As part of our aim to expand academic collaboration between the United States and Cuba and to help U.S. higher education institutions build sustainable partnerships with institutions in Cuba, we are providing this briefing paper on travel limits to Cuba applicable to U.S. educational institutions. This paper was prepared by Nicholas Townsend, Counsel in Arnold & Porter LLP's National Security and Public Policy practices. Areas covered include:

1. Prohibition
2. Travel Authorizations
3. Travel-Related Transactions
4. Tourism Ban
5. Method of Payment
6. Recordkeeping
7. Exports

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This paper is provided in response to comments and feedback from IIE member institutions during an IIENetwork National Conference Call on US-Cuba Higher Education Collaboration in February 2015. These resources are offered as part of IIE’s Cuba Higher Education Initiative following the recent broadening of diplomatic dialogue between the United States and Cuba.

Recording of the call

IIE, 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 second round of EducationUSA Leadership Institutes. Partner Organizations will develop and manage one or more EducationUSA Leadership Institute(s) for approximately15 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. The Institutes consist of intensive, short-term academic programs that provide participants with the opportunity to deepen their understanding of U.S. higher education, develop the tools necessary to build capacity within their own systems, and engage with the U.S. higher education sector in effective, sustained ways. 

Applicants are invited to submit proposals to host one or more of the following Institutes (each proposed Institute must address only one of the following topics):

• EducationUSA Leadership Institute #1: Campus Internationalization: U.S. Graduate Education
• EducationUSA Leadership Institute #2: Industry-Private Sector Linkages and Innovation: Energy Sector Partnerships
• EducationUSA Leadership Institute #3: Campus Internationalization: Institutional Structures to Support Inbound and Outbound Student Mobility

Applicants are invited to submit proposals focusing on one or more of the above-mentioned topics. You may also submit questions to nfeldmann@iie.org to be discussed in the informational webinar on April 8, 2015, 2:00-3:00 PM EDT.

Tineka Lebrun, IIE’s Boren Outreach Officer, looks at student participation of the inaugural Virtual Study Abroad Fair hosted by IIE, the U.S. Department of State, and College Week Live and finds a level of diversity unmatched by most in-person fairs. "The virtual study abroad fair seemed to present the possibility of a different paradigm—a way to create a space where a large number of stakeholders, who would otherwise have difficulty connecting, could come together to share information that was once concentrated in certain geographical areas or socio-economic circles," writes Lebrun.

IIE is the prime implementer of the USAID/Vietnam Partner Capacity Development Program (PCD) which addresses one of Vietnam’s core challenges – a desire for growth, innovation, and investment while promoting transparent and effective governance that embraces diverse ideas and resources of its people. IIE is seeking a Chief of Party to provide leadership and direction for 18 months as the project enters its second year. This is a prime opportunity for a strategic leader with the ability to lead a strong cadre of subcontractors, consultants, and local collaborators and keep a diverse portfolio of activities moving forward.

For many in international education, assessment can seem daunting and overwhelming, especially given that such efforts need to involve much more than a pre/post survey. This new book by Darla K. Deardorff is a practical guide to learning-outcomes assessment in international education for practitioners who are starting to engage with the process, as well as for those who want to improve the quality and effectiveness of their assessment efforts. Assuming no prior knowledge, the book offers an accessible and clear road map to the application of assessment.

This year’s Academic Cooperation Association (ACA) Annual Conference is dedicated to the theme of institutional internationalization strategies and their (successful) implementation. The Conference is expected to draw an audience of some 300, including central actors and decision-makers from universities and colleges as well as policy-makers and practitioners from government departments, international institutions, NGOs and think tanks.

The U.S. Study Abroad Survey captures data on U.S. students traveling abroad for academic credit and is part of our annual Open Doors® Report on International Educational Exchange. The compilation of data published in Open Doors is only possible with the assistance of international education and other higher education professionals at institutions throughout the United States who voluntarily provide their data for aggregate reporting in Open Doors. 

For more information about Open Doors and to access data highlights, visit our website at www.iie.org/OpenDoors. To access survey worksheet and instructions please visit www.iie.org/surveyforms. 

If your institution does not currently participate in the survey, and wishes to do so, please contact us at IIEResearch@iie.org, and we will gladly add your institution to IIE's Open Doors database. To ensure our survey invitations continue to reach your inbox, please add IIEResearch@iie.org to your address book and reach out to us once the contact information needs to be updated.

Submission Deadline: May 15, 2015 | Contact

How relevant is international education today?

This "show me" issue of IIENetworker magazine will collect and examine available evidence to shed new light on the relevance and impact of international education. We hope this process will also raise new questions about the role international education plays, can play, and should play in today's world.

Articles can either:

1. Focus on a central aim of international education and present concrete evidence showing precisely how international education does or does not achieve this aim; we welcome macro- or micro-level discussions, either based on research, a case study, or a compelling story
2. Or present a critical argument about why we do this work; articles can interrogate assumptions about core aims or how impact is evaluated

If you are interested in submitting a 1200-word article for the fall 2015 issue of IIENetworker, please notify Jon Grosh at jgrosh@iie.org. Final submissions are due by May 15, 2015. For more information on IIENetworker, please visit: www.iie.org/iienetworker.

The Outreach Lecturing Fund (OLF) provides travel funding for Fulbright Visiting Scholars to visit campuses across the United States. Institutions may apply to host Visiting Scholars for two-to-six days, to give guest lectures on a variety of topics that can include the scholar’s research topic, their Fulbright Scholar Program experience, or their home country and culture. The program serves as a gateway for institutions that might not have a strong international component—such as Minority Serving Institutions, community colleges, and small liberal arts colleges—to get immediately involved and engaged with international exchange. For more information on eligible institutions, we encourage you to visit our website. 

OLF Enables U.S. Institutions to Invite Fulbright Visiting Scholars to:

• Give department or campus-wide lectures to students or faculty (or both);
• Hold lectures in classrooms where the scholar can make a contribution to the discipline or country/regional understanding;
• Meet with faculty to allow for an exchange of ideas;
• Have informal gatherings with students and faculty;
• Meet with community organizations, professional, cultural or religious groups, K-12 schools and school districts that have a special interest in international relations.

Fulbright will provide payment to the scholar to cover their air transportation, while the host institutions typically cover the scholar’s lodging, food and local transportation. OLF grants may be eligible for supplemental funding on a case-by-case basis. Please consult the Fulbright Visiting (Non-U.S.) Scholar List.

On October 1-2, 2015, the inaugural IIE Summit will bring together Generation Study Abroad commitment partners in Washington, D.C. to highlight their progress and create positive new solutions. The Summit 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 Embassies of Brazil, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom will host networking receptions for the conference participants.

The Summit will bring together hundreds of participants and speakers, including senior level leaders from diverse sectors. Summit participants will include U.S. and non-U.S. higher education institutions, the K-12 community, foreign language community, study abroad organizations, education associations, private sector corporations and foundations, student ambassadors, the U.S. Department of State and other U.S. government agencies; and foreign government partners, including Ministries of Higher Education and Human Resource Development.

• Programming and Media Partners: Asia Society • British Council • CAPES • Education New Zealand • European-American Chamber of Commerce • New York Times in Education • Norwegian Embassy • STA Travel
• Lead Sponsors: American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS) • IES Abroad • University of Dayton

In Allan Goodman’s interview with Norway’s Ambassador to the United States in the newly released IIENetworker magazine, Ambassador Aas shared about the Norwegian government’s active role in protecting schools and supporting students and scholars from communities in crisis and post-crisis situations. "Attacks on higher education are clear breach of basic human rights," said the Ambassador. "Therefore the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is funding the Students at Risk program, which offers safe haven for student activists who are being persecuted in their home countries."