In the most recent post on IIE's Opening Minds blog, the Director of IIE's sub-Saharan Africa office in Addis Ababa Cheryl Francisconi provides suggestions on how to strengthen leadership development initiatives for youths -- especially those in sub-Saharan Africa. 

 

In her post, Cheryl Fransisconi writes that "today, we are experiencing the fastest world population growth in history. Approximately 1.8 billion of the world’s 7 billion people are between the ages of 15-24, and the number of people under the age of 15 is even higher. The majority of these under-15 youths are concentrated in developing countries, especially those in sub-Saharan Africa. Even though they are frequently referred to as "future leaders" in whichever region they live, access to quality higher education is often difficult for them. Those who graduate from universities struggle to find jobs. The world economic crisis is making it difficult for young people across the world to contribute to their communities. At IIE, we believe that everyone has the potential to lead if given the opportunity, and that leadership skills can be developed through both formal and informal processes. Even more importantly, we believe that leadership is about developing and inspiring the next generation."

 

Read the blog post at: www.iie.org/en/Blog/2012/October/Youth-Leadership-Development.

According to an article in The PIE News, "Canadian universities have reported a 12% increase in international student enrollment numbers for the fall semester. The figures include all provinces except Quebec which will turn in its numbers in November, but are a further sign that Canada is growing as a study destination."

"Canada is working to build on its appeal as a study destination and will soon release its first national strategy for international education. Recommendations put forward in consultation include almost doubling the number of international students studying in Canada within 10 years from 239,000 to around 450,000."

Read the article at: www.thepienews.com/news/foreign-enrolments-up-12-canada/.

See media release from the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada: www.aucc.ca/media-room/news-and-commentary/new-university-enrolment-figures-show-increases-in-international-grad-students-2. 

A recent article in University World News discusses the progress of branch campus development in Malaysia: "The Malaysian government wants ... reputable foreign universities to establish branch campuses and has publicly encouraged their entry, clearing regulatory hurdles that might impede their development."

 

Read the article at: 

www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20121025152705175.

 

Read Malaysia's "National Priorities Statement" or watch a video clip with Siti Hamisah Tapsir, Deputy Director General of Malaysia's Ministry of Higher Education, from the 2012  International Education Summit on the Occasion of the G8:

www.iie.org/en/Who-We-Are/News-and-Events/Events/2012/G8-Conference-2012/Multimedia/National-Priority-Statements.

 

Read the article at: www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20121101090206403.

The Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program for Iraq is designed to bring junior Iraqi scholars to U.S. host institutions for faculty development, mentoring, and cultural exchange activities. The intent of the ten-week program is to equip scholars with the knowledge and tools needed to build the capacity of universities in Iraq and to advance the education of future generations of Iraqis. In addition, it lays the foundation for Iraqi scholars and their U.S. hosts to develop long-term institutional relationships and to identify areas of cooperation that can be sustained beyond the grant period. 

Through this request for proposal, IIE’s Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) seeks five host institutions to implement the ten-week summer program scheduled to be held from June 29, 2013 through September 7, 2013. Approximately seven scholars will be placed in disciplined-based cohorts at each of the five selected U.S. host institutions. U.S. host institutions are to submit a proposal to host scholars in one of the following disciplines: American Literature; Engineering; Political Science; Science and Technology; TEFL/linguistics.

Participating institutions will enjoy a unique opportunity to establish lasting relationships with faculty members at universities in Iraq and to build upon current efforts to internationalize their campuses and surrounding communities.

Funded by the U.S. Embassy Baghdad, Iraq and supported by U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), this program is administered by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES), a division of the Institute of International Education (IIE).

For more information about program goals, host institution eligibility requirements, and application information, please go to: www.cies.org/Fulbright/Iraq/. 

The Chateaubriand Fellowship in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM), offered by the Embassy of France in the U.S. (Office for Science and Technology - OST), supports young scientists who wish to conduct part of their doctoral research in a French laboratory for a 4 to 9 month period. 

The fellowship aims to initiate or reinforce collaborations, partnerships or joint projects by encouraging exchange at the doctoral level. The OST supports PhD students who are registered in an American university and participating in a co-supervised PhD with a French university. A stipend of up to 1,400 €/month will be provided to cover the cost of travel and student health insurance. Knowledge of French is not mandatory. All STEM and Health disciplines are eligible. 

The application is available online: www.chateaubriand-fellowship.org. For more information, candidates and American/French research teams can contact the OST at stem.coordinator@chateaubriand-fellowship.org or (202) 944-6620. 

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is offering three internship programs for summer 2013: RISE (Research Internships in Science and Engineering), RISE professional and RISE worldwide. RISE has established itself as an outstanding opportunity to combine serious research with a rewarding study-abroad experience. All three programs are targeted to students from the fields of engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, earth sciences (geology) and related disciplines.

RISE undergrads have the opportunity to work on cutting edge research projects at top research institutions (e.g., Max-Planck-Institutes) and universities in Germany. To learn more about RISE, please visit: www.daad.de/rise/en or email: rise@daad.de. 

RISE professional is designed for recent graduates, Master's and PhD students, and undergraduate RISE/DAAD alumni who are matched with a well-known German company, where they gain insight into the professional applications of science and engineering and develop practical skills. To learn more and register, please visit: www.daad.de/rise-pro/en or email: rise-pro@daad.de. 

RISE worldwide is opened for German students in the early stages of their studies who have the ambition to work abroad and gain hands-on research experience in their fields will be matched with researchers worldwide who wish to engage in a meaningful cooperation with a young German scholar. Research groups interested in hosting a German research assistant in the summer of 2013 are invited to participate in RISE worldwide and to submit project proposals at:

www.daad.de/rise-weltweit/en. 

The Acumen Fund’s Global Fellows Program is a one-year fellowship program designed to train the next generation of social impact leaders. Fellows undergo two months of leadership training in New York and then spend nine months with one of Acumen Fund’s investee companies in India, Pakistan, East or West Africa providing on the ground management assistance and strategic support to help scale the business.

Competitive applicants for the Global Fellows Program will meet the following criteria:

• Strong business experience – such as finance, operations, or consulting
• Demonstrated passion and commitment to creating positive social change
• Proven track record of leadership and management responsibilities
• Experience living and working in emerging markets
• Unrelenting perseverance, moral fiber, and critical thinking skills
• 3-5 years of work experience

Apply now at www.acumenfund.org/fellows/global-fellows-program/apply-now.html or invite a friend to join the next class of Global Fellows, which begins in September 2013.

The Institute of International Education has selected fourteen U.S. colleges and universities for the 2012/13 Brazil initiative of IIE’s International Academic Partnership Program (IAPP). They will participate in a year-long series of training activities to help each institution implement and sustain partnerships with institutions in Brazil, culminating with a study tour to Brazil in spring 2013 to meet with potential partner campuses.

The participating U.S. campuses are: Arizona State University, Ball State University, California State University – Long Beach, Central College, Fort Hays State University, Indian Hills Community College, Morgan State University, Parsons The New School for Design, Savannah State University, SUNY Plattsburgh, The University of Tulsa, Washington and Jefferson College, Webster University, and Western Michigan University.  

IIE's Center for International Partnerships will guide the campus representatives through a strategic planning process in the current academic year, to prepare for forming partnerships with institutions in Brazil. This group will also benefit from the experiences of a previous delegation of high-level officials representing 18 U.S. higher education institutions that IIE led to Brazil in April to meet with potential partner campuses and learn about Brazilian higher education.

To read the full press release, please visit: www.iie.org/Who-We-Are/News-and-Events/Press-Center/Press-Releases/2012/10-26-2012-Brazil-Delegation-Press-Release.