Kate Mattingly Learch, Associate Director of the International Business Flagship Program at the University of North Florida (UNF), describes the strategic international partnership between UNF and KEDGE Business School in Marseille, France, along with challenges faced and creative solutions. "As this is UNF’s first foray into undergraduate reciprocal double degrees, there have been many, many challenges along the way. We’ve had to address issues such as financial aid, general education requirements, recruiting challenges, student retention, academic advising and additional student support for the program. The benefits to the students and institutions far outweigh the challenges, and both schools are committed to internationalization. " 

Session proposals are now being accepted for the 5th Annual Diversity Abroad Conference, with the theme Embracing the Future of Global Education. The 2017 conference marks the 10 year anniversary of Diversity Abroad, and this milestone provides an opportunity for the international education community to celebrate the progress made in expanding access and support for diverse and underrepresented students, while strengthening the resolve to address the inequities that persist.

NAFSA’s 2017 Annual Conference and Expo will be held in Los Angeles on May 28 – June 2, 2017. The theme for this conference is Expanding Community, Strengthening Connections, and will celebrate the richness of diverse communities and explore the forces that strengthen (or undermine) connection. Attendees are invited to submit proposals and share their innovative ideas and best practices through sessions, workshops, and posters.

The Fulbright U.S. Scholar program to South and Central Asia offers many opportunities for teaching and research in a dynamic, rich, and diverse region. Motivated scholars have an opportunity to make a significant impact in this region and are likely to be welcomed as the first or only Fulbright U.S. Scholars stationed at certain universities. Highlighted awards in South and Central Asia for the 2017-2018 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program include:

 

     •  India: Fulbright-Nehru Academic & Professional Excellence Awards

     •  Kazakhstan: Teaching English as a Foreign Language

     •  Nepal: All Disciplines

     •  South and Central Asia Regional Award

     •  Sri Lanka: All Disciplines

For more information about awards to South and Central Asia, visit the 2017-2018 Catalog of Awards.

The Fulbright U.S. Scholar program to East Asia and the Pacific (EAP) offers over 50 awards and close to 150 grants to 17 countries in the region. Applications in all disciplines are endorsed and flexible grant options are supported in the EAP region. Highlighted awards in EAP for the 2017-2018 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program include:

     •  Australia: Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

     •  China: China Studies Postdoctoral Scholar Award

     •  Cross-Strait Studies Research Program

     •  Korea: United States-Korea Alliance Studies

     •  Malaysia: Fulbright-MCMC Award for Communications and Multimedia Studies

     •  Philippines:Fulbright-SyCip Distinguished Lecturing Award- Study of the United States

     •  ASEAN Research Program

     •  Taiwan: Teaching English as a Foreign Language

For more information about awards to East Asia and the Pacific, visit the 2017-2018 Catalog of Awards.

The U.S. State Department’s "Students Abroad" website is a newly launched, mobile-friendly site designed to provide students, parents, and study abroad coordinators vital information related to studying abroad. This includes everything from how to get a passport to safety information while abroad. In addition, the #StudentsAbroad social media campaign is a way to ensure this important information gets to students and allows them to join in on the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

The French Embassy, along with the French American Cultural Exchange  Foundation, are launching a new program to support cooperation among the most promising young French and American researchers in the Humanities and Social Sciences, the Natural Sciences, and Science for Society. The Thomas Jefferson Fund aims to foster forward-looking collaborative research that addresses the most pressing global challenges. As the first Hubert Curien Partnership between the U.S. and France, it will bring talented researchers together to strengthen their collaborative research activities, co-organize conferences, author joint articles for high-level publications, develop sustainable research partnerships, and achieve groundbreaking discoveries. Nine 2-year research grants are awarded each year. The grants are for $20,000, plus matching co-financing from the researchers’ universities.