The Institute of International Education has just published the 2015 edition of its annual print directory Funding for United States Study: A Guide for International Students and Professionals, the print companion to IIE's online search engine www.fundingusstudy.org. 

With more than 800 grant and scholarship listings, Funding for United States Study is the most comprehensive directory on finding funding for study in the United States, making it an invaluable resource for advisers and international students worldwide. It features detailed descriptions of grants, fellowships, and scholarships for undergraduate and graduate study, and doctoral and postdoctoral research in the United States. 

Listings include grants, fellowships, financial aid, and scholarships available through: U.S. and foreign governments, colleges and universities, educational associations, research centers, libraries, foundations, corporations, and other organizations.

Edward Monks, IIE director of academic and experiential learning, shares five lessons learned during the rapid growth of the Brazil Scientific Mobility Program, offering advice to other programs seeking to scale up. "Confidence and optimism are contagious," writes Monks. "You only need a majority of people to be confident and optimistic to shift the energy in the right direction."

Higher Education: A Worldwide Inventory of Research Centers, Academic Programs, and Journals and Publications, 3rd Edition, provides a comprehensive overview of the main centers for research on higher education, as well as the many graduate-level academic programs being offered in the study of higher education. The inventory not only provides a "snapshot" of these important activities but also serves as an unparalleled resource for facilitating communication and collaboration across the higher education research and training community. 

Nic Mitchell shares highlights in University World News of a new report, Funding for Excellence, that looks at higher education ‘excellence schemes’ and their impact on universities in Europe. "The paper focuses on large-scale initiatives using public funds to develop wider institutional strategies," writes Mitchell. It also includes an overview of the Excellence funding mechanism used in Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Spain, and Russia.

A recent New York Times "Room for Debate" asks whether setting up U.S. branch campuses, degree programs and research centers abroad are hurting or helping American higher education. According to the Times, "Critics worry that this trend is eroding the special role American universities play in U.S. society as engines of economic growth and innovation, as well as protectors of academic freedom and liberal values." Supporters say that the classroom learning in these diverse settings has unique and highly relevant educational value.

 

The Forum’s 11th Annual Conference, It Takes a Campus and More: The Faces of Education Abroad, will be held March 25-27, 2015 in New Orleans, LA. The value of education abroad for students is undisputed among education abroad professionals. It is the transformative potential of education abroad that inspires their work. However, it takes more than the dedication of the education abroad field to develop and administer successful programs, and to serve students effectively: it takes a campus, and more. The Forum Conference will examine the many faces of education abroad, their diverse perspectives, and how we can all work together to improve the student experience.

Boren Awards provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to study in Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East, where they can add important international and language components to their educations.

Boren Scholars and Fellows represent a variety of academic backgrounds, but all are interested in studying less commonly taught languages, including but not limited to Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Swahili. As part of the African Languages Initiative, Boren Award applicants have the opportunity to further their study of Akan/Twi, French, Portuguese, Swahili, Wolof, or Zulu. For a complete list of languages, visit our website.

Undergraduate students can receive up to $20,000 for an academic year's study abroad and graduate students up to $30,000 for language study and international research. In exchange for funding, recipients commit to working in the federal government for a minimum of one year.

*Many institutions have an earlier on-campus deadline. Visit our website for information about your campus deadline and Boren campus representative.

For more information about the Boren Awards, to register for one of our upcoming webinars, and to access the on-line application, please visit www.borenawards.org. You can also contact the Boren Awards staff at boren@iie.org or 1-800-618-NSEP with questions. The Boren Awards are initiatives of the National Security Education Program (NSEP) and are administered by the Institute of International Education.

The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs' Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program is pleased to announce that the online application is now open for students participating in study abroad programs and internships during the summer 2015 and fall 2015/academic year 2015-2016 terms. The Gilman Program aims to diversify the kinds of students who study and intern abroad and the countries and regions where they go. All eligible applicants are encouraged to apply. For more information about the Gilman Scholarship, webinar schedules, and other helpful resources, including subscription to Gilman Advisor Newsletters, please visit the Gilman website.

Students applying for any academic term must meet the eligibility requirements below:

• Enrolled as an undergraduate student at an accredited two- or four-year U.S. institution
• Receiving a Federal Pell Grant at the time of application or during the term abroad
• Be a United States citizen
• Participating in a study abroad program or internship that is no less than four weeks (28 days) - or two weeks (14 days) for current community college students - in one country and no more than an academic year
• Applying to or accepted into a study abroad program or internship eligible for academic credit by the student's home institution
• Studying or interning in any country not currently under a U.S. State Department Travel Warning or Cuba. Students applying to programs in Mexico may only apply for scholarships to support study in Mexican states where no advisory is in effect according to the U.S. Department of State Travel Warning.

The 2015 Call for Applications to the World Bank Robert S. McNamara Fellowship is now open, and will close on Wednesday, February 11, 2015. The Robert S. McNamara Fellowships Program was established in 1982 to honor the former President of the World Bank, by contributions from the World Bank and the governments of Bangladesh, China, India, Kuwait, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, and former Yugoslavia.

 

Every year the Program provides grants of up to $25,000 to PhD candidates from developing countries to conduct innovative, development-related, PhD research under the supervision of a research advisor at a host institution abroad. Fellows must commit to return to their home country when their fellowship ends to complete their PhD and to work.

A University World News article by Mary Beth Marklein discusses possible implications on educational exchange and collaboration of new U.S. policies on Cuba. "Academic exchanges have proven to be a powerful form of public diplomacy," says IIE president Allan Goodman. He says U.S. relations with Cuba could follow a trajectory similar to that of Vietnam, another communist country with a state-controlled higher education system, a high literacy rate, and a thirst for education.

On October 1-2, 2015, the inaugural IIE Summit on Generation Study Abroad will bring commitment partners together in Washington, D.C. to highlight their progress and create positive new solutions. The Summit is an exciting opportunity to engage and showcase commitment partners from all sectors and will feature high-level plenary debates, action-oriented sessions, think tanks and networking opportunities, as well as an engaging expo hall, to mobilize commitments and inspire new actions. 

The 2015 IIE Summit on Generation Study Abroad will explore best practices and lessons learned and how institutions and organizations are advancing their commitments to Generation Study Abroad through the framework of four major themes: 

• How does study abroad build a globally minded workforce?
• How can study abroad be redefined and rebranded for today's global economy?
• What is the impact of study abroad?
• What innovative solutions are most effective in increasing study abroad participation? 

IIE invites proposals that highlight best practices, ideas, and innovations that address these themes and advance the collective Generation Study Abroad goal of significantly expanding and scaling education abroad. We also encourage proposals that reflect the spirit of collaboration across sectors. For more information, or to submit proposals, visit: www.iie.org/Programs/Generation-Study-Abroad/Generation-Study-Abroad-Summit/Proposals.

CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange announced it will provide USD 500,000 in study abroad scholarships to 100 high schools across the U.S. as part of its Generation Study Abroad pledge to provide $20 million in scholarships and grants by 2020. CIEE has pledged a series of concrete initiatives to increase study abroad opportunities at the secondary and post-secondary education levels by breaking down the real and perceived barriers of cost, curriculum, and culture. CIEE’s USD 500,000 in high school study abroad scholarships represents a lead commitment to the IIE Generation Study Abroad campaign to reach high school students and educators. 

"Getting ahead in today’s workplaces isn’t just about the skills students gain in the classroom. It’s also about the opportunity to travel  beyond our borders and encounter other customs, languages, and cultures that are very different from our own," said James P. Pellow, Ed.D., president and chief executive officer of CIEE.

An article by Elise Schmelzer in USA Today is a critical look at study abroad from a student’s perspective. Schmelzer, who chose to study abroad in Argentina, explains her decision: "Although I grew up less than 250 miles from the Mexican border, most of my education has focused on western culture and history. Like many of my peers, I’ve studied Rousseau, Warhol and Shakespeare but know little about their Latin American contemporaries or the historical events that shaped the countries south of the border."

Since 2002, IIE-SRF has assisted more than 575 scholars from 51 countries, placing them at over 300 host partner institutions in 40 countries around the world. This short video features the words of some of these courageous scholars, describing how they were threatened in their home countries and what it's like to be able to research, write, and speak freely.