Student exchange program

As a result of the great diversity of cultures present in the Union, the Assembly has put into place several programs to help create a better understanding between those cultures.

One of those programs is Student Exchanges in which a small number of students in their final year at Union Schools are given the opportunity to experience the culture of another planet.

According to United Stars of the Galaxies documents exchange programs exist to provide practical training and employment and the sharing of history, culture, and traditions of the participants' home planets.

In many cases, strong friendships have formed as a result of the Student Exchange Programs among beings who might never have met without that program. The Archas became big supporters of the program when the first exchange student sent to them, Mao Mao Vouza, introduced ice cream to them.

History
The voluntary exchange of students is a fairly rare phenomenon - As of 5050, Year, only a few dozen cultures have been discovered that practice any form of student exchange, in most cases those exchanges being part of cease fire agreements between warring societies. The Attikan Commonwealth and a handful of others practiced a form of student exchange prior to contact with the Union.

In Union terms, several Pre Astro Terran nations had developed student exchange programs starting after WWII - roughly one hundred and fifty years before their Ascent. During the United Earth period, prior to the formation of the Union, there was an informal exchange program between Earth, some of it's colonies, the Saran Empire and the Pan Sarans, but a formal exchange program only started after the formation of the Union.