From October 3-5, over 60 USG exchange program alumni from Kosovo, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia and Albania gathered in Pristina for a conference on “The Impact of Kosovo’s Final Status on Regional and EU Integration.” Organized by Kosovo U.S. Alumni (KUSA), the conference included three panel discussions addressing citizen participation in government decisions, taxation policies in economic development, fighting organized crime and facilitating regional cooperation. With their shared experience in the U.S. on State Department programs and their diverse professional and personal backgrounds, these motivated alumni forged important connections for future collaboration. The conference also included a reception and cultural visits for regional alumni to get to know KUSA members and to see Pristina. KUSA hopes to build more regional networks of alumni from all State Department exchange programs, both long-term programs like Fulbright and short-term exchanges like the International Visitor Leadership Program. Established in 2007, KUSA connects USG program alumni in Kosovo to each other and to the Embassy. Committed to serving its members and their work, KUSA is a new, important piece of Kosovo’s developing civil society. For more information about KUSA, visit http://pristina.usembassy.gov/kusa.html.