More than 1,000 Iraqi students, eager to pursue their graduate studies in the United States, attended the first EducationUSA University Fair in Iraq last week. Students traveled from all across Iraq to meet representatives from 21 U.S. higher education institutions. The fair, sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and implemented by the Institute of International Education (IIE), took place in Erbil (Iraqi Kurdistan Region) from October 14-15, 2011. With the goal of increasing the number of Iraqi students at colleges and universities in the United States, this fair provided participating institutions with an opportunity to talk directly with interested students and share with them the programs and academic options available at American campuses.

The participating institutions were: DePaul University, Eastern Washington University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Michigan State University, Middle Tennessee State University, Missouri State University, Murray State University, Portland State University, Seton Hall University, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Southern New Hampshire University, University of Arizona, University of Arkansas, University of Cincinnati, University of Kansas, University of Kentucky, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, University of New Haven, Utah State University, Valparaiso University, Western Kentucky University, and the Educational Testing Service.

Prior to the fair, IIE, together with the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, and the U.S. Consulate General in Erbil convened a symposium, bringing together the U.S. educators with key Iraqi policymakers. The symposium, "Promoting U.S.-Iraq Academic Cooperation," explored recent developments in higher education in Iraq and opportunities related to graduate education in the United States.

Alexander Laskaris, the Consul General of the United States in Erbil, provided opening remarks and stressed the importance for closer academic cooperation and the need for more Iraqi students to pursue graduate education in the United States. Key government figures from across Iraq participated in the event. Special guests included Kemal Kerkuki, Speaker of the Parliament, Kurdistan Regional Government; Dlawer Al-Adeen, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Kurdish Region of Iraq; Waleed A. Mahmoud Al-Jawher, Director General of Scholarships Directorate, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Baghdad; the Deputy Minister of Planning; the mayor of Erbil; several university presidents; and many other dignitaries.

For more information about the fair, please go to:
www.iie.org/Who-We-Are/News-and-Events/Press-Center/Press-Releases/2011/2011-10-18-EducationUSA-University-Fair-Iraq

 

Deadline for Submission: December 15th, 2011

IIENetworker, the international education magazine of the Institute of International Education (IIE), invites submissions for publication in its upcoming Spring 2012 issue. The theme of the Spring issue of IIENetworker will be: "Strategies for Engaging Faculty in Internationalization."

As internationalization becomes an increasing priority for higher education worldwide, the involvement of faculty is essential. Faculty may engage in internationalization efforts in a variety of ways, including leading short-term student international experiences; initiating international research collaborations and publications; creating internationally-focused curricula; participating in programs abroad such as faculty exchanges, training programs, etc.; and incorporating their own international experiences into their teaching.

This issue of the IIENetworker will examine innovative ways that colleges, universities, governments, and other organizations encourage and support faculty engagement in internationalization. Proposed articles should focus on mechanisms such as: grants and funding opportunities, tenure policies, administrative and support structures, strategic planning, government policies that support cross-border collaboration, host institution policies to attract international faculty, and policies and programs for retaining faculty after an international experience, e.g. re-entry programs.

We are particularly interested in presenting a variety of perspectives from around the globe. Submissions from individuals or institutions around the world are strongly encouraged.

Most articles in the magazine will be between 2 and 4 pages (between 1000 and 1500 words).  Please let us know as soon as possible if you plan to submit an article. The deadline for submission of completed articles is December 15, 2011. The author will be notified as soon as a publication decision is made.

If you are interested in submitting an article for the Spring 2012 issue of IIENetworker, please address all inquiries to:

Luke Epplin
Co-Editor, IIENetworker
Institute of International Education
Email: lepplin@iie.org
Tel: +1.212.984.5374

For more information on IIENetworker, please visit: www.iie.org/iienetworker

 

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that "the U.S. State Department plans to resume the Fulbright program of student and scholar exchanges in Libya as part of an $11-million aid package for the country, reports the Associated Press. The package, which will be announced today during a visit to Tripoli by Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton, will also include restarting an English-language training program and providing funds for Oberlin College to study archaeological ruins in eastern Libya. The Fulbright program was suspended in Libya when the United States closed its embassy there because of the civil war."

To read the full article, please visit: http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/fulbright-exchange-program-set-to-resume-in-libya/37297

For more information, also see: www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=141451128

 

A new report published by Universities UK, Patterns and Trends in UK Higher Education, looks at trends during a decade of significant expansion and change. According to the report, "one of the main trends over the last 10 years has been the success of UK higher education institutions in attracting international students. Since 2000/01, the number of non-EU students has more than doubled, with an increase of 11.7 per cent in the last year.

UK higher education institutions now educate over 400,000 students from outside the UK, making the higher education sector one of the most important export earners for the UK economy."

Download the report at:
www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/Publications/Documents/PatternsAndTrendsinUKHigherEducation.pdf

 

According to a recent report, "Premier Christy Clark has recently announced her plan to increase the number of foreign students studying in British Columbia (B.C.) in the coming years as a way to bolster the provincial economy. The initiative is a part of her "Jobs Plan" to promote Canadian immigration and provide a boost to the economy of B.C. It is aimed to help the province add as many as 9,000 jobs and put another USD$500 million into the economy over the next four years by attracting more international students from key countries like China, India, Saudi Arabia and Brazil."

Please click here to read the full article.  

 

China Higher Education Exhibition
Rafik Hariri Building, 4th floor
37th & O ST, NW, Washington, DC 20057
Thursday, November 10th, 2011, 12:00-7:30pm

To publicize Chinese higher education to U.S. students, the China Scholarship Council (CSC) will organize a China Higher Education Exhibition in Washington DC on Thursday, November 10th, 2011. The China Education Exhibition will provide an opportunity for Americans to learn more about Chinese higher education and Chinese universities. The Chinese universities presented in this Education Exhibition have highly qualified faculty, strong research capacity, efficient management system, and comfortable learning environments. In addition, many of their courses can be conducted in English. There are also various forms of scholarships available, such as the Chinese government scholarships, and scholarships from local governments and universities.

Visitors can come and talk with the representatives from Chinese universities about the possibility of study and scholarships. If you have questions, please contact Mr. Chang Quansheng at: qschang@csc.edu.cn.

China Scholarship Council
The China Scholarship Council (CSC) is a nonprofit institution with legal person status affiliated with the Ministry of Education of China. The objective of the CSC is to provide financial assistance to Chinese citizens wishing to study abroad and to the foreign citizens wishing to study in China in order to develop the educational, scientific and technological, and cultural exchanges and economic and trade cooperation between China and other countries, to strengthen the friendship and understanding between Chinese people and the people of all other countries, and to promote world peace and the socialist modernization drive in China.

 

Early Registration Deadline November 1st

The Washington International Education Council is pleased to invite your participation in the Conference taking place at the University of California Washington, DC Center. The 10th Annual Conference will take place on January 23rd and 24th, 2012.

The WIEC is recognized as a premier event on international student recruitment, bringing together universities from throughout the United States with sponsoring organizations. Conference participants will hear from key Embassy and sponsoring organization personnel on programs that fund international students in the United States. In addition to the Embassy meetings, Conference sessions will include practical information that can immediately enhance your international recruitment program at minimum cost to your institution. Distinguished presenters from the Institute of International Education (IIE) will provide information on the latest trends in international student enrollment. Government representatives will discuss the latest developments on visa issuance and regulations governing international students while they are in the United States.

For additional information and registration forms, please contact inquiries@washcouncil.org or visit www.washcouncil.org.

 

Deadline: October 21, 2011

To update the information collected in last year’s online survey on international student enrollments in the United States, and to supplement the more comprehensive data you provide each year to SEVIS and to Open Doors, we hope you can give us some quick and early feedback (via the online survey form) on enrollment trends so far this academic year (starting in fall 2011). By sharing this information (in aggregate form) with the international education community and the media, we hope to develop a wider understanding among the press, the general public, and policy makers at state and national levels, about how higher education institutions continue to be affected by the various factors that impact international enrollments. Please note that the survey is meant only for U.S. institutions.

To complete the survey, please go to: http://iie.vovici.net/wsb.dll/s/6cg3a4

Please respond by October 21, 2011. Please ensure that only one reply is submitted per campus. If you or someone else from your institution has already completed the Survey, please disregard this reminder.

 

Application Deadline: November 15, 2011

Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) institutes provide fully-funded, group-based intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences for seven to ten weeks for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students. Students may apply for one language, and will be placed at institute sites based on language evaluations after selection. Languages offered include: Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla/Bengali, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Turkish, and Urdu.

Advisors are encouraged to host their own CLS information session. A PowerPoint presentation and handout can be found on the CLS website: www.clscholarship.org/advisors.htm.

For more information about the CLS Program and to access the online application, please visit the CLS website: www.clscholarship.org.

 

Application Deadline: November 1, 2011

IIE’s Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) is now collecting applications for the Fulbright International Education Administrator Programs in Japan and South Korea. The application deadline for these programs is November 1, 2011.

The IEA programs help international education professionals and senior higher education officials from the United States create empowering connections with the societal, cultural, and higher education systems of other countries. Grantees will stay either three weeks in Japan or two weeks in South Korea, learning about the host country’s higher education system from the inside out while establishing networks of U.S. and international colleagues. Grantees return with enhanced ability to build connections with higher education institutions in the country visited.

For more information, please visit www.cies.org/IEA.

 

The Institute of International Education (IIE) is pleased to support the "High Technology Business Mission to India" being led by India-US World Affairs Institute later this year. The Mission, which has been designated by the U.S. Department of Commerce as a Certified Trade Mission, will visit Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi during November 26-December 3, 2011. It will help American companies and educational institutions access India’s huge and growing market in higher education and several high technology sectors. A number of educational institutions will be joining the Certified Trade Mission to explore partnership opportunities with their counterparts in India.

The India-US World Affairs Institute is also the Official Partner for Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley’s trade delegation to India on the same dates. The Institute will provide delegation members a variety of educational, networking, B2B introductions, and logistics support while they are in India. For more information, please visit the Institute’s website: www.india-us.org.

The Certified Trade Mission is being supported by the U.S. Commercial Service with their Gold Key Matchmaking Service, under which eligible U.S. organizations can receive pre-screened appointments with prospective agents, distributors, and strategic business partners in India. The Commercial Service will also facilitate networking receptions and business meetings with Indian companies and provide economic and business briefings to Mission delegates.

For further information, please contact Dr. Vinod Jain of the India-US World Affairs Institute at vjain@india-us.org (301-651-2818).

 

The Institute of International Education (IIE) has started work on the 2012 edition of the IIEPassport Study Abroad Directory. The IIEPassport directory helps thousands of students identify and select study abroad programs. It contains nearly 10,000 study abroad program listings offered by U.S. and foreign universities and study abroad providers, making it the most comprehensive resource to planning study abroad for students, parents, and advisers.

IIE is pleased to announce a partnership with the Forum on Education Abroad, which will contribute significant editorial content that will address the needs of students seeking to study abroad. Building on their well-known Standards of Good Practice, the Forum will contribute a manual for students who are in the process of deciding to study abroad, including practical tips for selecting a program, making the most of the experience, coping with cultural shock, and returning to campus after studying abroad.

Advertising Opportunities

The 2012 edition of IIEPassport offers multiple opportunities to promote your institution or service. Premium spaces are available in country-specific sections, as well within the following regional sections: Asia & Oceania, Africa & the Middle East, the Americas, and Europe.

For more information, please contact our publications partner Jeff Bunkin, Director of Sales at Naylor, LLC at +1 (352) 333-3342 or jbunkin@naylor.com.

 

The Boren Awards staff are pleased to announce that the African Languages Initiative will continue in 2012-13 and has expanded to include additional languages. Boren Scholarship and Fellowship applicants have the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of, and proficiency in, African languages and cultures. Through the initiative, funding is available for Boren Scholars and Fellows to study one of the following languages at the University of Florida's summer 2012 program prior to commencing their overseas Boren funded program:

• Akan/Twi
• Swahili
• Wolof
• Yoruba
• Zulu

In addition, African Languages Initiative overseas programs are available for intensive language and cultural study during fall 2012 in the following countries:

• Tanzania (Swahili)
• Mozambique (Portuguese)
• Nigeria (Yoruba)
• South Africa (Zulu)

For a full explanation of the African Languages Initiative, including information on the domestic and overseas programs, please go to www.borenawards.org. Please also note that we are holding two webinars about this initiative on November 1 and December 14. For more information, please visit: http://msg1svc.net/ckxdt/408081/44/1684/220/0/S/0/0/sbyv.html.

If you have questions about the African Languages Initiative, please email: boren@iie.org.