This month, the National Security Education Program (NSEP) celebrates the 20th anniversary of the David L. Boren National Security Education Act of 1991, which created NSEP and the Boren Scholarships and Fellowships.

At a gathering in Washington on September 8, Senator David L. Boren, President of the University of Oklahoma and author of the 1991 legislation, and Dr. Clifford Stanley, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, addressed a group of Boren Fellows, Scholars, members of the National Security Education Board, and international education colleagues. Both speakers highlighted the importance of language skills and cultural understanding to developing international partnerships and improving U.S. national security. They praised NSEP for its commitment to provide linguistic and cultural training for American students.

Since the creation of the National Security Education Program, 4,500 undergraduate and graduate students have studied in more than 100 countries through Boren Scholarships and Fellowships, which are administered by IIE on behalf of the National Security Education Program.

A compelling new anniversary video features Boren Scholars and Fellows talking about how their international experience has prepared them for their careers, and includes remarks from Senator Boren and Dr. Stanley. See this video and photos from the Washington event at www.borenawards.org/nsep20thanniversary.html. The video is also featured on IIE's homepage, at www.iie.org.

Students can apply now for Boren Scholarships and Fellowships for the 2012-13 academic year. Applications are available at www.borenawards.org. The Boren Scholarship deadline is February 9, 2012 (each campus sets an earlier campus deadline). The Boren Fellowship deadline is January 31, 2012.

 

The Institute of International Education is pleased to announce the release of the 2011 edition of Intensive English USA. This reference directory offers over 500 intensive English language programs offered by accredited U.S. higher education institutions and language schools. Intensive English USA is consulted by ministries of education, embassies, EducationUSA advising centers, colleges and universities, exchange agencies, and other organizations that advise international students.

The book describes programs that prepare people from other nations for U.S. higher education and professional employment. Each English language program listing includes detailed information on:

• Accreditation
• Program contact information
• Term lengths and start dates
• Costs
• Eligibility
• Program, class, and faculty size
• Student world area origins
• Student services
• University admission requirements
• Availability of language labs and computer-assisted instruction

To purchase a copy, please visit: www.iie.org/en/Research-and-Publications/Publications-and-Reports/IIE-Bookstore/Intensive-English-Programs-in-the-USA

 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched a new Study in the States website, which aims at "[streamlining] the international student visa process for foreign students seeking to study in the United States," according to the DHS website.

"The Study in the States initiative is a key component of a government-wide effort to encourage the best and brightest foreign students to study and remain in the U.S.," and "builds upon other new policies that embrace talented students from other countries, who enrich the nation by working in science and technology jobs and fueling innovation in their chosen fields here in the United States," the DHS website explains.

The initiative aims at examining regulatory changes and providing current and prospective students with relevant and updated information about visa requirements in a streamlined and user-friendly format. The website features dynamic and interactive content (including an individualized Road Map to Success to help students navigate the steps of the student visa process), and links to social media websites, videos, success stories, and news and public service announcements.

To access the Study in the States website, please visit: http://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/

 

Getting Better: Why Global Development Is Succeeding and How We Can Improve the World Even More

Author Charles Kenny

Wednesday, September 28, 6:00 p.m.
Institute of International Education (IIE)
809 United Nations Plaza, New York City

The Institute of International Education (IIE) is pleased to invite you to join us for the next installment of our book discussion series held in conjunction with the United Nations Association of New York. We are honored to host an evening of discussion with economist Charles Kenny on September 28th at the IIE headquarters in New York City.

Getting Better: Why Global Development Is Succeeding and How We Can Improve the World Even More reports the good news about global progress. Charles Kenny argues against development naysayers by pointing to the evidence of widespread improvements in health, education, peace, liberty—and even happiness. Kenny shows how the spread of cheap technologies, such as vaccines and bed nets, and ideas, such as political rights, has transformed the world. He also shows that by understanding this transformation, we can make the world an even better place to live.

Charles Kenny is a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development. He is a contributing editor at Foreign Policy magazine and a Schwartz Fellow at the New America Foundation. Kenny was previously at the World Bank, where his assignments included working with the VP for the Middle East and North Africa Region, coordinating work on governance and anticorruption in infrastructure and natural resources, and managing a number of investment and technical assistance projects covering telecommunications and the Internet. Charles Kenny keeps a personal blog at www.charleskenny.blogs.com.

RSVP is required, as seating is limited. If you wish to attend, please send an email with your contact information to membership@iie.org.

 

Adapting to Disruptive Times: Emerging Models for HE Provision
Senate House, University of London
Thursday 3 November 2011
9:30-17:00 followed by a wine reception

The Observatory on Borderless Higher Education (OBHE) will run a conference in London on November 3, 2011, entitled Adapting to Disruptive Times: Emerging Models for HE Provision. The objectives of the conference include: exploring the technological, international, and socioeconomic challenges to traditional higher education; debating the extent to which these challenges necessitate structural change within institutions; and considering how universities and private providers are responding.

For more information, please visit: www.tcp-events.co.uk/obhe/invitation/.

 

November 20-23, 2011
Ottawa, Ontario
Deadline for Early Bird Registration: October 3, 2011

The Canadian Bureau for International Education’s (CBIE) 45th annual conference will take place on November 20-23, 2011, in Ottawa, Canada. This year’s conference is entitled Great Expectations: Achieving our Ambitions in International Education. It will examine our motivations, expectations, ambitions, and targets for international education; look at what we have achieved; conduct a "reality check" on some of our objectives; and ultimately lead to clearer understanding of the role of international education and greater effectiveness in setting and achieving our goals.

CBIE is a national nongovernmental organization comprised of 155 colleges, universities, school boards, educational organizations, and businesses. CBIE is dedicated to the internationalization of education and the expansion of educational partnerships between Canada and countries across the globe. CBIE supports the education sector in the pursuit of excellence in international education with a conference packed with information, learning, and networking opportunities.

For more information, including a list of speakers and the program, please visit: www.cbie.ca/conference/index_en.html.

 

January 23-24, 2012
The George Washington University

During this two-day conference, participants will be escorted to embassies representing countries from across the globe and hear from key government partners. In addition, they will learn from highly regarded peers and research institutions that are committed to study and the implementation of international student recruiting and admissions.

Conference attendees will include Education and Cultural Attaches from Washington-based embassies, university and college administrators who oversee international student recruiting and admissions, federal government representatives, and NGO representatives. Session topics will include: international recruitment in the age of Facebook; the latest trends in international student enrollments from IIE and the U.S. Department of State; trends in international admissions; and low cost recruitment with tightened budgets.

For additional information, including registration fees and deadlines, please visit www.washcouncil.org or email info@washcouncil.org.

 

Deadline: September 30, 2011

Now is the time to renew your IIE membership, which will allow you to continue to take full advantage of the many resources IIE offers. IIE membership renewal forms for the 2011/2012 academic year have been sent by email to the membership contact at each member institution. If you have not yet renewed your IIE membership, please take a moment to complete your renewal by September 30, 2011.

IIENetwork is IIE's membership program, with over 1,100 member institutions around the world. Each IIENetwork designee is an important link in a network of over 7,000 individuals with a commitment to the internationalization of their institutions. As an IIENetwork member, you benefit from international education publications, resources, discounts, and sharing best practices. IIE's offices around the world work closely with members to assist you in accessing IIE's expertise and information on the many programs for which your students and faculty may be eligible.

As an IIENetwork member, your campus will receive complimentary copies of our valuable print resources, including the Open Doors report, IIEPassport Study Abroad Directories, the IIENetwork Membership Directory, the IIENetworker magazine, and more. You will also be able to access more information than ever on www.iie.org/iienetwork, and receive member discounts for IIE's Recruitment Fairs in Asia, the International Academic Partnership Program, and the new IIE Global Partnership Service. Finally, your IIENetwork membership ensures that you are eligible to nominate the innovative programs at your campus for the 2012 Andrew Heiskell Awards.

You can renew your membership, update your designees, and pay the membership dues for your institution online. For more information on how to renew online, visit www.iie.org/Who-We-Are/IIENetwork-Membership/Join-IIENetwork.

If you need an invoice, or for more information, please contact:
IIE Membership Services
Email: IIEMembershipRenewal@ABDINTL.com
Tel: +1.412.741.0930

 

Nomination Deadline: October 14, 2011.

The Institute of International Education (IIE) invites IIE member institutions to nominate their program for the 2012 Andrew Heiskell Awards for Innovation in International Education. We look forward to receiving your nominations and to learning about the creative ways that you and your campuses are responding to the challenges of preparing the next generation to think and work on a global basis.

Access the Nomination Package here: www.iie.org/HeiskellAwards

The Heiskell Award Categories

Category 1: Internationalizing the Campus
Advancing curriculum development, fostering international opportunities, and creatively integrating international students into university life.

Category 2: Study Abroad
Providing innovative programs and services to make study abroad accessible to a broader student population.

Category 3: Best Practices in International Partnerships
Recognizing strategic, comprehensive, and innovative international partnership efforts.

Category 4: Internationalizing the Community College Campus
Creating innovative programs and services, including study abroad, to make international opportunities accessible to community college students. (IIE & AACC members are eligible to apply.)

Note: With the exception of Category 1, please submit nominations that focus on particular programs or initiatives, rather than including all campus programs in one nomination.

Award Eligibility and Details

• Only IIENetwork member institutions are eligible to apply. (Note: AACC members are also eligible to apply for the Internationalizing the Community College category. For partnership categories, at least one of the partnering institutions must be an IIENetwork member.)
• Nominations will be reviewed by the internal and external Heiskell Award Selection Committees in October and November. Winners will be contacted in December 2011.
• Winning programs will be recognized at IIE’s Best Practices Conference in New York City on March 9, 2012. All winning programs will be showcased on the IIENetwork website and in the IIENetworker magazine. Winners will be presented with an award certificate and a $1,000 prize (shared by winning institutions in the partnership category).

More Information
For more details on the Andrew Heiskell Awards, and to download the application, please go to: www.iie.org/HeiskellAwards.

If you have any questions about nominating for the Andrew Heiskell Awards for Innovation in International Education, please call Svet Trocheva at (212) 984-5367 or send an email to HeiskellAwards@iie.org.

 

Application Deadline for Fall 2012 Scholarships: October 30, 2011

The ExxonMobil Middle East and North Africa Scholars Program provides select student leaders with a fully-funded scholarship toward the completion of a master's degree in the U.S. The scholarship covers tuition, travel, insurance, housing, and books. Additionally, a monthly living stipend is provided for the duration of the scholarship program. This scholarship is funded by ExxonMobil and administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE).

Eligible fields of study include: geosciences engineering (preference for petroleum, chemical, mechanical, electrical, and civil, though others are welcome to apply); MBA (applicants must have an engineering or science background).

Applicants must be a citizen of one of the program countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, or United Arab Emirates. In addition, they must be native Arabic speakers that have lived the majority of their lives in the region. Finalists will be invited to an all-expense paid short-course event in Abu Dhabi this December. Selected scholars will receive placement assistance for a university program in the United States.

For more information, eligibility requirements, and the online application, please visit: www.iie.org/exxonmobilscholars

Questions can be sent to exxonmobilscholars@iie.org

 

Application Deadline: December 1, 2011, at Hong Kong Time 12:00:00 (GMT +8 hours)

Established by the Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong in 2009, the Hong Kong Ph.D. Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) aims to attract qualified students to pursue their Ph.D. studies in Hong Kong's institutions. Applicants should demonstrate outstanding qualities of academic performance, research ability/potential, communication and interpersonal skills, and leadership abilities.

The Fellowship provides a monthly stipend of HK$20,000 (approximately US$2,600) and a conference and research related travel allowance of HK$10,000 (approximately US$1,300) per year to each awardee for a period of three years. About 135 Ph.D. Fellowships will be awarded in each academic year. For awardees who need more than three years to complete their Ph.D. studies, additional support may be provided by the chosen institutions. For details, please contact the institutions concerned directly.

Eligible candidates should first make an initial application online through the Hong Kong Ph.D. Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) Electronic System to obtain a HKPFS reference number by December 1, 2011, at Hong Kong Time 12:00:00 (GMT +8 hours) before submitting applications for Ph.D. admission to their chosen institutions.

For more information, please visit: http://cerg1.ugc.edu.hk/hkpfs/index.html

 

Application Deadline: November 30, 2011

The Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) program is now accepting proposals from developing country researchers interested in collaborating with their U.S. counterparts. We would like to request your help in circulating this information to scientists and engineers in your country so they can prepare and submit their proposals to meet the application deadline of November 30, 2011.

PEER is a new partnership between the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) that is designed to address development challenges through international research collaboration. This competitive grants program will allow scientists in developing countries to apply for funds to support research and capacity-building activities in partnership with their NSF-funded collaborators on topics of importance to USAID. Areas in which both NSF and USAID have strong mutual interests include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Food security topics such as agricultural development, fisheries, and plant genomics
• Global health issues such as ecology of infectious disease, biomedical engineering, and natural/human system interactions
• Climate change impacts such as water sustainability, hydrology, ocean acidification, climate process and modeling, and environmental engineering
• Other development topics including disaster mitigation, biodiversity, water, and renewable energy

Proposals are being accepted from researchers in 79 eligible developing countries. Complete eligibility details, proposal submission instructions, and the application form are available at www.nationalacademies.org/peer. PEER is being implemented by the National Academies on behalf of USAID, and potential applicants with questions are invited to contact the program’s staff at peer@nas.edu.

 

Application Deadline: October 15, 2011

The Institute of International Education's Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) is now accepting applications for the 2012 Community College Administrator Seminar in Russia. The application deadline is October 15, 2011.

The Community College Administrator Seminar is designed for mid- to senior-level administrators including presidents, vice presidents, provosts, deans, and other individuals with institutional authority for program development and international outreach. Candidates will discuss issues concerning the U.S. system of higher education and the role of U.S. community colleges, and will visit Russian institutions interested in the community college model. Individuals without prior professional connections to Russia and whose home institutions do not have an established partnership or affiliation with Russian institutions of higher learning are encouraged to apply. Individual applicants or their home colleges should have an interest in and the basis for continued collaboration.

For more information, please visit http://catalog.cies.org/viewAward.aspx?n=2332 or contact Zaneta Bertot at zbertot@iie.org or 202-686-4016.