The Institute of International Education will lead a delegation from ten U.S. universities to Myanmar in late February to learn more about the current state of higher education in Myanmar and explore potential partnership opportunities. The delegation is part of a broader IIE-wide Myanmar higher education initiative which seeks to help the country rebuild its higher education capacity.

Allan Goodman, the Institute’s President & CEO, will lead the delegation, together with Meghann Curtis, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs. Representatives from the U.S. Embassy will also join the delegation, which will visit universities, organizations, and government entities in Yangon, Mandalay, and Naypyidaw.  

This is the largest delegation of U.S. universities to travel to Myanmar. Participating universities are: American University, Arizona State University, Ball State University, Hawaii Pacific University, Northern Arizona University, Northern Illinois University, Rutgers University, Samford University, the University of Massachusetts – Lowell, and the University of Washington. The colleges selected have experience with Myanmar, whether through diaspora students and faculty on their campuses or through previous work in the country.

This delegation represents an interest on the part of U.S. higher education in taking part in the process of building connections and building capacity at the host universities. Members of the delegation plan to deliver lectures at a number of Myanmar universities on a variety of topics deemed to be of critical need. These lectures will be open to educators and other university representatives, and will include companion materials translated into the Myanmar language.

Learn more about the delegation here: www.iie.org/Who-We-Are/News-and-Events/Press-Center/Press-Releases/2013/02-12-2013-IIE-Leads-Higher-Ed-Delegation-to-Myanmar. 

A new book, published by the Institute of International Education with support from the AIFS Foundation, reviews the policies, institutions, and programs that have helped bring about major changes in higher education for Latin America.

Latin America’s New Knowledge Economy: Higher Education, Government, and International Collaboration chronicles the rapid economic growth and social changes that have taken place across the region in recent years, and examines these developments through the lens of higher education. In the book, leading scholars from Latin America and the U.S. explore factors that have been catalysts for higher education reforms such as increased access and equity, emphasis on international study, and investment by foreign universities and corporations. 

Chapters include: 

• Training the 21st Century Knowledge Workers: Higher Education and Workforce Development in Latin America
• Building Knowledge-based Economies in Latin America: The Role of National Study Abroad Scholarship Programs
• Trends in Student and Academic Mobility: From "Brain Drain" to "Brain Gain" in Latin America
• Toward 100,000 Strong: Western Hemisphere Academic Exchanges
• Academic Research and Advanced Training: Building up Research Universities in Brazil

Learn more about the book here: www.iie.org/en/Research-and-Publications/Publications-and-Reports/IIE-Bookstore/Latin-Americas-New-Knowledge-Economy. 

Latin America’s New Knowledge Economy is the seventh book in the Global Education Research Reports series from IIE and the AIFS Foundation. Previous books have examined higher education initiatives and exchanges in China, India, and the Middle East, as well as new developments in global mobility. 

The Global Education Research Reports series are available for purchase at the IIE Bookstore: http://iiebooks.org/gledrere1.html. 

IIE in partnership with EducationUSA is pleased to announce its first Latin America University Fairs series targeting students interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. 

The fairs will commence on April 21, 2013 in Mexico and run through May 6, with university fairs and school visits in several cities in Mexico, Brazil, and Chile. The fairs will showcase opportunities from accredited U.S. colleges and universities for Latin American students to study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). 

The four STEM areas are currently a major focus in higher education in Latin America and are among the most sought after majors in the region. 

The fairs will also serve to further international student exchanges with the region that are the centerpiece of President Obama’s "100,000 Strong in the Americas," an initiative launched in 2011 to increase international study in Latin America and the Caribbean, and whose purpose is to "foster region-wide prosperity through greater international exchange of students, who are our future leaders and innovators." 

For more information, visit the fair series website.

A group of Russian indigenous leaders embarked on a journey to Portland, Oregon, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albany, New York and the Akwesasne Reservation in upstate New York in late January to explore the topic of "Building Sustainable Communities with Indigenous People: Supporting Equitable Use of Common Resources." 

They are here as part of the International Visitor Leadership Program, which brings emerging leaders from around the world to the United States to meet with their professional counterparts and build mutual understanding.

The Russian group includes conservationists, educators, government officials, journalists, and hunters. They will examine sustainable land management practices and cooperation within nontraditional coalitions to preserve economic and cultural Native American traditions in the United States, sharing best practices and making professional connections with colleagues and counterparts in this country.

The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs' (ECA) premier professional exchange program, which brings more than 5,000 International Visitors to the United States each year. Since 1972, IIE has been one of seven private, nonprofit organizations that design and implement the U.S. projects on behalf of the Department of State. IIE has implemented projects for more than 18,000 International Visitors to date.

Learn more at: www.iie.org/Who-We-Are/News-and-Events/Press-Center/Press-Releases/2013/02-12-2013-IVLP-Brings-Russian-Indigenous-Leaders-to-US

IIE is pleased to announce that the print edition of Open Doors 2012: Report on International Educational Exchange is now available for purchase. Open Doors provides a long-standing, comprehensive statistical analysis of academic mobility between the United States and the nations of the world.

The print edition of Open Doors 2012 includes special sections on: 

• International students enrolled in STEM disciplines
• Study abroad at community colleges
• U.S. students in full degree programs
• Attitudes and perceptions of students from Nepal
• 7-page section on global student mobility trends

Open Doors, published with support from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, features graphic displays, especially data maps, tables, figures, and to-the-point policy-oriented analysis. 

The book is available at: http://iiebooks.stores.yahoo.net/opendoors2012.html. 

Please join us for the Annual IIE Best Practices in International Education Conference on March 22, 2013, in New York City. This event will feature high-level experts, including presidents, provosts, and international education administrators from institutions around the world. The conference will also honor the winners of the 2013 IIE Andrew Heiskell Awards for Innovation in International Education.

For the conference agenda and to register, please visit: www.iie.org/bestpracticesconference2013. Please register at your earliest convenience, as space is limited. IIENetwork members receive a special registration discount.

Sponsorship Opportunities:

Conference sponsorship is available at various levels. Please email Shannon Harrison by February 25 to sign on as a sponsor. Sponsorship benefits include complimentary registration, brochure inserts in conference bags, highlight on IIE’s website, and a private discussion with IIE’s President Allan Goodman and other sponsors. 

 

Symposium sessions will focus on developing a deeper understanding of study abroad in graduate education, as well as approaches to developing and assessing study abroad within selected professional education programs.

Topics will include: trends in the internationalization of higher education, study abroad as a form of internationalization in graduate education, relationship of study abroad in graduate education with undergraduate study abroad, influences of the professional disciplines on graduate study abroad, planning and funding graduate study abroad, and evaluating and assessing outcomes of graduate study abroad. 

Anyone involved in graduate study abroad or the internationalization of graduate education, including faculty, graduate students, and administrators, is invited to participate in the symposium. For more information, visit: http://education.msu.edu/ead/outreach/Erickson_Chair/Erickson-Chair-Symposium.asp 

May 19-22, 2013
Bloomington, IN  

This institute facilitates the internationalization of campuses or unit, curricula, and/or individual course, to better prepare students to be effective scholars, practitioners, and citizens of the 21st century. It is open to all college and university faculty, staff, and administrators, so feel free to share with colleagues in and outside of your institution. Individuals and teams are welcome. 

To register, and for details and contact information, visit: www.indiana.edu/~global/icci/

TechWomen (www.techwomen.org), an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), will identify approximately 80 women who are emerging leaders and entrepreneurs working in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) from the Middle East and Africa for a five-week program in the fall of 2013, including mentorships and professional exchanges at leading companies in Silicon Valley, California, concluding with workshops, networking events and meetings in Washington, D.C. TechWomen connects and supports the next generation of women leaders in STEM fields by providing them access and opportunity to advance their careers and pursue their dreams.

Applicants must be women who are permanent residents of Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, the Palestinian Territories, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tunisia, Yemen and Zimbabwe.  

For more information and details on the eligibility requirements, please visit: www.techwomen.org/how-to-apply/ or email TechWomen@iie.org.

This essay or video contest is open to American and Asian university students from Brunei, Cambodia, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), East Timor, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, North Korea, Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, or Vietnam. 

The essay topic is: What is the greatest ethical challenge facing U.S.-Asia relations or the U.S. and one of the Asian countries listed? Each entry must be a collaboration between an American student and a student from one of the previously mentioned countries. 

For submission requirements, prizes, and help finding a partner to collaborate, visit: www.carnegiecouncil.org/tpcontest 

The Qatar Foundation’s WISE Awards identify, showcase and  promote each year six innovative educational projects that are having a transformative impact on societies and education.  Since 2009, WISE has received 1,600 applications from 128 countries resulting in 122 Finalists and 24 winning projects. These projects have been recognized from a wide variety of sectors and locations, and they represent a growing resource of expertise and sound educational practice.

Project holders from any region, educational sector or level are encouraged to submit applications which demonstrate the quality and impact of their activities in accordance with the criteria. 

 

Whether you are involved in a project that provides access to quality education, creates new opportunities for lifelong learning or develops innovative educational technologies, WISE invites you to apply for the 2013 WISE Awards. 

For more information, visit: www.wise-qatar.org/content/2013-wise-awards 

In the most recent post on IIE's Opening Minds blog, Jim Miller (Executive Director of IIE's Scholar Rescue Fund) writes about the most recent IIE/SRF higher education conference and shares his perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for higher education in Iraq and for Iraqi scholars. 

Read the blog post: www.iie.org/en/Blog/2013/February/Rebuilding-Higher-Education-in-Iraq