The Institute of International Education (IIE) is pleased to announce support to 76 organizations across the United States for 84 events in the first cycle of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) Public Education for Peacebuilding Support initiative.  Funded by USIP, this initiative in the coming year will provide up to $2,000 to approximately 250 organizations for events that advance and promote the understanding of peacebuilding and international conflict resolution. 

"The Institute of International Education has a long history of administering programs that work to further the cause of peace, and we are honored to partner with USIP on this new initiative to support these very impressive public events around the country," says IIE President and CEO Allan E. Goodman. 

The USIP-supported events will include:

• A workshop on transforming cross-cultural conflicts through performance at Juniata College in Pennsylvania. Panel inspired by the courage of young Pakistani education advocate Malala Yousufzai titled "Fierce Courage: Muslim Women's Transformative Activism" at California Institute of Integral Studies.
• The "Two Sudans Forum" at Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights.
• Lectures on border violence by the U.S. and Mexican Consuls, held at Eastern Arizona College. 
• A screening and complementary speaker series on Reconciliation in Rwanda at Boise State University.
• A lecture by Zen Buddhist monk, Claude AnShin Thomas, at Virginia’s Marymount University, on his efforts to end war utilizing the conflict resolution potential of Buddhism.

In keeping with its mandate to serve the American people through education and training, the first round of USIP’s Public Education for Peacebuilding Support initiative will assist colleges, universities and public libraries in 32 states as well as Washington, DC. Events that receive USIP Public Education for Peacebuilding Support will address a wide range of themes, such as gender, media, science and technology, sustainable economics, nonviolent conflict resolution, international and regional organizations, post-conflict transitions, and negotiation and mediation. They will also cover country- and region-specific topics.  For a complete list of the colleges, universities and libraries that received support from this initiative, please visit the USIP Support website.  

For more information about USIP’s Public Education for Peacebuilding Support program, including how to apply for the second round of grants, please visit www.iie.org/usipsupport or email usipsupport@iie.org.

The Fulbright Specialist Program (FSP), one of several Fulbright initiatives administered by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES), is looking for qualified academics and professionals in Communications and Journalism, Education, Engineering Education, Law and U.S. Studies to join the Specialist Roster of approved candidates for possible projects in Burma (Myanmar) and elsewhere around the world. The Fulbright Specialist Program, funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is designed to provide short-term grant opportunities of 2 to 6 weeks for U.S. faculty and professionals to more than 135 countries worldwide. Project activities focus on strengthening and supporting the needs of higher education institutions overseas and do not fund research. 

For program details, grantee experiences and the online application form, please visit www.cies.org/specialists.

An article in Times Higher Education discusses Brazil's recent investments in research and development and willingness to collaborate internationally. According the article, "Brazil invested $24.9 billion (£15.6 billion) in research and development in 2010. Although cuts to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation budget last year may dent this figure slightly, it will still be from a base three times bigger than in 2002. Adjusting for the purchasing power of each currency, Brazil now spends more on R&D than Canada or Italy. The boom in spending has seen a commensurate rise in scientific output. The number of papers by Brazilian authors in the Thomson Reuters Science Citation Index doubled between 1997 and 2007, making the country the 13th-largest producer of science in the world."

Read the article at: 

www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=422083&c=2. 

An article in University World News discusses the current challenges Libya faces in rebuilding and reforming its higher education system and proposes that "Libya’s ability to build a strong and diversified economy will depend on its commitment to innovation, creativity and commercialisation within the higher education and research sector." Among suggested ways forward, "the sector will require closer collaboration with institutions in other countries to achieve excellent quality assurance systems and accreditation of educational programmes."

Read the article at: www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20121211091643682. 

A new study, "Skilled Immigration and Innovation: Evidence from Enrollment Fluctuations in U.S. Doctoral Programs," argues that when scholars are drawn from across the world, they bring complementary skills and ideas that aid research.

An article in Inside Higher Ed writes that "the paper's researchers analyzed a database of American and foreign doctoral students at 2,300 science and engineering departments in the U.S. from 1973 to 1998. They looked at how many publications were produced each year and at the number of citations garnered by the papers. If a department had 10 foreign students from five different global regions, it would on average produce 0.76 more publications and win 28.65 more citations a year than one where the international students hailed from just two regions, the research found."

To read the article in Inside Higher Ed, please go to: www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/12/14/study-finds-scientific-benefits-labs-are-internationally-diverse#ixzz2F37CFfHV.  

The report is published in the December edition of The Economic Journal and can be downloaded at: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-0297.2012.02543.x/abstract. 

The UK Higher Education International Unit recently published a report that provides an overview of the 2010/11 data on international student numbers in the UK, trends in international market shares, staff and student mobility (including Erasmus), transnational education (TNE) provided by UK higher education institutions, investment in higher education by country, and other useful data points. 

Download the report at: www.international.ac.uk/media/2199705/international_facts_and_figures_winter_2012-13.pdf. 

An article published on Forbes’ website looks back at 2012 as "a transformative year in education" and offers predictions about "what the higher education environment of 2013 will look like and to what extent it will be impacted by technology". 

Read the full article at: www.forbes.com/sites/groupthink/2012/12/11/5-ways-technology-will-impact-higher-ed-in-2013/. 

An article in the New York Times notes that "China is a hot market for U.S. institutions looking for international students. Among newer entrants are small-town Christian and community colleges that focus on students who may not make it to top universities. Admissions officers from some smaller colleges say they are interested in China partly because they want more globalized campuses, but also because they can find students to pay full tuition."

Read the full article at: www.nytimes.com/2012/12/17/world/asia/17iht-educlede17.html?_r=0.  

The Institute of International Education (IIE) is seeking a Regional Director of sub-Saharan Africa. 

The Regional Director for sub-Saharan Africa, based in Addis Ababa, is responsible for IIE’s operations in the region, including the overall management and supervision of scholarship, higher education services, women’s leadership development initiatives, training programs, new program development, and other activities. The Director provides strategic direction for the office, including managing program development and public relations initiatives; representing IIE to various governmental, nongovernmental, corporate and education stakeholders; and liaising with IIE’s corporate headquarters in New York and International Operations team in Washington, DC. The Director also supervises the Ethiopia office staff, manages the office’s finances and administration; and directly manages and/or provides targeted technical assistance for selected projects. 

The ideal candidate will have a graduate degree in a related field and a minimum of 10 years of experience with at least 5 years of experience in the management, leadership, and /or development of education and training programs or related initiatives in Ethiopia and/or Sub-Saharan Africa. They will also have demonstrated experience managing and contributing technical leadership to gender programs, girls’ education, or women’s empowerment programs; as well as implementing donor-funded initiatives. In particular, experience in effectively implementing USAID-funded programs in compliance with contractual and USG requirements and familiarity with current USAID programs in the region. 

To apply for this position, please go to www.iie.org/careers. 

The inaugural Diversity Abroad Conference - Changing Landscapes: Strategies and Opportunities for Greater Access will bring together professionals from a variety of campus offices including: international education, diversity/multicultural, career services, disability services, academic affairs, and more. The event will include high impact sessions, expert speakers and networking opportunities that will advance your knowledge, improve your skills and expand your professional network.

For more information or to register, go to: 

On January 15th, the Georgia Institute of Technology will host a full-day workshop on the Standards of Good Practice for Education Abroad. The Standards provide a means to assess all areas of education abroad programming and offer guidance in how to ensure quality in areas such as academic programming, student conduct, resources and personnel, and policies and procedures. Using the Standards as a guide, the workshop facilitator will assist the participants in examining their own capabilities at their respective universities or organizations. This workshop will be highly interactive through the use of case studies and the opportunity to discuss the participants’ issues of interest.

The Forum will then facilitate two half-day workshops on January 16th at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA. A QUIP Peer Review Training workshop will be offered in the morning. This workshop is a prerequisite for becoming a Peer Reviewer in the Forum’s Quality Improvement Program (QUIP) and focuses on the concept of quality improvement for education abroad, the implementation of the Forum's Standards of Good Practice, and the role and responsibilities of the QUIP Peer Reviewer. 

In the afternoon, the Forum will offer a workshop on Standard 5: Preparation for the Learning Environment. After a very brief overview of the Standards, participants will discuss various models used to prepare students, faculty and staff for both the sojourn abroad and the return home. Participants are expected to leave this workshop with plans for improved orientation and re-entry models.

More details on these upcoming workshops and links to register can be found at www.forumea.org/events.cfm. 

U.S. universities are invited to apply to host the Natural Sciences cohort of approximately ten Fulbright Visiting Scholars from Libya for faculty development, mentoring and cultural exchange activities.  Participating institutions will enjoy a unique opportunity to establish lasting relationships with faculty members at universities in Libya and to build upon current efforts to internationalize their campuses and surrounding communities.

• Build higher education capacity in Libya through faculty development and mentoring for junior scholars
• Foster long-term collaboration and institutional linkages between Libyan scholars and U.S. academics
• Promote mutual understanding between Libyans and Americans by facilitating the scholars’ engagement with the broader host campus community

CIES seeks proposals from U.S. universities to implement the ten-week summer program scheduled to be held from July 7, 2013 to September 14, 2013. The selected host institution will receive $7,500 per scholar for administration of the program and may be reimbursed up to $4,500 per scholar for housing, as well as up to $1,000 per scholar for lab fees and other costs associated with facilitating the scholars’ access to library, computer, or other lab resources. 

Funded by the U.S. Department of State’s 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 proposal information, please visit: www.cies.org/Fulbright/Libya/. 

Proposals should be submitted to Jillian Foster, jfoster@iie.org, by Monday, January 28. 

The TechWomen program is accepting applications from women who are engaged or rising in professional careers that require significant expertise and knowledge of STEM fields and/or innovative application of these skills, and who already are – or show promise of being – role models for others in their countries, particularly for women and girls. 

Participants travel to California for a professional mentorship and exchange program at leading Silicon Valley companies. TechWomen connects and supports the next generation of women leaders in STEM fields by providing them access and opportunity to advance their careers and pursue their dreams.

Applicants must be women who are permanent residents of Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, the Palestinian Territories, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tunisia, Yemen and Zimbabwe.

TechWomen is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), and administered by IIE’s San Francisco office. 

For more information or an outreach package please contact Heather Ramsey at hramsey@iie.org or visit www.techwomen.org.

The Institute of International Education is pleased to announce the call for nominations for the 9th annual Victor J. Goldberg IIE Prize for Peace in the Middle East. The prize recognizes outstanding work being conducted jointly by two individuals, one Arab and one Israeli, working together to advance the cause of peace in the Middle East. The two individuals whose work is judged to be most successful in bringing people together and breaking down the barriers of hatred will share a $10,000 prize.

We would greatly appreciate your assistance in publicizing this Prize to anyone you know who may be eligible, or who may be interested in nominating others. Please send any questions or comments to goldbergprize@iie.org. 

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for the Prize, at least one of the nominated individuals must have visited the United States as a participant of any program administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE), or any exchange program funded by any of IIE’s sponsors and administered by another organization. Alumni of the following IIE-administered programs, among others, are encouraged to apply: Fulbright Programs, Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowships, International Visitor Leadership Program (formerly International Visitor Program, or IVP), State Department Middle East Partnership Initiative, Ford Foundation International Fellowship Program, Ford Foundation Global Travel and Learning Fund, and training programs funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Fulbright alumni and alumni of the Israel Arab Scholarship Program whose grants were administered by AMIDEAST are also eligible. Similarly, individuals who came to the United States under funding from the Ford Foundation or as part of the International Visitor Leadership Program are eligible even if they were participating in a program coordinated by another organization. 

Nominations may be submitted by the individuals themselves or by a third party. Nominations will be due on February 15, 2013, and the winners will be announced in the spring. A copy of the nomination form can be downloaded at www.iie.org/goldbergprize. 

The Institute of International Education's (IIE) Scholar Rescue Fund (SRF) is pleased to announce a call for applications from scholars facing threats to their lives or academic work. Fellowships support temporary academic positions at colleges, universities and other research institutions outside their home countries anywhere in the world. 

Since IIE-SRF's founding in 2002, the program has provided academic fellowships to nearly 500 scholars from 48 countries, placing them at over 250 host partner institutions in 40 countries.

Professors, researchers and public intellectuals from any country, field or discipline may apply. Please refer eligible candidates and forward this announcement to any academic colleagues who may be interested.

• Qualifying applicants are currently facing or have recently fled from direct and immediate threats. 
• Preference is given to scholars with a Ph.D. or other terminal degree in their field and who have extensive teaching or research experience at a university, college or other institution of higher learning. 
• We strongly encourage applications from female scholars and under-represented groups. 

Information on eligibility and criteria can be found at: www.scholarrescuefund.org/pages/for-scholars/eligibility-amp-criteria.php. 

Please download the application materials from: www.scholarrescuefund.org/pages/for-scholars.php (outreach messages are available in Arabic, French, Persian and Spanish). 

IIE-SRF accepts referrals and applications from third-party nominators who know of a threatened scholar's need for assistance. Please contact SRF@iie.org for details.

To host a IIE-SRF scholar: 

Please visit: www.scholarrescuefund.org/pages/for-hosts.php. Contact SRF@iie.org for questions.

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How the Scholar Rescue Fund works: IIE-SRF fellowships support visiting academic positions for up to one calendar year. Awards are issued for up to US $25,000, plus individual health insurance coverage and professional development assistance. 

 

Fellowships are disbursed through dedicated host academic institutions, which provide direct support and a safe haven for IIE-SRF fellows. In most cases, hosts are asked to match the IIE-SRF fellowship award by providing salary/stipend support and other in-kind assistance that would make the scholar's appointment similar to any visiting position. 

For a late February decision, please submit application materials by January 25, 2013. Please note that applications are accepted at any time and can be considered on an emergency basis.

Visit www.scholarrescuefund.org for more details.

From January 28-30, 2013, the Institute of International Education will host a conference in Erbil, Iraq, on "Modern Teaching Methodology and Excellence in University Teaching". This conference and training workshop will provide an overview of new strategies for improving teaching and learning in universities with a particular focus on teaching methodologies and the use of technology in the classroom. The goals of this conference are to provide Iraqi participants with an understanding of the evolution in teaching and learning methodologies and actions that higher education institutions abroad take to foster teaching excellence, as well as to suggest tools and resources suitable to the Iraqi higher education sector. 

This conference, which is part of a series of symposia presented under the auspices of IIE’s Scholar Rescue Fund/Iraq Project, will set the stage for a proposed conference on student evaluation and assessment methods in June 2013. This project is funded, in part, through the U.S. Department of State. 

For more information, please visit: www.iie.org/Who-We-Are/News-and-Events/Events/2013/IIE-Iraq-Conference-Modern-Teaching-Methodology.