Dr. Allan E. Goodman, President and CEO of the Institute of International Education, served as the keynote speaker for the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS) inaugural commencement exercises. AUIS conferred undergraduate degrees for the first time on June 16, 2012, on its new 418-acre campus.  

AUIS awarded baccalaureate degrees in business administration, information technology, and international studies to 37 students, including the university’s first cohort of ten students. An additional 37 students will receive the degree of Master of Business Administration.

AUIS was founded in 2006 by its chairman, Barham Salih, former Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, and several other prominent, forward-thinking local businessmen. 

Among IIE’s key initiatives are the Iraq Scholar Rescue Fund and the Iraq Scholars and Leaders Program, efforts which provide professors and students from Iraq with the means to work or study in the United States. In addition, IIE has helped convene a conference series focused on rebuilding the higher education system in Iraq and a higher education fair for Iraqi students interested in studying in the United States.

For more information, please visit: www.iie.org/en/Who-We-Are/News-and-Events/Press-Center/Press-Releases/2012/06-16-2012-IIE-President-Allan-Goodman-Commencement-Speaker-American-University-Of-Iraq-Sulaimani.

IIE presented awards for outstanding service to campus representatives from the University of Arkansas and St. Mary’s University of San Antonio who have made extraordinary contributions to the field of international education through their work on the Fulbright and Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Programs. The awards were presented at a special reception that IIE held in Houston on May 31.

Gloria Flores Passmore, the Associate Director of Recruitment and Sponsored Student Programs at the University of Arkansas, was recognized for her commitment to the Fulbright Program, and her role in furthering the partnership between IIE and the University of Arkansas in support of the students they host. When these students complete their studies they return to their home countries and serve as important links between the United States, Arkansas, and the university in business, government, education, and industry.

Minita Santizo, Director of International Education Programs at St. Mary's University, was honored by IIE for her contributions to the field of international education for nearly 40 years, most notably for her decade of work with the Gilman International Scholarship Program. Santizo has served as a selection panelist and Gilman campus advisor and recently completed a three-year term on the Gilman National Advisory Panel. She has played an important role in expanding study abroad opportunities at St. Mary's University, which has grown from its roots as the oldest Catholic university in Texas and the Southwest to become a nationally recognized liberal arts institution with a diverse student population of nearly 4,000 of all faiths and backgrounds.

Both programs are funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and administered by IIE.

To read more about these awards, please visit: www.iie.org/Who-We-Are/News-and-Events/Press-Center/Press-Releases/2012/06-07-2012-IIE-Honors-Educators-for-Contributions-to-Fulbright-and-Gilman-Programs.

On June 12th, IIE hosted a special webinar session on the Brazil Science Without Borders Program, which has been posted on IIE’s website. The webinar was hosted by Ed Monks, who is leading the Science Without Borders program at IIE. During this session, Ed spoke about some of the of the more frequently asked questions concerning the Science Without Borders program, and then left ample time for questions.  

The Science Without Borders program provides scholarships to undergraduate students from Brazil for one year of study at colleges and universities in the United States. Scholarships will be given primarily to students in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Students in the program will return to Brazil to complete their degrees. This program, administered by IIE, is part of the Brazilian government's larger initiative to grant 100,000 scholarships to the best students from Brazil to study abroad at the world’s best universities. 

To listen to the full webinar, and to learn about how your college or university can become a host institution, please visit: www.iie.org/Programs/Brazil-Science-Without-Borders/Host-Institution.

An article in the Wall Street Journal considers the opportunities and challenges of working abroad to advance your career. According to the article, "As companies continue expanding into foreign markets, the need for employees who are willing to relocate is creating opportunities that can offer a rich new experience and fast-track careers." 

To read the full article, please visit: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303901504577460961966354758.html?mod=WSJ_Careers_CareerJournal_9_1.

An article in Reuters reports on the King Abdullah Scholarship Program, which has helped hundreds of thousands of Saudi Arabian students study abroad. As the article reports, the stated goal of the program "is to prepare Saudi nationals to replace expatriate workers in better-paid technical jobs in the kingdom, reducing unemployment. But a secondary ambition of making Saudi Arabia a more open society has always been more or less explicitly acknowledged by the authorities."

To read the full article, please visit: www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/06/uk-saudi-scholarships-idUSLNE85502H20120606.

Northeastern University's innovative American Classroom Program is designed to prepare international students to excel in their degree programs by strengthening their English language skills and exposing them to college level academics. This year American Classroom was expanded and will enroll more than 100 students selected for this opportunity from the 6,000 international applicants for the fall 2012 semester based on their potential to succeed.

For more information, please visit www.northeastern.edu/cps/americanclassroom, or contact an enrollment coach at cpsadmissions@neu.edu.

In March 2011, President Obama extended an invitation to college and university presidents across the country to bring together diverse religious groups on campus for interfaith cooperation and community service programming. The program challenges students and administrators to serve together on projects that strengthen their communities and unite people of diverse religious backgrounds. Response in the first year was overwhelming with 270 institutions participating.

President Obama has extended the challenge with an invitation to all institutions of higher education to join this year by developing a plan for interfaith/community service and joining other institutions in a community of learning.

1. If you have not done so already, complete the 2012-13 participation form to indicate your interest in participating at the following link: www2.ed.gov/about/inits/list/fbci/campus-challenge-form.pdf. On this form you will name the lead contact at your institution so that you will receive information about webinars and other resources.
2. Plan on attending the President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge 2012 Summer Gathering in Washington, DC, on July 9-10, 2012, and consider sending a delegation of up to five people from your institution. For additional details and registration, please visit: www.cvent.com/d/9cqql9/1Q.
3. Begin the planning process for next year. A planning report needs to be sent to the White House by October 15, 2012. For more information, please visit:  www2.ed.gov/about/inits/list/fbci/campus-challenge.html. 

For more information, please visit: www2.ed.gov/about/inits/list/fbci/campus-challenge.html. If you have questions, please send them to EdPartners@ed.gov.

The British Council Higher Education Series is a two-year series of one-day conversational conferences, occurring all over the United States and Canada, with a focus on diverse higher education themes. The purpose of the series is to create opportunities throughout North America to increase partnerships and collaborations between U.S. and UK institutions. The series is designed for U.S.-based, senior-level representatives, and will feature both U.S. and UK speakers on panels and sessions.

The events in the United States will kick-off with a reception the evening prior to welcome speakers and participants, and will be hosted by the local Consuls General. The theme for the series is "Higher Education and Economic Development: The Value of UK-US Partnerships in a Globalized World."

• Chicago, October 18
• Montreal, November 7 (in association with the Canadian Bureau for International Education conference)
• Boston, December 6 
• San Francisco/Los Angeles, February 2013 

For more information about future Series events, please contact Libby Rosenbaum, HE partnerships manager, at libby.rosenbaum@britishcouncil.org.

From September 18 until November 11, 2012, the Institute of International Education will host its U.S. Higher Education Fairs in 14 cities throughout Asia and India. The priority registration deadline for these fairs is June 29, 2012.

The IIE Fair series provides a unique opportunity for colleges and universities to expand and widen their presence in China, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and India, among other countries; and for students to learn about the wide variety of opportunities available to them.

• A well-managed event at a reasonable cost at which representatives can meet serious prospective students interested in U.S. higher education
• A comprehensive in-country orientation to inform participants about current factors influencing the flow of students to the United States
• A trusted platform on which to build an institution’s name in Asia

• A great chance to learn about opportunities of higher education in the United States from official, reliable, and legitimate sources of information at no cost
• An opportunity to meet face-to-face with official representatives of regionally accredited U.S. colleges and universities
• Opportunities to learn about scholarships available to study in the United States

To learn more about IIE Fairs and view a complete list of the 2012 fair schedule, please visit: www.iie.org/What-We-Do/International-Education-Services/Higher-Education-Fairs.

The Fulbright Program and the Brazilian government have teamed up to provide 19 grants for senior and junior U.S. researchers and postdoctoral researchers in all disciplines. Four Distinguished Chair awards of US$27,000 to $37,000 are available to top senior researchers in the following areas: environmental sciences and engineering, the visual arts, oil and gas sciences and engineering, and American studies. 

The awardee of the oil and gas sciences and engineering grant may nominate up to two postdoctoral fellows, Brazilian or American, to assist with research activities. Ten "core" awards of US$2,400 per month for assistant professors (or professional equivalent) and US$3,100 per month for associate or full professor (or professional equivalent) are available to outstanding researchers in the social sciences and humanities.

All these awards are for three to four months and may be taken over two years.

In addition, five postdoctoral research awards of US$3,000 per month, for four to nine months, are available for eligible researchers in all disciplines. A Ph.D., except in the case of the Distinguished Chair in the Visual Arts, and U.S. citizenship are required at the time of application. Knowledge of Portuguese or Spanish is desirable but not required. 

The application deadline is August 1, 2012. Grants may be initiated in August 2013 or March 2014. The link to the grant page is http://catalog.cies.org/searchResults.aspx?wa=&dc=BR&di=.

For further assistance, please consult with Amanda Griffith at CIES at agriffith@iie.org or (202) 686-4016.

Berkeley Study Abroad is pleased to announce that registration is now open for its 25th annual Study Abroad Fair on Friday, September 21, 2012. Fair attendees will have access to over 1,500 University of California, Berkeley, students who are looking for the study abroad program that best meets their needs. 

The final deadline to register is June 27, 2012. Participants are encouraged to register as early as possible, as tables will be assigned in the order payment and insurance documentation are received. 

For more information and to register, visit: https://studyabroad-prod.berkeley.edu/fair/exhibitors.php. 

The final deadline to apply for the 2013 International Academic Partnership Program in India is June 29, 2012. Since 2009, IIE’s IAPP India program has experienced much success in partnership building and looks forward to another successful cohort. Most recently, institutional partnership projects proposed by Rutgers University and University of Montana (participants in the 2012 India Program) were selected for the first Obama-Singh 21st Century Knowledge Initiative awards. 

If your institution is seeking to develop strategic institutional partnerships with higher education institutions in India, please consider applying for IIE's International Academic Partnership Program. For more information, please go www.iie.org/iapp or contact Clare Banks at cbanks@iie.org. 

An article in University World News reports on the new Global Universities Partnership on Environment and Sustainability (GUPES), which was initiated by the United Nations Environment Programme and participating universities in advance of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro on June 20th. "GUPES will provide universities with a platform to interact with policy-makers and others within the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and other international organisations as well as with one another specifically on sustainability issues."

To read the full article, please visit: www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20120615172245127.