Fellowship Orientation & Executive Leadership Program
In 2005, the IREF expanded to include an Executive Leadership Program to coincide with the Traditional Fellows' Orientation Program thus creating the IRF Fellowship Orientation & Executive Leadership Program (FOELP).
The Executive Leadership Program identifies promising international students currently enrolled in graduate programs at IRF Member Universities in the United States. The Executive Fellows are recommended by their professors, and must demonstrate not only great educational accomplishments, but a strong desire to use their education in their home countries.
As Executive Fellows, these students are invited to participate in the FOELP which is designed to provide the Fellows with a better understanding of the process of doing business in the transportation industry in the United States, the importance of leadership, and the benefits and merits of the International Road Federation. The FOELP will allow IRF members to make contact with some future international leaders before they return to their home countries. which introduced to the International Road Federation and its Members, as well as Federal and State road authorities and the World Bank.
The FOELP helps the IRF’s Educational Program accomplish its mission to apply current transportation technology and management techniques to improve infrastructures around the world. It allows IRF members an additional opportunity to make contact with future international leaders before they return to their home countries. And it ultimately expands the IRF's network of road-industry professional and public officials.
2008 Fellowship Orientation & Executive Leadership Program
The IRF conducted the 2008 Fellowship Orientation and Executive Leadership Program (FOELP) from January 9 - 19 in Washington, DC. This annual event brings the current class of Fellows together to spend 10 days learning about the IRF, being introduced to IRF Members who can help to shape their careers, gain exposure to many of the public and private organizations that are active in the road industry, and hear first hand from top-level executives what it takes to become leaders who will make a difference in the road industry.
The Fellows Class of 2008 consists of 24 students from 19 countries. For the first time in the history of the program, this year's class included two Fellows from the United States. Jeff Reed, President, Valley Slurry Seal Company, and Chairman of IREF said that it is very timely for US students to be involved in this program.
"It's important for US Fellows to experience the interaction with future international leaders in the road industry," said Reed. "And it will also be very helpful to have the availability of the US perspective on a daily basis for the international Fellows."
Throughout the 10-day program, the Fellow's visited The World Bank, the Turner Fairbanks Research Facility, Transportation Research Board meetings, met with associations such as AASHTO and ITE, visited private-sector firms Parsons, Louis Berger, and PB, and made a site visit to the Springfield Interchange to hear a presentation on this massive $650 million project.
"All of the visits helped the Fellows understand the 'real world' of the road industry," said Mike Dreznes, Deputy Director General, IRF-Washington. "One of the goals of the FOELP is to ensure the Fellows receive a practical education about the road industry. The Fellows are already 'book smart' and the FOELP experience will help them gain the practical exposure that will help them translate the academic to the practical."
The following is a slide show video presentation highlighting the activities of the IRF Fellows during their 10-day Orientation and Executive Leadership Program.