The Shawn Carter Foundation (SCF), founded by Shawn "JAY Z" Carter and his mother, Gloria Carter, has increased its support for study abroad scholarships for U.S. undergraduate students with financial need through the U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. 

Six Shawn Carter/Gilman International Scholarship (SCGIS) recipients have been selected to study abroad in the summer and fall 2014 academic terms, an increase from the spring 2013 pilot initiative. New for this year, a mentorship program will pair each SCGIS recipient with a Gilman Alumni Ambassador to provide additional support and guidance from an experienced study abroad student.

The collaboration between the Shawn Carter Foundation and the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program supports the State Department’s goal of expanding opportunities for students with diverse backgrounds to study abroad and builds on the foundation’s efforts to broaden the horizons of its scholars. The Shawn Carter Foundation-Gilman International Scholarships are implemented by IIE.

Lanaia DuBose, Program Officer for IIE’s Global Learning Programs, shares about the joint role of IIE and the JB Fernandes Memorial Trust in developing Trinidad & Tobago’s NGO sector. After a feasibility study conducted by IIE and two conferences for NGO’s designed to address the study findings, 2014 evaluations show a greater "spirit of collaboration" within this vital sector.

Financial Time’s Emma Boyde reports on the growing number of management and finance programs in China being offered in English. According to Boyde, this growth has contributed to China’s surge to the number three most popular destination for globally mobile students at higher education level, as documented by IIE’s Project Atlas. "In 2001, when the IIE first started compiling its data, China did not figure in its top eight country list," writes Boyde.

A new analysis of international student visa approvals from the Brookings Institution uses the F-1 visa to determine where students are coming from and where they are going by city. Elizabeth Redden shares about the report, "The Geography of Foreign Students in U.S. Higher Education: Origins and Destinations," in Inside Higher Education. The findings of the new report are consistent with those in Open Doors published by IIE, reports Redden. 

The Chronicle of Higher Education shares a report by Jeff Allum, director of research and policy analysis, Council of Graduate Schools,  "Findings from the 2014 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey Phase II: Final Applications and Initial Offers of Admission." While the report shows no rise in offers of admission to Chinese students, enrollments from India are way up for the second year in a row.

The Chronicle of Higher Education just published the 2014-15 Almanac of Higher Education, an annual compendium of data on colleges. This year's Almanac allows you to compare institutions to determine, for example, which colleges have the most students enrolled in online courses and which have the highest percentages of nonresident aliens.

• Fields of Study of Foreign Students in United States, by Selected Places of Origin
• Most-Diverse Campuses
• Fastest-Growing Colleges
• Top Destinations of U.S. Fulbright Scholars

Wagdy Sawahel reports in University World News about a new higher education plan in Egypt to produce more market-ready graduates with an aim to promote a knowledge-based economy. The $5.87 billion plan will create five new universities a year among other initiatives and increase state allocation rates toward education equal to "global rates."

The Institute of International Education (IIE), in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry and the US-India Business Council, invites you to interact with the high-profile business delegation from the State of Gujarat in India. 

The purpose of this discussion is to explore the potential for Gujarat to become a knowledge hub and the need for more educational and scientific exchange with the United States. The delegation is visiting the United States in advance of the " 7th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit," which will take place from January 11-13, 2015 in Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, Gujarat.  This summit brings together business leaders, investors, corporate, thought leaders, academicians, policy and opinion makers and diplomats from around the globe. The delegation is led by Mr Bharat Lal, Resident Commissioner of Gujrat and includes prominent industrialists, academicians, and senior government officials.

AGENDA

8:30–9:00 AM: Networking Breakfast

9:00–9:15 AM: Welcome and Introductions

Daniela Kaisth, Vice President for Strategic Development, Institute of International Education

9:15–9:30 AM: Address

Bharat Lal, Resident Commissioner, Government of Gujarat

9:30–10:20 AM: Roundtable Discussion 

Moderated by Rajika Bhandari, Deputy Vice President, Research and Evaluation

10:20–10:30 AM: Concluding Remarks

Daniela Kaisth, IIE

The Institute of International Education (IIE) is delighted to invite you to nominate your program for the 2015 Andrew Heiskell Awards for Innovation in International Education. IIE created these awards to honor outstanding initiatives in international higher education by IIENetwork member universities and colleges. IIE's Heiskell Awards showcase the most innovative and successful models for internationalization of campuses, study abroad, and international exchange partnerships in practice today. There are four award categories for 2015: Internationalizing the Campus, Study Abroad, International Partnerships, and Internationalizing the Community College. 

Read more about the award categories and download the application at: www.iie.org/Who-We-Are/IIENetwork-Membership/Heiskell-Awards.

If you have any questions about nominating for the Andrew Heiskell Awards for Innovation in International Education, please an e-mail to HeiskellAwards@iie.org.

Applications are open for the Graduate Institute’s Winter Program on the United Nations and Global Challenges in Geneva, Switzerland. This program provides students with an opportunity to learn and think about major global challenges and how these are being addressed by the international community. Special attention will be paid to the role of the United Nations as a tool of global governance. Emphasis on role-playing and social events also enables students to experience multiculturalism and global diversity firsthand. Students will gain knowledge of international challenges and build confidence to interact with people from different cultural backgrounds.

Register Online: Information Session for Winter Students | September 9, 2014, 4:00-5:00 PM CET

The Institute of International Education, on behalf of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ EducationUSA Advising Network, invites accredited U.S. post-secondary educational institutions (non-profit and for-profit), U.S. higher education associations, university systems, consortia, and qualified entities that meet provisions in IRS section 26 USC 501(c)(3) to submit proposals to be a Partner Organization for the first round of EducationUSA Leadership Institutes. 

Partner Organizations will develop and manage one or more EducationUSA Leadership Institute(s) for 12-15 mid- to upper-level foreign college or university administrators, Ministry of Education or other government officials, or other qualified participants from select countries and world regions. Each Leadership Institute is comprised of a pre-departure virtual training component, a DC-based orientation, a two-week academic residency component in the U.S., a four-month virtual follow-on component, and other follow-on activities. Additional program details and application instructions can be found in the Request for Proposal. 

This first round of EducationUSA Leadership Institutes will focus on three key focus areas: (1) Quality Assurance and Accreditation; (2) Industry-Private Sector Linkages & Innovation; and (3) Campus Internationalization: Institutional Structures that Provide the Capacity to Support In and Outbound Student Mobility. Applicants are invited to submit proposals focusing on one or more of the above-mentioned topics. The Request for Proposals, which includes instructions for submission, can be downloaded here.

For more information, please contact Clare Banks, Assistant Director, International Partnerships & IIE Initiatives cbanks@iie.org / 212-984-5481.

Education New Zealand, the lead Government agency for the promotion of New Zealand education internationally, has announced the first round of study abroad scholarships for U.S. students. The new awards program is a cornerstone of the New Zealand Government’s commitment to the IIE’s Generation Study Abroad initiative. 

The awards will provide support for U.S. students who participate in study abroad programs at New Zealand’s universities and Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics – commonly referred to as ITPs, and offering technical and applied degree programs. 

Education New Zealand Generation Study Abroad Study Abroad Travel Awards, worth US$2,000 each, will be granted to seven students demonstrating the talent and flair to be ambassadors for New Zealand as an international education destination. Recipients will be required to report on their experience through social media and other channels while in New Zealand. A further 26 Generation Study Abroad Excellence Awards, each worth US$500, will be offered by New Zealand’s eight universities and participating ITPs to assist with the up-front cost of traveling to New Zealand.  

Established in 2011, Education New Zealand (ENZ) is New Zealand’s government organization mandated to work with education providers, businesses and others to promote education in New Zealand to those overseas. Its collaboration with the Generation Study Abroad initiative will include informational webinars and other activities aimed at engaging IIE’s growing list of commitment partners, with the ultimate objective of doubling the number of U.S. students who choose New Zealand for their study abroad experience—mirroring IIE’s own five year goals.

Thanks to support from Jusoor and a private donor, IIE will implement a pilot program to provide scholarships to Syrian refugee students in the Za'atari Camp in Jordan to complete their undergraduate education at nearby universities. Called "From Camps to Campus," the pilot program will assist five to six Syrian students beginning with the Spring 2015 term. The program will focus on Syrian students who require less than four years to complete their education and wish to pursue studies in fields related to refugee services, such as teaching and nursing. The initiative also includes financial support for two Jordanian students to complete their university education. "From Camps to Campus" is part of IIE's efforts to assist Syrian students and scholars displaced from their education and academic work. These efforts include the IIE Syria Consortium for Higher Education in Crisis, IIE's Scholar Rescue Fund, and groundbreaking research on the needs of university-age refugees in Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan.

In remembrance of World War I, which began 100 years ago in August 1914, 23 authors from 23 cities in Europe participated in a project led by Literaturhäuse in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland to publish a compilation of stories inspired by events in their hometowns as reported by local newspapers in July and August 1914. Among the authors was IIE-SRF scholar Sreten Ugričić from Serbia. A prominent writer and philosopher and the former director of the National Library of Serbia, Mr. Ugričić is recognized for leading the preservation of Serbia’s cultural identity. Also this summer, a translation of his latest novel was published in Macedonia and a new collection of stories was published in Montenegro. He is currently a visiting scholar at Stanford University.