What We Do
Five interconnected programs that build lasting bridges between American and Moldovan societies — from structured dialogue to cultural exchange and policy engagement.
Dialogue Programs
At the heart of USMI's work is structured, facilitated dialogue. We convene Americans and Moldovans — from government officials and academics to farmers, students, artists, and activists — in moderated conversations designed to surface shared values, confront differences honestly, and build mutual understanding.
National Museum of History of Moldova, 31 August 1989 Street, Chișinău — housed in a late 19th-century eclectic palace and containing over 300,000 artefacts spanning Moldova's history from prehistoric times to the present
Educational Exchange
USMI administers short-term exchange programs that bring Moldovan civic leaders, journalists, local government officials, and young professionals to the United States — and send American counterparts to Moldova. Fellows spend time embedded in institutions relevant to their field, developing professional skills while building the cross-cultural literacy that makes them more effective leaders at home.
A tractor works the black-earth fields near Fălești, northern Moldova — one of the country's most fertile agricultural regions, where farming traditions stretch back millennia
Civic Education & Democratic Development
USMI partners with Moldovan schools, universities, and community organizations to deliver civic education programming that draws on American experience with democratic institution-building while remaining deeply rooted in Moldova's own history, values, and political context. We do not export a model — we facilitate a conversation.
The National Library of Moldova, Chișinău — the country's largest public library, holding over 3.5 million volumes and serving as a central institution of Moldovan cultural and civic life
Cultural Diplomacy
Culture is often the fastest path to genuine understanding. USMI curates and supports cultural exchanges — art exhibitions, film screenings, literary events, musical collaborations, and folk traditions showcases — that allow Americans and Moldovans to encounter one another's creative life. Our Moldova-America Cultural Bridge program has brought Moldovan visual artists to American galleries and American musicians to Moldovan stages.
Soviet-era mosaic depicting Moldovan folk musicians, Chișinău — a striking example of the monumental public art that adorns many of the capital's buildings, blending classical and folk traditions
Policy Dialogue & Advocacy
At the policy level, USMI facilitates off-the-record exchanges between American and Moldovan officials, think tank researchers, and civil society leaders on issues of shared concern — from energy security and anti-corruption reform, to diaspora engagement and Moldova's European integration trajectory. We are nonpartisan and non-prescriptive: our role is to create the conditions for honest, well-informed dialogue, not to advocate for specific political outcomes.
The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ, Chișinău — built in neoclassical style in 1836, it is the spiritual and symbolic heart of the Moldovan Orthodox Church and a central landmark of the capital
When people talk to each other — really talk — the world becomes harder to divide.— USMI Founding Principle