Many professionals in the development sector are questioning whether Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are a panacea for increasing access to tertiary education, or whether they are more likely to widen the access gap. Rajika Bhandari, IIE's Deputy Vice President of Research and Evaluation, poses five key questions on this topic, challenging assumptions about infrastructure, gender, local relevance, and the role of the teacher.

Elizabeth Redden writes in Inside Higher Ed about the use of technology to enable virtual exchanges and collaborative assignments between geographically distant classrooms. "There seem to be an increasing number of efforts to scale up and institutionalize these kinds of activities ... as colleges look for cost-effective ways to internationalize the on-campus learning experience," writes Redden.

An article in University World News shares recommendations on how higher education institutions can maximize the potential of their internationalization efforts. "Institutions need to become more intentional in adapting a definition of internationalization in their institutional context, and also assess its impact on the campus in order to achieve the desired results and potential," writes Rahul Choudaha and Eduardo Contreras.

According to an article in Daily Sabah "The Prime Ministry's International Students Department plans to transform the country into an education hub by allocating $96 million in scholarships to increase the number of foreign students studying in Turkey from its current level of 54,000." Turkey aims to attract at least 200,000 international students by 2023.

According to a new report commissioned by the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE) and the Canadian International Council (CIC), Canada should set up a new Crown corporation tasked with attracting international students and capture a larger share of the international student market. "There’s money to be made from foreign education-seekers," says an article on the report in Canada Business.

The ongoing political turmoil in Arab countries has drastically reduced the number of Saudi students studying at universities in Yemen, Egypt, and Sudan, according to an article in Ed Arabia. "Students have instead opted to study in non-Arab countries, either through government scholarship programs or at their own expense."

The University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) seeks to appoint an Assistant Vice Chancellor (AVC) for International Affairs. The AVC will supervise the four operating units within the Office of International Education (Study Abroad, the English Language Institute, Undergraduate International Admissions, and Immigration and International Student Services), expanding their activities and relating them more strategically to the University of Nebraska System’s global affairs office in Lincoln. The AVC will also provide leadership in the creation of a new strategic plan for international affairs at UNK, including the continuing globalization of the curriculum, the advancement of partnerships with Universities abroad, and the engagement of the institution and its faculty in development concerns in other countries. UNK also seeks to increase external support for international initiatives and to strengthen its international alumni relations program.

Intercultural Management Institute (IMI) is seeking sponsors for its upcoming 16th Annual IMI Conference on Intercultural Relations which will take place in the School of International Service at American University in Washington, DC March 12 - 13, 2015. Since its launch in 2002, this conference provides a unique opportunity to convene a diverse group of professionals, academics and scholars from different sectors for networking and professional development. This conference offers varied, hands-on experiences that equip participants with tools and skills to enhance their intercultural communications, negotiations, and leadership skills. 

Located within American University’s School of International Service, IMI is a non-profit organization, focusing on intercultural and cross-cultural training and research. IMI was founded to foster the development of intercultural knowledge and understanding both domestically and abroad.

 

 

8,400 visitors attended IIE fairs last year. With over 30 years of experience organizing strategically marketed international student fairs, IIE can help you meet your student recruitment targets. IIE offers pre-fair seminars for students to learn about the U.S. higher education system and general admissions requirements—so you can be sure to meet well-informed, qualified students. 

 

New this year: IIE is offering school visits, networking events with local school counselors, and expert informational seminars on country-specific trends in education in each city on our tour.

 

IIE’s U.S. Higher Education fair series helps you build your institution’s name and profile in selected cities in key Asian countries in a well-planned sequence, timed to minimize your travel and maximize your impact. Join us in this exciting and promising fall 2014 fair series:

• India: Sept. 20 - 28, 2014
• Thailand: October 4
• Vietnam: October 5 -9
• Hong Kong: October 11
• Taipei: October 12
• Korea: October 14
• Singapore: October 16
• Indonesia: October 18 - 21

IIE promotes direct communication between regionally accredited U.S. schools and students; no third party recruiters are agents are permitted at our events.

The Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa program responds to an emerging dilemma within African higher education caused by the extraordinary emphasis on increasing undergraduate enrollment without proportionate investment in faculty development. This situation erodes the ability of universities to produce the next generation of researchers, leaders, and practitioners addressing pressing topics. The program offers fellowships to nurture the intellectual development of early-career faculty in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. Support for researchers in Kenya was added to the program this year.

All applicants must be citizens of and reside in a sub-Saharan African country while holding a current faculty position at an accredited college or university in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, or Uganda. Applicants for any of the funding opportunities offered through this program must have a Master's Degree and be working toward completion of the Doctoral Degree within an African university. The program seeks to promote diversity and encourages women to apply.

The US-UK Fulbright Commission has announced 42 British scholars awarded to study, lecture, and/or conduct research in the United States. Five British graduates have been awarded a Fulbright Award to attend Harvard Business School in 2014-15—a record number of scholars to receive this award in a cohort. According to a press release issued by the Commission, "Fulbright scholars come from many geographic regions of the UK, and their fields of study and their U.S. host institutions are equally diverse." View biographies of the British participants.

The outcomes from IIE’s Generation Study Abroad Think Tank, have been documented in the IIE green paper, "What Will it Take to Double Study Abroad?" This paper lays the foundation for an ongoing discussion around how to increase the number of students studying abroad in the short term and to shift the paradigm over the long term. We encourage you to share your insights and best practices with the community by commenting on the 11 Big Ideas outlined in the paper.

In order for institutions to change, there must be both a top-down and bottom-up approach. Trustees, Boards and the Office of the President must work to convey that study abroad needs to move from the periphery to the mainstream on campuses, and they must follow through on their statements to ensure implementation throughout.

Alexa Davis recently shared in Forbes six tips to help students afford their study abroad program. "Many U.S. students are unfamiliar with the financial realities of foreign study, with only 23% aware of government-sponsored programs," writes Davis. "With thousands of international and domestic organizations dedicated to funding student travel, every student can find a scholarship, loan, grant or fellowship relevant to their needs."

"Has technology altered semester abroad by making it impossible to immerse yourself in another culture?" asks a recent article in the Associated Press, "Or does staying in touch simply increase comfort levels, easing both homesickness and parental worries?" The article poses this question to several students and their parents about their recent study abroad experiences, finding both benefits and drawbacks to the availability of new technology.