The Institute of International Education (IIE), in cooperation with IIE’s Scholar Rescue Fund (SRF), held a conference on advancing higher education in Iraq from January 29-31 in Erbil, Iraq. Approximately 180 Iraqi scholars, university presidents, vice presidents, deans, Iraqi government officials, U.S. Embassy officials, and international experts participated. This was the third in a series of seven conferences to be held by IIE’s Scholar Rescue Fund and designed to engage key stakeholders in encouraging further progress on higher education development efforts in Iraq.

The goals were to provide Iraqi participants with an overview of quality assurance, accreditation, and institutional effectiveness through a series of presentations, panels, and breakout sessions, and to suggest tools and resources suitable to the Iraqi higher education sector’s capacity development efforts. The conference provided Iraqi participants with information and perspectives on the development of first-rate quality assurance models, particularly those in the United States and the UK, which might be effectively adapted to enhance their work within the Iraqi higher education structure.

Key themes that emerged from the conference include:

• The Iraqi Ministries of Higher Education and Iraqi universities face a number of challenges in realizing an effective quality assurance model in Iraq given the current political, social, and financial conditions.
• A shared understanding that quality assurance is a "national issue" and not merely a university issue emerged over the three days. While there is significant diversity in Iraqi higher education that needs to be considered when developing an Iraqi quality assurance model, participants noted that there is a need in Iraq for common definitions and standards, assessment measures, financial support, policies, and a strategy or direction for quality assurance.
• There are many models of quality assurance employed by countries such as the United States, the UK, continental Europe, and Malaysia, but these differing models have evolved over time from the cultural and academic values of each individual country. Therefore, it is important for Iraq to not seek a quick solution or to simply replicate other country models, but to develop its own uniquely Iraqi model and culture of quality assurance.
• Participants expressed the need to develop a better understanding of what drives quality assurance in Iraq, what its underlying philosophy and purpose is, and what its role in society is. Why do we do it and for whom were questions frequently raised?
• A quality assurance culture is starting to flourish in Iraq, but there needs to be more discussions on how to formulate an effective quality assurance and accreditation model in Iraq given the fact that higher education is centrally controlled. Where to start and how to prioritize were often cited as concerns.

The next IIE conference in Iraq is scheduled for June 2012 and will focus on developing and enhancing global academic linkages.

For more information, please visit: www.iie.org/Who-We-Are/News-and-Events/Events/2012/IIE-Iraq-Conference-Quality-Assurance-and-Accreditation.

 

On February 1, 2012, the Institute of International Education (IIE) hosted an event to commemorate the launch of Weaving Success: Voices of Change in African Higher Education, a new publication that tells of innovation and change across campuses and national boundaries. IIE convened this event on behalf of the Partnership for Higher Education in Africa, an unprecedented collaboration between seven major U.S. foundations to support African higher education institutions in building capacity and training the next generation of scholars, public servants, and entrepreneurs. The ten-year, $440 million initiative was directly and indirectly responsible for improving conditions for over four million students at 379 African colleges and universities.

The initiative served nine African countries: Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. The PHEA foundations included: Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Ford Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and The Kresge Foundation.

A highlight of the event was a panel discussion on "Supporting the Ongoing Transformation of African Higher Education," with Ernest Aryeetey, Vice-Chancellor, University of Ghana; Olugbemiro Jegede, Secretary General, Association of African Universities; and Brian O’Connell, Rector & Vice-Chancellor, University of Western Cape.

To read more about the event and see a photo slideshow, please visit: www.iie.org/PHEALaunch.

 Weaving Success is available for download at no cost in a variety of electronic formats. For more information and to download the book, please visit: www.iie.org/weavingsuccess.

 

The Institute of International Education (IIE), with the support of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), launched an initiative to expand the capacity of key nontraditional destination countries to host a larger number of U.S. study abroad students. The project has been carried out in India, Brazil, Turkey, and other countries, in partnership with EducationUSA, the Forum on Education Abroad, the American Association of Community Colleges, and the U.S.-India Educational Foundation (USIEF).

IIE has just launched two new white papers from this initiative: Expanding U.S. Study Abroad to India and Expanding U.S. Study Abroad to Turkey. Both reports begin with an overview of the current state of the higher education sector in their country of focus, with a particular focus on the current state of U.S. study abroad to these countries. The second portion of the report focuses on existing study abroad programs available to U.S. students, and challenges and recommendations for expanding study abroad to India and Turkey.

Hard copies of the reports are available for purchase at www.iiebooks.org, or you can download PDFs of the reports at www.iie.org/publications.

 

Washington, D.C.
February 19-22, 2012

The AIEA Conference will take place at the J.W. Marriot in Washington, D.C., and will focus on "Building a Secure World through International Education." IIE and EducationUSA staff will be represented at the AIEA Conference and will participate in the following panel discussions and sessions:

Panels and Events

Monday, February 20

12:30-1:45pm
Panel: Hot Topics in International Education: Perspectives from Latin America, Australia, Southern Africa, North America
Chair: Peggy Blumenthal, Senior Counselor to the President, IIE
Panelists: Thomas Buntru, Betty Leask, Nico Jooste, Jennifer Humphries

3:15-4:30pm
Panel: The Lions Roar: The Progress and Potential of Sub-Saharan Africa
Chair: Clara Priester, EducationUSA
Panelists: Daniel Paracka, Jeffrey Riedinger, Susan Buck Sutton

4:45-6:00pm
Panel: What International Students Think about U.S. Higher Education
Chair: Shannon Harrison, Assistant Director of Higher Education Services, IIE
Panelists: Rita Moriconi, Lauren Welch

4:45-6:00pm
Panel: Emerging Trends and New Developments in U.S. Study Abroad
Chair: Rajika Bhandari, Deputy Vice President, Research and Evaluation, IIE
Panelists: Sebastian Fohrbeck, Yolande Zahler, IIE

Tuesday, February 21

3:45-4:45pm
Panel: Developing U.S.-China Partnerships: Challenges and Opportunities
Chair: Shannon Harrison, IIE
Panelists: Yenbo Wu, Lisa Williams, Danny Damron

Panel: Hot Topics in International Education: Perspectives from East Asia, Europe, Middle East, U.S.
Chair: Peggy Blumenthal, IIE
Panelists: Xinyu Yang, Gudrun Paulsdottir, Jerome Bookin-Weiner

Wednesday, February 22

8:45-9:45am
Panel: U.S.-Indonesia Academic Partnerships: Strategies and Lessons Learned
Chair: Clare Banks, Program Manager, Center for International Partnerships, IIE
Panelists: Mohamed El-Aasser, Allen Hicken, Diana Jahja

1:30-2:45pm
Panel: Foreign Government Scholarships and Increasing Numbers of Sponsored Students
Chair: Kristen Cammarata, EducationUSA
Panelists: Jonathan Lembright, Rita Moriconi

1:30-2:45pm
Panel: The U.S. Liberal Arts Bachelor’s versus the Bologna Bachelor’s: Are We Talking about the Same Thing?
Chair: Dr. Sebastian Fohrbeck, Director, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), New York
Panelists: Michelle Dervan, Ioanna Kohler, Linda Tobash, IIE

For more information about the AIEA conference, please visit www.aieaworld.org.

 

Application Deadline: August 1, 2012

The Fulbright Scholar Program for 2013-14 is now open. The Fulbright Scholar Program offers teaching, research, or combination teaching/research awards in over 125 countries for the 2013-2014 academic year. Opportunities are available for college and university faculty and administrators as well as for professionals, artists, journalists, scientists, lawyers, independent scholars, and many others. There are awards in 45 specific academic disciplines as well as 167 awards open to all disciplines.

Interested faculty and professionals are encouraged to participate in one of the weekly webinars run by IIE’s Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES). Each deals with a topic germane to the 2013-2014 competition, from regional and discipline information to how to fill out an application. For more information, visit www.cies.org/Webinar/.

The application deadline for most awards is August 1, 2012. U.S. citizenship is required. For other eligibility requirements and detailed award descriptions, visit the CIES website at www.cies.org/us_scholars/us_awards/ or contact scholars@iie.org.

 

The nomination process for the 2012 WISE Prize is now open. This global award recognizes an individual or a team for an outstanding, world-class contribution to education. It raises international awareness of education's crucial role in all societies, and gives it similar prestige to other areas for which there are major international prizes.

WISE welcomes nominations for the 2012 Laureate from individuals and institutions with a demonstrable commitment to education. Nominations will be evaluated by the WISE Prize Committee, which will make a pre-selection.

An international jury of distinguished individuals will make the final selection of the Laureate, whose name will be announced at the 2012 WISE Summit, November 13-15, in Doha, Qatar. The winner will receive $500,000 (US) and a specially designed gold medal.

For more information, please visit: www.wise-qatar.org/content/wise-prize-education.

 

St. Petersburg College (SPC) is searching for a Director of International Programs. The basic functions of the position entail: direct study abroad, international initiatives, and international student services. The director will also be responsible for energetically sharing and creating a vision to internationalize SPC and foster the staff and students’ global perspectives.

Responsibilities
The responsibilities for this position include:

• Creating a college-wide internationalization strategic plan that entails collaboration with stakeholders to help articulate and implement.
• Promoting visibility of international education endeavors on campus, and emphasizing skills in the international arena as an essential component of a well-rounded education.
• Coordinating a globalization of SPC through the academics and student service aspects of the institution.
• Ensuring the preparation of reports for government agencies and educational institutions.
• Supervising Center for International Program employees.
• Developing, promoting, and directing International Studies programs, initiatives and International Student Services.

Educational Requirements
The candidate should have a master’s degree from an accredited institution, preferably in a field compatible with government and higher education, or international business/international relations; or the equivalent in related experience.

Experience Requirements
The candidate should have four years of related administrative experience, including:

• Experience in international education including developing, directing and administering programs and services, as well as budgetary and supervisory experience;
• Experience in study abroad administration and/or advising and experience working in international student services;
• Knowledge of visa processes for both incoming and outgoing students, including knowledge of F, J, and other relevant visas.
• Extensive knowledge of the issues related to education abroad, including knowledge of pre-departure orientation, financial aid, risk management, and other issues related to education abroad.

For more detailed information about the position and to apply please go to: https://www.spcollege.edu/hrapp/application/jobs.php?pos_type=P

 

April 4-6, 2012
Bangkok, Thailand
Deadline to Register for the EducationUSA Pavilion: February 15, 2012

EducationUSA will host the EducationUSA Pavilion to promote U.S. higher education at the Asia Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE) Annual Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 4-6, 2012, in order to bring the U.S. higher education community to the forefront in building institutional partnerships with this important world region. The EducationUSA Pavilion provides a cost-effective platform for accredited U.S. colleges and universities to showcase their institutions and connect with higher education institutions in East Asia and the Pacific.

For more information or to register, please visit the APAIE-EducationUSA Pavilion website or contact educationusa@iie.org.

 

March 31–April 2, 2012
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Deadline to Register: February 15, 2012

The EducationUSA East Asia and Pacific Triennial Conference will take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on March 31-April 2, 2012. This conference will bring together over 70 EducationUSA advisers from 25 countries with over 100 representatives from the U.S. higher education community.

Participating international admission staff from U.S. colleges and universities will have the opportunity to learn from EducationUSA advisers and Regional Educational Advising Coordinators (REACs) on effective strategies to reach and recruit prospective EAP students. The event will also include a U.S. Higher Education Fair for prospective students from Malaysia.

For more information or to register, please visit EducationUSA EAP Triennial, or contact kl2012@educationusa.info.

 

Application Deadline: February 15, 2012

On behalf of the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), the Institute of International Education (IIE) is issuing a reminder to interested colleges and universities that the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) host institution application is open for AY 2012-13 submissions. The deadline for applications to become a host institution is February 15, 2012.

The Application
The direct link for colleges and universities to apply for an FLTA is: https://hostapp.flta.fulbrightonline.org/.

If you are a host institution new to the program, please use the "sign up by clicking here" link. Returning host institutions will be able to access their previous applications and update their information. If you have forgotten your password, please utilize the "password reset" link on the host application login page.

New Application Component
After IIE staff evaluates finalized applications, all institutions will be asked (via a follow-up email) to re-access their applications and review a draft copy of the Terms of Appointment. The "Terms" is the document issued to FLTA candidates that outlines program requirements and award details. A great deal of the information you submit in the host application is directly transferred to the Terms. Instructions on how to complete this process will be sent in a future message. The period for review of Terms will begin on or about February 16, 2012.

Please note that the application process is competitive. There are a limited number of FLTAs in each language. A review of Terms does not ensure selection as a host institution.

Funding Information
The FLTA Program is organized into three components depending on the level and source of funding provided to the fellows. If you would like more information on funding and the list of languages, please visit: www.flta.fulbrightonline.org/become_languages_countries.html. Specific information on becoming a host institution is available at www.flta.fulbrightonline.org/become.html. For information on all aspects of the FLTA Program, we encourage you to review the website: www.flta.fulbrightonline.org.

Benefits of Hosting an FLTA
By hosting an FLTA, you will further the goal of increasing mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries. At the same time, an FLTA will enhance and complement your teaching of foreign languages in many ways. FLTAs add a youthful, up-to-date cultural component to foreign language classes as well as to student life on your campus in general. Having an FLTA host language tables, cooking sessions, and other co-curricular events offers U.S. students the possibility of working with a young native speaker in nontraditional settings. This interaction makes the studying and learning of the language more meaningful and real.

Schools wishing to host a Fulbright FLTA are free to tailor the program to meet their unique needs. FLTAs often teach beginning and intermediate classes or offer tutorial sessions to improve students’ language acquisition. On many campuses they serve as directors of language houses or language floors, offering students uncommon access to the target languages.

For more information, please contact Marsha Frith at mfrith@iie.org.

 

Nomination Deadline: March 1, 2012

The call for nominations for the eighth annual Victor J. Goldberg IIE Prize for Peace in the Middle East is now open. 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 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 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 Thursday, March 1, 2012, and the winners will be announced in the spring. A copy of the nomination form can be downloaded at www.iie.org/goldbergprize.

 

Germany Today 2012:
Innovative Concepts—Transforming Germany’s Academic Landscape
June 9-16, 2012
Application Deadline: March 2, 2012

Every year, DAAD organizes an informational visit to Germany to give North American researchers, faculty, and university administrators as well as policy-makers in federal and state/provincial governments or associations, and other experts in the higher education field an overview of latest developments and innovative programs at our universities and research institutes. The motto of his year’s trip is "Innovative Concepts—Transforming Germany’s Academic Landscape." The program includes visits to Bonn, Cologne, Giessen, Jena, and Berlin, and will take place on June 9-16, 2012. These cities are home to universities with programs that have won extra funding through the so-called "Excellence Initiative," a funding strategy through which the German government has channelled almost two billion Euros toward higher education and research.

North American participants in this program are typically senior administrators at leading universities in the U.S. and Canada, policy-makers in federal and state/provincial governments or associations, and other experts in the higher education field. The program will be in English. All program-related costs in Europe (accommodations, domestic travel, most meals) will be covered by DAAD. The program starts on Saturday, June 9, with an informal dinner and ends on Saturday, June 16, in Berlin. Intercontinental travel is at the participant’s expense.

Applicants must have U.S. or Canadian citizenship or be permanent residents, a special interest in Germany and transatlantic cooperation, and a relevant professional position. They should not have recently participated in another information trip to Germany.

Applications must be received by March 2, 2012. Please contact Uta Gaedeke at the DAAD New York Office at 212-758 3223 ext. 209 or at gaedeke@daad.org for an application form or further information.

 

IIE is now accepting applications for the GE Foundation Scholar-Leaders Program. This global program provides financial support and leadership development to talented undergraduate students enrolled in engineering, technology, or business management programs in participating countries. The specific fields of study, duration, and amount of the scholarship are based on local conditions in each region. By funding study and encouraging community service in each home country, this program encourages the Scholar-Leaders to contribute to and raise the skill levels of the workforce in their countries.

Current participating countries include:

• Canada
• India
• Indonesia
• South Korea
• Thailand
• Vietnam
• Czech Republic
• Poland
• Hungary
• Romania

The GE Foundation Scholar-Leaders Program is celebrating its 10th anniversary in Central-Eastern Europe. By participating in a regional Leadership Development Program in the summer of 2012, the Central Eastern European (CEE) grantees will form a network of future leaders from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Romania.

More information about the GE Foundation Scholar-Leaders Global Program can be found at http://scholarshipandmore.org.

 

The Fondation Maison des Sciences de l'Homme (FMSH) in Paris FMSH is looking for partner institutions in the U.S., Asia, and Brazil that are willing to host French postdocs or willing to send their postdocs to France.

FMSH is the largest establishment in France for hosting and providing work facilities for researchers in the social sciences and humanities from all over the world. For more than 20 years, FMSH has managed international fellowship programs for incoming and outgoing researchers at the postdoctoral level. Since last year, the Foundation has managed the CoFund European postdoctoral grant program for French researchers doing their postdoc abroad or foreign researchers willing to do their postdoc in France. The amount of the CoFund program is 5 million Euros for 4 years, partly funded by the European Commission and partly by our Foundation in partnership with other universities and foundations all over the world.

The CoFund program is an advantageous program for our partners because:

• co-funding partners may choose to finance specific subjects/fields and specific geographic mobility
• for each grant (total amount is 22,000 Euros for an average stay of 9 months) the partner's contribution has to be up to 10,000 Euros (the rest of the amount is funded by the European Commission and by our Foundation). The stipend is 2,000 Euros per month plus travel allowance and insurance
• the partner can choose the number of grants (minimum 3) it can co-fund
• co-funding partners are members of the Scientific Committee evaluating the application forms.

For more information, please visit:
www.msh-paris.fr/recherche/projets-collaboratifs/projet-europeen-braudel-ifer-fmsh/. Or contact: Angela Procoli, Partenariats & Affaires Internationales, Fondation Maison, at procoli@msh-paris.fr.

 

The IIE Scholar Rescue Fund (SRF) is seeking academic positions at universities and colleges around the world for 13 threatened scholars from China, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen in order that they may continue their academic pursuits in safety.

The Scholar Rescue Fund provides one-year awards to academic institutions willing to host established scholars facing threats to their lives and careers in their home countries. These temporary academic visits are intended to allow the scholars to continue to teach, write, or research pending improvement in conditions that would permit their safe return home. SRF seeks matching funds or in-kind support from the host institution. Fellowship awards may be renewed for a second year.

Scholars from Iraq hold grants of up to $32,500 to resume their work in the fields below. Matching and/or in-kind support is encouraged:

• Two (2) physicists focused on astronomy, remote sensing, solid state, and nanophysics
• A marine biologist researching algology, oceanography, and marine ecology
• An agriculturalist focused on irrigation, land reclamation, and the environmental impacts of agriculture
• An education technology specialist with experience establishing continuing education centers.
• Four (4) medical scientists specializing in: pediatrics, internal medicine, clinical biology, and veterinary medicine

The following scholars have been awarded grants up to $25,000 for a visiting position. SRF seeks matching support (financial and in-kind) from the hosting academic institution:

• A Syrian specialist in human rights and democratization
• A literature scholar from Yemen exploring gender and development

For more information about these scholars and how to become a host to an SRF scholar, please visit: www.scholarrescuefund.org/pages/for-hosts.php. For questions, please contact SRF@iie.org or +1 (212) 205-6488.

 

At the Institute of International Education in New York on January 20th and at Save the Children in London on January 25th, The Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA) released a new study on field-based programmatic measures to protect education from attack. The study is a first attempt to create a knowledge base of programmatic measures implemented by communities and other education and protection actors to prevent or mitigate targeted attacks on education in countries affected by conflict. IIE’s Scholar Rescue Fund is proud to serve as the administrative and fiscal agent for GCPEA.

The study begins with a discussion of different types of programmatic measures to protect education from attack. It concludes with an annex of 20 country profiles that provide the reader with more information on the context of the attacks on education in that particular country and more details on the programmatic measures being implemented there.

In conjunction with the study, and in order to develop its research agenda, GCPEA commissioned Dr. Dana Burde and Amy Kapit-Spitalny of New York University’s Steinhardt School of Education, Culture, and Human Development, to write a paper, "Prioritizing the Agenda for Research for the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack." The agenda presents a rationale for research and a survey of what we know to date from the available literature. It demonstrates how NGOs can engage in research and illustrates the power of partnerships between NGOs and academics. It concludes with observations about funding for research and frameworks for moving forward.

Both documents are available on GCPEA’s website: www.protectingeducation.org.