The Institute of International Education was featured in CNBC as one of the top 10 charities changing the world in 2015. IIE also received Charity Navigator’s coveted 4-star rating for sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency for the 8th year in a row. IIE is among only 2 percent of charities to receive at least 8 consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that IIE outperforms most other charities in America.

Last week, Al Fanar Media, a bilingual publication covering higher education in the Arab world, featured a video and report on a workshop co-sponsored by IIE’s Scholar Rescue Fund. The workshop, which was held at Koç University in October, brought industry leaders together to collaborate and identify immediate steps for providing displaced Syrian university students with opportunities to continue their educations. More than 7 million Syrians have been displaced by conflict within their country, leaving as many as 200,000 Syrian university-age students in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. "Higher education must be part of any humanitarian response to the crisis in Syria," said James King, program manager for the Scholar Rescue Fund. 

Visit Al Fanar Media to view the video and download the report as well as other resources for making university accessible to Syrian students.

IIE President Allan E. Goodman shares about his speaking event on international education at Cal State University campus in San Bernardino (CSUSB). He  writes that one student "wanted to come to the symposium to, like others, make sure that CSUSB stood up for greater engagement in the world and not more isolationism." Goodman’s visit overlapped with workshop at UC Davis attended by two other IIE colleagues. "Recognizing the vital role that institutions of higher learning play in promoting peace and prosperity," writes Goodman, "the workshop highlighted the expertise and capacity already existing within the higher education community, which can be utilized in times of crisis to support those who are most vulnerable."

For nearly 15 years, IIE’s flagship bi-annual magazine, IIENetworker, has addressed the pressing issues across the international education field. It targets the 7,000 international education professionals that represent IIE's 1,400 member institutions with both a print and digital edition. Over the years, IIENetworker advertisers from all aspects of international education and study abroad have reached important influencers, while better aligning their organizations with IIE. Contact Jeff Bunkin to learn more about advertising opportunities in 2016 at jbunkin@naylor.com or at +1.352.333.3342. To participate, act quickly, as our Spring issue closes in mid-January.

The IIE Artist Protection Fund is now accepting applications for fellowship grants. Threatened artists can submit application and portfolio materials until January 4, 2016, for this inaugural round of grants. Sponsored by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the IIE Artist Protection Fund provides life-saving fellowship grants to threatened artists from every field of artistic discipline or practice and places them at host universities and art centers in countries where they can continue their work in safety. Applications will be reviewed for artistic merit and the severity of the threats that the applicant faces. 

IIE is also calling on arts organizations around the world to join in this important effort. Hosts can be university arts programs and arts residencies, as well as arts centers, performing arts organizations and less traditional arts communities. Hosts will be requested to match the fellowship support, through contributions that may include housing, studio space, art supplies, and other support from their networks. If you are interested in hosting an artist through this program, please contact apf@iie.org.

IIE invites you to the IIE Best Practices Conference "Lead your Campus to the Top: Best Practices in Internationalizing the Campus" on Friday, March 11, 2016 at the University of California, Davis. Please register early, as registration is limited to space capacity. IIENetwork members receive a registration discount. 

The conference will cover many exciting keynote, plenary, and session themes, and will feature high-level experts, including presidents, provosts, and international education administrators from institutions around the world. In addition, a special awards portion of the conference will honor the winners of the 2016 IIE Andrew Heiskell Awards for Innovation in International Education. We also invite you to attend the optional pre-conference roundtable discussions and a networking reception on March 10.

The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and IIE have opened a Request for Proposals for a four-day Fulbright Seminar for Fulbright Master’s and Ph.D. students in fields of education. The Seminar, titled, "Educational Justice: Overcoming Barriers to Quality Education in the 21st Century Seminar," is designed to provide a forum for Fulbright students to critically examine efforts to extend access to quality education around the world. The RFP, along with the budget and agenda templates, can be found on IIE’s Procurements page under 2016 Fulbright Educational Justice Seminar, RFP No.: D615-3058-EJS-1.22.16