further "the advancement of international career training opportunities customized to provide individuals with in-depth practical knowledge of other nations' business practices, cultures, and political traditions. These experiences help strengthen global cooperation and understanding amongst individuals, businesses, organizations and communities."

See Also

One Bosch Fellowship

Two Alfa Fellowship Program

Three Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals

References

One http://www.cdsintl.org

Two http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Org/15498-254