On August 28, 2012, IIE and the EducationUSA network, supported by the U.S. Department of State, hosted the second national conference call with high-level U.S. and Libyan officials on establishing academic linkages between higher education institutions in the United States and Libya.

The call, "Establishing Higher Education Linkages with Libya," hosted by IIE's President and CEO Allan E. Goodman, featured Ambassador Christopher Stevens, U.S. Ambassador to Libya; Dr. Medani, President of Tripoli University; Dr. Nefati, Deputy President of Tripoli University and Liaison to the U.S.-Libya Higher Education Taskforce; Mietek Boduszynski, Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Libya; and Meghann Curtis, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Academic Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State. The call also featured high-level participation from several Libyan universities, as well as more than 50 U.S. higher education institutions and other educational organizations. 

The conference call included updates on the U.S.-Libya Higher Education Task Force, U.S. Government priorities and support of higher education in Libya, Libya's education priorities, and a lively discussion on potential areas for collaboration. Libyan universities are particularly eager to engage with U.S. institutions in some of the following ways: research collaboration, curriculum development, development of joint academic programs, faculty development, training for technical and administrative staff, English language training, and student exchanges. 

IIE also formally announced the launch of the International Academic Partnership Program with Libya and an upcoming higher education delegation to Libya. The program will select a group of U.S. higher education institutions to participate in an accelerated strategic planning process for developing institutional partnerships with Libya, and learning how to utilize those partnerships to build higher education capacity in Libya. The application deadline to participate is September 28. For more, please visit www.iie.org/iapp. 

For more information, and to listen to a recording of the call, please go to: www.iie.org/Who-We-Are/News-and-Events/Events/2012/Second-National-Conference-Call-on-Libya.

The Institute of International Education invites you to nominate your program for the 2013 Andrew Heiskell Awards for Innovation in International Education. IIE created these awards to honor outstanding initiatives in international higher education by IIENetwork member universities and colleges. IIE's Heiskell Awards showcase the most innovative and successful models for internationalization of campuses, study abroad, and international partnerships in practice today. There are four award categories for 2013.

Read more about the award categories and download the application at: www.iie.org/Who-We-Are/IIENetwork-Membership/Heiskell-Awards.

 

If you have any questions about nominating for the Andrew Heiskell Awards for Innovation in International Education, please send an email to HeiskellAwards@iie.org.

An article in BBC argues that the fast-growing mobile market in Africa offers opportunities for education in the region. "An increasing number of initiatives—some large-scale, some small—are using mobile technologies to distribute educational materials, support reading, and enable peer-to-peer learning and remote tutoring through social networking services. Mobiles are streamlining education administration and improving communication between schools, teachers and parents."

To read the full article, please visit www.bbc.com/future/story/20120823-what-africa-can-learn-from-phones.

An article in the Chronicle of Higher Education reports on the growing number of European higher education institutions that track their students during and after their studies. The article centers on the findings of a "two-year study that analyzed the approaches higher-education institutions and governments in 31 European countries have used to follow people's progress during their time in university and beyond."

To read the full article, please visit http://chronicle.com/article/More-European-Universities/133956/.

The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Almanac of Higher Education 2012 is now available online. The Almanac issue is the Chronicle of Higher Education’s annual compendium of college and university data. It gathers key data about the most important trends in higher education, including student demographics, institutional resources, and changes in the professoriate. 

To read the Almanac of Higher Education issue, please visit: http://chronicle.com/section/Almanac-of-Higher-Education-2012/615/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en.

World Education Services (WES) has just published a new report entitled "Not All International Students Are the Same: Understanding Segments, Mapping Behavior" and authored by Dr. Rahul Choudaha, Director of WES Research & Advisory Services. Drawing on a survey of nearly 1,600 prospective international students from 115 countries, the study highlights differences in students’ academic preparedness and financial resources, and how they impact both what information they look for and where they look for while applying to U.S. higher education institutions.

Some other key findings explored in the report include:

• The segmentation of international students into four profiles based on academic preparedness and financial resources: strivers, strugglers, explorers, and highfliers
• Use of information channels and importance students place on different sources
• Profile of students using recruitment agents as compared to students who do not use agents
• Comparison of student segments for the top two source countries: China and India 
• Role of social media in recruitment and its relevance in meeting student information needs

For more information and to download the report, please visit: www.wes.org/ewenr/12aug/feature.htm.

An article in Time magazine reports on the many challenges and opportunities that the rise of international branch campuses presents for East Asia. From 2009-11, Singapore saw a 50 percent increase in their international branch campuses (18 campuses in total), while China saw a 70 percent increase (17 campuses). According to the article, "Malaysia and Singapore are pushing to become regional hubs for higher education, starting with IBCs. Hou Kok Chung, a Deputy Minister for Higher Education of Malaysia, says that his government hopes to establish as many foreign campuses as possible, as long as the original school has a high enough international ranking and a good reputation. The country already has seven IBCs, and is currently reviewing applications for 25 more."

To read the full article, please visit: http://world.time.com/2012/08/27/universities-look-east-fueling-branch-campus-boom/.

An article in the Chronicle of Higher Education reports on China's goal of bringing half a million foreign students to its shores by 2020. "To reach the bold target, the Ministry of Education is pouring money into colleges to establish programs friendly to Americans and other international students." Internationalizing Chinese campuses and offering more English-taught courses are seen as ways to improve the international standing of the country's higher education system.

To read the full article, please visit: http://chronicle.com/article/China-Puts-Out-the-Welcome-Mat/133543/.

The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) has just released four short videos on accreditation. Colleges, universities, accrediting organizations, and other higher education associations can provide user-friendly information on accreditation to the public by linking to one or more of these videos.

The videos include:

• Accreditation and Its Value to You
• Types of Accreditation: What's the Difference?
• Degree Mills and Accreditation Mills
• The Council for Higher Education Accreditation

The Forum on Education Abroad’s first European conference focuses on the education abroad destination that has been and continues to be the most popular for U.S. students: Europe, including the United Kingdom and Ireland. The conference will take place on December 5-7, 2012, in Dublin, Ireland, and will address the theme: "Reinventing the European Experience: Culture, Politics and Diversity in U.S. Education Abroad."

 

This conference seeks to understand how a changing and evolving Europe creates new realities for U.S. education abroad. What attracts students to study abroad in Europe? How can we best maximize their learning opportunities by drawing on the distinctive opportunities that Europe offers? What are the special challenges of developing, implementing, and sustaining education abroad in Europe?

 

The conference will address the interests of education abroad administrators and faculty who work and teach in Europe, as well as colleagues from the United States who work with European programs and universities. The goal of the conference will be to share ideas for model practices for U.S. education abroad in Europe, including program design and curriculum, teaching, and a wide range of administrative issues and topics.

For more information and to register, please visit: www.forumea.org/Dublin2012.cfm.

In the twenty-first century, knowledge-based economies will create the wealth, prosperity, and well-being of nations. Research and tertiary education systems are primary drivers of these, playing three key roles. They produce cutting-edge knowledge; they transfer, exchange, and apply that to drive innovation; and they educate knowledge workers. 

The British Council’s Going Global 2013 conference examines the extent to which these roles and systems are already internationalized and what impact they have on the wealth, prosperity, and well-being of nations, communities, and cultures. The conference examines current practices, systems, and delivery mechanisms and what can be learned from these. It will identify future trends, and explore the challenges and opportunities these present for research and tertiary systems in creating knowledge-based economies and 21st century nations.

For more information, including how to register and submit proposals, please visit: http://ihe.britishcouncil.org/going-global.

Boren Awards provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to study in Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East, where they can add important international and language components to their educations. The Boren Awards are initiatives of the National Security Education Program (NSEP) and are administered by the Institute of International Education. The applications for the 2013-2014 David L. Boren Scholarships and Fellowships are now available at www.borenawards.org. 

Boren Scholars and Fellows represent a variety of academic backgrounds, but all are interested in studying less commonly taught languages, including but not limited to Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Swahili. As part of the African Languages Initiative, Boren Award applicants have the opportunity to further their study of Akan/Twi, Hausa, Portuguese, Swahili, Wolof, Yoruba, or Zulu. For a complete list of languages, visit the Boren website.

Undergraduate students can receive up to $20,000 for an academic year's study abroad and graduate students up to $30,000 for language study and international research. In exchange for funding, recipients commit to working in the federal government for a minimum of one year.

For more information about the Boren Awards, to register for an upcoming webinar, and to access the online application, please visit www.borenawards.org. You can also contact the Boren Awards staff at boren@iie.org or 1-800-618-NSEP with questions.

The Institute of International Education is currently preparing the 2013 edition of its annual directory Funding for United States Study: A Guide for International Students and Professionals, the print companion to IIE's online search engine www.fundingusstudy.org. The final deadline to update your listings is August 31, 2012.

With more than 500 grant and scholarship listings, Funding for United States Study is the most comprehensive directory on finding funding for study in the United States. It features detailed descriptions of grants, fellowships, and scholarships for undergraduate and graduate study, and doctoral and postdoctoral research in the United States. All listings are free of charge and provide an excellent opportunity to publicize your institution's programs. 

For institutions whose listings appeared in the previous year's directory, we ask that you verify and update your listings and contact information or add new listings by visiting:   www.fundingusstudy.org/OVS/login0.asp.

Institutions whose listings did not appear in previous years' directories can add their scholarships or grants that are available for international students by visiting: www.fundingusstudy.org/OVS/EditInstitution.asp?AC=New.

Funding for United States Study is a trusted resource for international students seeking study in the United States. It's proven to be an effective forum to showcase U.S. campus to this community. Advertisers include community colleges, public and private universities, undergraduate and graduate programs, many of which may be recruiting the same type of students your institution seeks. Rates are affordable and some prime positions remain. For additional details, contact Jeff Bunkin at Naylor, LLC, at 352.333.3342 or via email at jbunkin@naylor.com.

With questions, please contact lepplin@iie.org.

The Distinguished Fulbright Awards in Teaching Program recognizes and encourages excellence in teaching in the U.S. and abroad. U.S. and international teachers receive grants to study at university, observe classes, and complete a project pertaining to their field of educational inquiry during their time abroad. The program is open to teachers from the U.S. and selected countries in multiple world regions. The application deadline is December 15, 2012.

The U.S. Department of State sponsors the Distinguished Fulbright Awards in Teaching Program in coordination with the Institute of International Education (IIE), U.S. Embassies and Consulates, Fulbright Commissions, and other partners overseas.

• Master’s degree or enrolled in a master’s program
• Full-time K-12 teaching position, including classroom teachers, guidance counselors, curriculum coordinators,
• Special Education coordinators, media specialists/librarians and talented and gifted coordinators
• Spend at least 50 percent of time interacting with students
• Five years of full time teaching experience
• Proven track record of professional development activities and leadership
• Other requirements as indicated on the website

The participating countries in 2013-14 are: Argentina, Finland, India, Mexico, Morocco, Singapore, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. For more information and to apply, please visit: http://fulbrightteacherexchange.org/da-info-flier.

The National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) is part of a multi-agency U.S. government initiative launched in January 2006 to improve Americans’ ability to engage with people from around the world who speak Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Korean, Persian (Tajik), Russian, and Turkish. The U.S. Department of State, in cooperation with American Councils as the program administrator, awards full merit-based scholarships to American high school students for participation in summer and academic-year language programs in countries/locations where the seven NSLI-Y languages are spoken. Programs immerse participants in the cultural life of the host country, giving them invaluable formal and informal language practice and sparking a lifetime interest in foreign languages and cultures.

NSLI-Y scholars participate in intensive language classes, host family relationships, and volunteer projects to embrace formal and informal opportunities for meaningful language practice with native speakers.

• Applicants must be U.S. citizens
• Age 15 to 18 at the start of the program
• Minimum GPA of 2.5/4.0 is required
• The U.S. Department of State and American Councils seek broad diversity, including but not limited to ethnicity, race, gender, religion, socioeconomic background, geographic location, and disability.

For more information and to apply, please visit www.nsliforyouth.org.

On August 28th, during the IIE/EducationUSA Libya conference call on U.S.-Libya partnerships, IIE’s Center for International Partnerships announced the launch of a new International Academic Partnership Program (IAPP) focusing on Libya. Beginning in October 2012, IAPP Libya will engage a select group of U.S. higher education institutions in a number of training activities focused on developing a partnership strategy with Libya and addressing key academic partnership sectors, including business, health, and capacity-building. The program includes a delegation to Libya in early 2013.

Since 2009, IAPP has engaged more than 50 U.S. higher education institutions in comprehensive programs aimed at increasing the number of partnerships between U.S. higher education institutions and their counterparts abroad. Past participants have increased their faculty exchanges, implemented institutional strategic plans, expanded study abroad offerings, and enhanced their overall engagement with the focus countries. If you are interested in participating in this program, please contact Clare Banks at cbanks@iie.org or visit www.iie.org/iapp.

To listen to a recording of the conference call, please go to: www.iie.org/Who-We-Are/News-and-Events/Events/2012/Second-National-Conference-Call-on-Libya.

Application Deadline: September 28, 2012 

Program Cycle: October 2012–March 2013 

Study Tour to Libya: Early 2013 (tentative) 

Program Cost: IIENetwork members $10,000/Non-members $11,000. This includes all in-country costs for one representative from your institution to travel on the delegation to Libya, not including international airfare. 

1. Strategic planning process, including guidelines for assessing on-campus international partnership capacity and developing practical strategic plans for partnership activities in Libya. 
2. Expert advice and guidance on developing or expanding a strategic plan for partnerships with Libya by one of the members of the IAPP Libya Advisory Board and IIE Staff.
3. A study tour/delegation to Libya that will include visits to select higher education institutions, the Ministry of Education, the U.S. Embassy, and other educational exchange organizations. All in-country expenses for one representative from each institution will be covered as part of the program fees. Participants are responsible for covering their international airfare. 
4. A series of training webinars, focused on topics such as implementing strategic partnerships, capacity building, developing a consolidated partnership strategy, and higher education in Libya.
5. A suite of information resources on the higher education system in Libya, and current IIE publications and policy research reports. 

For more information, or to download the IAPP Libya application, please go to: www.iie.org/iapp. If you have questions, please contact Clare Banks at cbanks@iie.org or +1 (212) 984-5481.

An article in ASU News reports that Arizona State University has been chosen by the Institute of International Education to participate in the 2013 India initiative of the International Academic Partnership Program (IAPP). The IAPP program, originally funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), is a major initiative of IIE’s Center for International Partnerships in Higher Education that seeks to increase the number of international partnerships between higher education institutions in the U.S. and those abroad.

According to Denis Simon, ASU vice provost for International Strategic Initiatives in the office of International Strategic Initiatives, "This initiative will allow us to establish a range of new academic partnerships that will support our internationalization goals regarding student recruitment, research collaboration and institutional cooperation...India is one of the world’s most populous nations, but it also is a country where a great deal of emphasis has been placed on higher education as a mechanism to advance the country’s economic development goals. We believe we can play a meaningful role preparing Indian students for the globalized world of the 21st century. We also believe that this initiative will help open doors for ASU students and faculty to study and conduct research in India."

To read the full article, please visit https://asunews.asu.edu/20120822_Indiainitiative.