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 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 encourage proposals that reflect the spirit of collaboration across sectors.

Learn more

Participate in the first ever Virtual Study Abroad Fair on February 25, 2015. The fair, hosted by CollegeWeekLive, the Institute of International Education, and the U.S. Department of State, is a unique opportunity to reach a large number of U.S. students who are considering pursuing a study, intern, or service learning opportunity abroad. 

We invite study abroad organizations and higher education institutions to sign up as exhibitors and promote their programs or services. We also invite Government organizations or national exchange agencies to promote their countries as study destination to U.S. students. There are a range of opportunities to exhibit, deliver a presentation, or sponsor the fair.

Best Practices and Successful Strategies for Increasing Study Abroad Participation – TerraDotta.com

"Go Away and Come Back Better:" 100 Travel Bloggers Gather to Support Study Abroad – IIE Blog

In an effort to make the study abroad experience accessible to more college students, the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) has announced it will award USD 1.2 million in grants to college students for study at one of its two new Global Institutes in London or Berlin. One hundred grants of USD 6,000 will be awarded per semester during the 2015-2016 academic year, with the first round available through CIEE on January 15 for fall 2015.

The USD 1.2 million in grant monies for students is the first allotment of CIEE’s USD 20 million scholarship pledge to Generation Study Abroad, a five-year initiative of IIE to mobilize resources and commitments with the goal of doubling the number of U.S. students studying abroad by the end of the decade.

"Study abroad has never been as critical a component of education as it is in today’s globalized marketplace," said James P. Pellow, Ed.D., president and chief executive officer of CIEE. "These grants are paired with an innovative academic model that will help students overcome the barriers of cost and curriculum as they strive to develop the skills needed to compete and excel in our interconnected world."

The Forum on Education Abroad is offering another opportunity for Generation Study Abroad Commitment Partners to participate in The Forum's Education Abroad Capacity Review. Offered in support of IIE's Generation Study Abroad initiative, this customized QUIP review focuses on assessing and expanding education abroad capacity at all types of institutions and organizations. The processes and exercises of this Education Abroad Capacity Review are designed to evaluate the organization’s mission and goals and assess enabling conditions and challenges in light of The Forum’s Standards and the best practices in the education abroad field.

This program is exclusively for Generation Study Abroad Commitment Partners, and an application and fee is required to participate.

The U.S. Department of State's Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program is pleased to announce two exciting updates for the upcoming scholarship application set to open in mid-January 2015.  

To encourage more non-traditional students to participate in education abroad, the Gilman Program will accept applications from students enrolled at community colleges/two-year institutions who will participate in credit-bearing education abroad programs that are a minimum of 14 days in length in one country, so long as the students meet all other applicant eligibility requirements. This is a change from the four-week minimum currently in place for all applicants. The 14-day minimum only applies to students enrolled at community colleges/two-year institutions.

Additionally, the Gilman Program will accept applications from students participating in education abroad programs in Mexican states where no advisory is in effect according to the U.S. Department of State Travel Warning.

The application for summer 2015 and fall/academic year 2015-2016 programs will open in mid-January and student applications are due March 3, 2015 by 11:59pm (central). Advisers have until March 10, 2015 to certify summer and fall 2015 applications.

For more information and application resources, please visit the Gilman website at www.iie.org/gilman.

Please join us for the next of our Generation Study Abroad Webinar Series to be held on Tuesday, January 20, 2015, at 2:00 PM EST. This month’s webinar will provide a progress report on the Generation Study Abroad initiative as well as an overview of future campaign goals and actions. The webinar is free of charge and open to Generation Study Abroad commitment partners. Commitment partners can find the registration link by logging into the Commitment Partner Network. For more information, contact cthornton@iie.org.

The Fulbright International Education Administrators (IEA) seminars help international education professionals and senior higher education officials create empowering connections with the higher education systems of other countries, enabling them to enhance the international aspects of their home campus and encourage prospective study-abroad students. To learn more about this unique opportunity, including the upcoming February 2 deadline for the France and Germany programs, please visit: www.cies.org/program/fulbright-international-education-administrators-program-iea.

The Fulbright Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is the U.S. government’s flagship international exchange program and is supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world. For more information, visit eca.state.gov/fulbright.