Madhavi Bhasin recently wrote in the Huffington Post about the inauguration of Women Enhancing Technology (WeTech) in India. WeTech is a program helping more women and girls enter into, and succeed in careers and education in tech. "Through Technovation and virtual mentoring, WeTech aims to help build the pipeline of girls entering in to tech," wites Bhasin. This program is led by IIE and carried out with a consortium that includes Goldman Sachs, Google and Qualcomm Incorporated.

In their article in IIE’s newly released IIENetworker magazine, Angela Shaeffer and Katja Kurz from Cultural Vistas make a strong case for including experiential learning in the larger discourse on international education. "Working in an international setting abroad provides U.S. students with the professional skill set necessary to identify and sure career prospects in difficult economic times," write the authors, who suggest ways to better advocate the value of these experiences.

Jon Grosh, IIE Publications Manager, explores this question in his latest entry about the newly released spring 2014 IIENetworker magazine and recent roundtable discussion on the same topic: "The Impact of Globalization on International Education." Grosh lists four potential drawbacks of globalization highlighted in the discussion and proposes that "the right approaches can mitigate these dangers and that good strategies will allow campuses to benefit from, and even drive, forces of globalization."

Carl Straumsheim reports in Inside Higher Ed on several studies that look at the benefits and potential harm social media can have for international students. "Heavy cell phone and social media use may hurt students’ grades and well-being, new studies suggests, but having friends and family at their fingertips may also be beneficial to those farthest away from home," writes Straumsheim.

The Brussels-based think tank, Academic Cooperation Association (ACA), has recently concluded a new study on the potential contribution of portable grants and loans to student mobility (STiME: State Grants and Loans as a Means to Increase Outgoing Mobility). "Money matters in mobility for sure, given the additional costs for travelling, accommodation, and sometimes tuition fees abroad. The availability of money, however, does not necessarily translate into increased mobility," writes ACA about the new study. 

An article in the Chronicle of Higher Education discusses a recent increase in scientific innovation in Arab countries, which for decades, has fallen behind due to lack of investment in research and development by most countries. The article reports that "today in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and other Arab countries, governments and universities are taking steps to spur scientific innovation, dedicating more funds to research and building links between academe and industry." It shares the stories of "a new crop of Arab researchers, inventors who have persevered against long odds to make their ideas a reality."

Exchange and share visions, insights, experiences and challenges among leaders in higher education systems and institutions across Asia in 2 weeks.

Why participate?

• Understand world trends in higher education
• Learn from visionary leaders and experts
• Investigate success stories in Asian higher education
• Explore concepts and approaches for institutional leadership
• Join a network of peer higher education leaders

Who should join the Summer Institute?

• Policy-makers and Administrators in ministries or higher education authorities
• Aspiring leaders in higher education institutions

Summer Institute participants are invited as observers. The Asian Higher Education Summit is organized at the point when most Asian nations are actively developing their higher education systems. It will lead to a community of higher education leaders in Asia. Participants of the round-table discussion will include established higher education leaders on salient issues of common concern.

The Global Association of Master's in Development Practice Programs (MDP), in collaboration with the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), will hold the Second Annual International Conference on Sustainable Development Practice (ICSDP) on September 17-18, 2014 at Columbia University, New York.

The Conference theme, Advancing Evidence-Based Solutions for the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda, seeks proposals for practical solutions to address the complex challenges of sustainable development at local, regional, and global levels. Proposals are welcome across 12 thematic areas, linking with the UN SDSN framework (please see below for further information on the 12 themes). Input is sought from those involved in research, policy, practice, and business across international sustainable development sectors. The aim of the conference is to share and identify practical, evidence-based solutions that can support the UN SDSN leadership in shaping the Post-2015 Agenda. The conference hopes to mobilize the expertise of the scientific and technical communities in academia, civil society and the private sector.

The year 2015 marks the deadline set for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). ANIE's 6th Annual Conference addresses the contribution of the University partnerships and internationalization towards the attainment of these goals with a focus on Africa. It will discuss the impacts of partnerships in research and innovations, mobility, governance, capacity building and knowledge transfers as they relate to the 8MDGs. Our focus is on results not intentions, actualities not potentials, practice and not theory.

• Institutional partnerships for research and societal development
• Curriculum innovations towards the achievement of the MDGs
• Internationalization, Gender Equality and the MDGs
• Fostering global partnerships for locally relevant impact

 

The Graduate School of International Policy and Management (GSIPM) at the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) invites applications for a regular faculty position in the field of International Education Management, pending availability of funding. 

GSIPM seeks to hire a candidate at the rank of Associate Professor, though applicants whose experience and credentials are more suited to Full Professor or Assistant Professor are also invited to apply. The rank will be determined by the experience and credentials of the selected candidate. Salary is commensurate with academic qualifications and experience. The anticipated start date is in August 2014. 

The MA in International Education Management degree offers a three-semester degree comprised of one intensive academic year on campus followed by 4 to 6 month professional practicum in the international education field. The program prepares practitioners to design and manage programs for meaningful cross-cultural engagement. Students have the opportunity to add a TESOL specialization or complete a joint IEM-MPA (Master of Public Administration) degree. 

This degree is the first collaboratively developed degree program by Middlebury College and MIIS, which merged in 2010. The first cohort of students was welcomed in August 2012, and the program has seen steady growth since that time. Approximately 60 students are currently enrolled in the program. Additional program information is available.

Hotcourses has shortlisted the Top 30 entries to its image contest from universities around the world, which highlight something extraordinary and special about those institutions. These include Confucius playing Einstein at chess; legendary rock musicians posing with graduates; views from outer space; and even geese accompanying students to class.

The Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) is currently seeking Fulbright Scholar alumni and other individuals with specific expertise in a discipline to fill vacancies across 80 disciplines on over 130 review committees. There is a high need for peer reviewers in the fields of Education, Life Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Journalism, Political Science, Business Administration, Psychology, Computer Science, and Geography. If you know someone who may be interested in serving on a committee, please direct them to the CIES Peer Review website or have them contact Emily Bastian at PeerReview@iie.org for further information.

Wagdy Sawahel reports in University World News about a technology and innovation parks initiative aimed at encouraging links between universities, research institutes, and the technology-based private sector. The initiative, which seeks to address low achievements and outputs of its universities and research centers as reflected in the Africa Competitiveness Report 2013, will focus on "on paving the way for a knowledge-based economy by building a stimulating environment for innovation and technology transfer and promoting a culture of innovation and competitiveness among businesses."

The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program would like to invite you to the seventh webinar in our Gilman Web Symposium Series for the 2013-2014 academic year, "Think Outside the EU! Opportunities in Non-Traditional World Regions" on Thursday, April 17th at 2pm EST/1pm CDT. 

This online forum, moderated by Gilman Program staff, will bring together panelists to discuss the importance of international experiences in regions and countries critical to U.S. foreign policy interests, such as the Middle East, India, Indonesia, and Russia and the challenges and best practices for developing and advising for programs in non-traditional locations. Panelists will include a Gilman Alumni Ambassador and:

• Pricilla Stone, Vice Provost for SIT Study Abroad, will discuss the importance of study abroad in non-traditional regions and how SIT has developed interdisciplinary programs in these regions.
• Erin Polnaszek Boyd, Study Abroad Advisor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will be providing an institutional perspective on the challenges in advising for non-traditional regions and what the University of Wisconsin-Madison has done to overcome these challenges to promote study abroad outside of the EU.

Stay tuned to the Gilman Program's Multimedia page at www.iie.org/gilman and future announcements for the scheduled web symposium topics each month.