International Higher Education Consulting Blog™

New NAFSA Report - A Visa and Immigration Policy for the Brain-Circulation Era

2009-12-22T10:50:00.000-06:00

I’m about a week late in posting to IHEC Blog about this but due to being sick most of last week I’m getting this up today. The majority of this post is a copy and paste job with a few minor edits of a message I received from my colleague Andy Amsler at NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

On Monday, December 14th NAFSA released a report entitled A Visa and Immigration Policy for the Brain-Circulation Era: Adjusting To What Happened in the World While We Were Making Other Plans on what the Obama administration and Congress need to do about immigration reform and visa policy as they relate to attracting foreign students and foreign talent to the United States. NAFSA will make the case that there are two shifts in thinking that need to happen – one in reference to post -9/11 policies and one in regard to trends in global mobility – and that there are specific policies that can and need to be implemented to make a big difference in enhancing the US’ ability to participate in the global community, both economically and beyond.
As Congress gears up to tackle immigration reform next spring and the administration continues to focus on innovation, job creation, and getting the economy moving, we believe it is past time for an in-depth look at how foreign students factor in. On Friday [December 3rd], President Obama himself raised the issue in response to a question after his job summit, saying:

“We have not seen the same kinds of openness, I think, over the last several years that I'd like to see. Now, we've got to do it in a prudent way, but, you know, let's just take the example of foreign students. One of the great things about this country is we get the best and the brightest talent to study here, and once they study here, they start enjoying the intellectual freedom and the
entrepreneurship, and they decide to stay and they start new businesses. Suddenly, you've got a whole new generation of folks who are creating Intel or other extraordinary businesses. If -- if -- if those students start seeing, you know, a -- a -- a closed door, then we are losing what is one of our greatest competitive advantages. And that's something that I think, you know, we're
committed to doing.”

There are specific policy steps with regard to immigration and visas that the administration and Congress need to take to resolve long-standing issues – doing so would contribute enormously to both America’s global engagement and its economic recovery. Our purpose with the paper is to elevate those and talk about them.

To view the report, visit www.nafsa.org/braincirculationreport. There you will also find a link to NAFSA’s press release and a one-page summary of the report. Additionally, you can join the conversation on this topic over at NAFSA’s blog here where guest blogger DeDe Long writes about “NAFSA’s New Policy Report Reflects Needs of Brain-Circulation Era”.

Links of Interest for the Week of December 11th-17th

2009-12-18T11:57:00.005-06:00

Due to me being out of commission much of this week due to the flu the links of interest this week is on the short side. Not as much time to be on The Twitter. I hope you find some of these to be of interest:

Global Engagement blog

IHEC Blog is listed as 100 Best Education Blogs by Certification Map

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program will be piloting a special Summer 2010 award cycle for students in the STEM fields

3% of total number of study abroad students were students with disabilities in 2007/08

Survival Strategies for Going Abroad: A Guide for People with Disabilities

Center for Science Diplomacy of the American Association for Advancement of Science

New @NAFSA paper: A Visa and Immigration Policy for the Brain-Circulation Era

The Franco-American Educational Exchange Network

Increase in foreign students good for economy (Otago, New Zealand)

Collection of all USATODAY.com coverage of Institute of International Education

The USA Football International Student Program

Senate gives final congressional approval to $400 million for Peace Corps (via @pcorpsconnect )

Smithsonian Journeys announces study abroad opportunity for HS students (via @acewlp)

Photo credit: Randy Son Of Robert

Video of the Week – Ms. Harriet Mayor Fulbright at the launch of the Initiative for Global Citizen Diplomacy

2009-12-18T10:54:00.000-06:00

In this second installment of IHEC Blog’s "Video of the Week" I selected this brief speech by Harriet Mayor Fulbright at the national launch of the Initiative for Global Citizen Diplomacy back in February, 2009 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. I had the pleasure of meeting her briefly at the Colloquium on Diversity in Education Abroad hosted by the Academy for Educational Development on May 2, 2006. This video comes from the YouTube channel of the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy which you can subscribe to here. Additionally, please take a few moments to visit the website of the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy here as I believe that most IHEC Blog readers will find great value in their work.

You can access 120 international education related YouTube channels via IHEC Blog's YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/IHECBlog.

What was the Biggest International Education News of the Decade?

2009-12-16T10:27:00.008-06:00

Perhaps I'm getting caught up in all of the end of decade hoopla where everyone is making their "Top of the Decade" lists and I thought there is no reason why I can't jump on that cheesy train. I created my first IHEC Blog poll (top right of the blog) asking "What was the Biggest International Education News of the Decade?" Following are the top four news events of the decade that I could think of on my own and with the help of a colleague via IHEC Blog's Facebook page:

- Establishment of International Education Week
- September 11th (increasing international focus of U.S. students, immigration, image of U.S.)
- SEVIS
- Lincoln Commission/ Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act

The poll closes at 11:59p.m. (CST) on December 31st. If you have a moment to vote I would greatly appreciate it!

Towards a More Cross-Culturally Competent United States Air Force

2009-12-15T12:01:00.000-06:00

During my research activities this past weekend I came across a very interesting news piece on the official website of the U.S. Air Force entitled “Air Force Officials Developing Cross-Culturally Competent Officers”. The topic of the U.S. Air Force and ROTC working towards developing cross-culturally competent officers is not only of interest to me but one I have posted about to IHEC Blog in the past (see links below). I won’t summarize the article for you as you can access and read it right here. However, here is a copy and paste job of the first two paragraphs from the article:

“In an effort to produce more culturally competent officers, Air Force ROTC officials now encourage cadets to take foreign language coursework and participate in cultural and language immersion and study abroad programs, according to an Air Force culture and language official.

"This is one of many new programs aimed at developing cross-culturally competent Airmen who are better able to build coalitions and enable partner nations and appropriately respond to the human elements of conflict," said Lt. Col. Paul Valenzuela, the Air Force culture and language office chief.”

I imagine that other branches of the U.S. military are also wanting to develop cross-culturally competent officers but I just haven’t found any resources/articles yet on this topic. As I come across them I will be sure to post to IHEC Blog or IHEC Blog’s Facebook page. If you know of similar initiatives happening in the U.S. military (as well as other militaries [friend or foe]) please leave a brief comment with a link(s) on where to access further information. Were these types of initiatives part of the education/training of U.S. military officers prior to the arrival of Secretary Gates?

“Toward a ‘Cross-Culturally Competent’ Air Force” ~ January 9, 2009 Inside Higher Ed article

Related IHEC Blog posts:

“Cross-Cultural Awareness in the U.S. Military”

“Project Go – The ROTC Language & Culture Project”

Photo credit: Beverly & Pack

The Importance of Creating Standards to Evaluate Master’s Programs in International Education - NAFSA Collegial Conversation

2009-12-14T17:50:00.000-06:00

I'm posting the following with permission of Yating Chang, Network Leader of the NAFSA International Education Leader Development Network, as I think several IHEC Blog readers may find this upcoming conversation to be of interest:

International Education is a wonderful career field to be in! Are you thinking of attaining a Master's degree? What are some of the available programs in the country? What about quality of these programs?

Join IELD network's online discussion session
December 17, 2009
4-5pm EST
Be online and conduct LIVE conversation with David Urias, School of Education, Drexel University.
Be free to ask questions and provide your thoughts about this topic.

COLLEGIAL CONVERSATION:
NAFSA Collegial Conversation: The Importance of Creating Standards to Evaluate Master’s Programs in International Education

By David Urias, Ph.D., Drexel University

Everything depends on the quality of the experience which is had.
~ John Dewey

Over the past two decades, programmatic guidelines for undergraduate international education at U.S. colleges and universities have been presented by several national associations and several academic disciplines. However, none of these groups has ventured into the area of suggesting comparable guidelines at the graduate level. It should be noted that in the past, senior level leaders in international education came up through the ranks of faculty and now the trend is toward a more professionalized administrative corps, i.e., a greater professionalization and specialized graduate degree is needed. Professionals in international education - whether from a more theoretical or practical orientation - need to be concerned about the quality and availability of what is being taught at the graduate level. Graduates of these programs are most likely to enter either the academic or practitioner side of the profession. They are our colleagues of the future.

It is both exciting and unsettling that new educational models and means of delivering educational programs and services are evolving at all levels of higher education. One of the myriad of complex challenges facing American higher education is to develop standards and benchmarks for newly emerging professions, including global, international, and comparative education, which have arisen in an era of transition and globalization. Standards provide policymakers, educators, parents, students, and the public with the means to monitor, measure, and continuously improve student achievement and college/university program quality.

A major value of graduate standards is that they provide criteria by which an academic program can judge its educational effectiveness. Whether used for accreditation or program development purposes, standards provide faculty, staff, administrators, and students alike a tool to measure a program’s characteristics against a set of well-conceived criteria designed to ensure educational quality and efficacy. Knowing exactly what a program is expected to do makes it more likely stakeholders will mobilize their energies to meet those expectations and provide the means for potential students to make appropriate decisions concerning their future study objectives. The standards/benchmark criteria do not have to constitute a precise set of indicators to be applied rigidly in assessing all such programs. Rather, they are the dimensions that should be considered in reviewing and guiding existing and planned international education programmatic activities.

Photo credit: austinevan

U.S.-DPRK Science Engagement Consortium

2009-12-14T10:31:00.005-06:00

Last week I posted to Twitter (RT of @PublicDiplomacy) and listed on IHEC Blog’s “Links of Interest” post on Friday the following article “U.S. Scientists Due in Pyongyang for Talks on Academic Cooperation” from Brunei fm World. In my busy I life last week I didn’t stop to think about the significance of these talks but over the weekend I thought much more about this and wondered why I only picked this up via @PublicDiplomacy's Twitter post and didn't read it in any U.S. media outlets.

I then investigated further and went to the American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS) & the U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation (CDRF) websites to see what they were saying about this historic visit by U.S. scientists to North Korea. You can read the joint AAAS/CDRF news release here.

I have copied and pasted a snippet of the news release below that further describes the U.S.-DPRK Science Engagement Consortuim visit:

“The six-person delegation of the U.S.-DPRK Science Engagement Consortium aims to discuss and identify future opportunities for collaborative research activities with the DPRK in fields of mutual interest.

The consortium is composed of four organizations: CRDF, a nonprofit organization that promotes international scientific and technical collaboration; AAAS, the world's largest general science society; Syracuse University, which has been engaged with Kim Chaek University of Technology in Pyongyang in the only sustained U.S.- North Korea academic science collaboration to date; and The Korea Society, a nonprofit group that promotes greater awareness, understanding and cooperation between the people of the United States and Korea.”

You can read more information about the history of the U.S.-DPRK Science Engagement Consortium here.

The scientific community here in the United States has been quite active in conducting Science Diplomacy with so many countries across the globe. Nearly a year ago (December 18, 2008) I posted to IHEC Blog about an interesting development in U.S.-Iranian scientific collaboration and you can access that post entitled“Science as a Gateway to Understanding: International Workshop Proceedings, Tehran, Iran (2008)” here.

More on what I discovered on the American Association for Advancement of Science and the U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation websites later on IHEC Blog’s Facebook page.

My question is this...with all of the international scientific collaboration happening across the globe why do we make it so difficult for students in the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) to study, research or intern abroad? To me, an international academic experience should be a required part of any STEM field program of study.

Links of Interest for Week of December 4th – 10th

2009-12-11T13:20:00.010-06:00

It’s been another busy week of news in the Twitterverse for the field of international education. We started with a guilty verdict in Italy and we end with U.S. & North Korean scientists talking about academic cooperation! I hope you find some of these links to be of interest and/or useful in your theory & practice:

U.S. Scientists Due in Pyongyang for Talks on Academic Cooperation (via @PublicDiplomacy)

Nice bar graph of NSEP recipients and how they fulfilled their service requirement in departments & agencies of U.S. Federal Government

American-educated Chinese students and their impact on U.S.-China relations (via @IDPDRIE)

National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange AWAY Journal Release (via @MobilityINTL)

Education ministry is planning to increase funds for Azerbaijani students who study abroad

The International Education Round Table of Tasmania to provide $1.2 million of funding to attract more overseas learners

New NAFSA Report Features Internationalization Efforts (via @NAFSA)

@uniworldnews is now on Twitter!

2009 is the 40th Birthday of the term Third Culture Kid (via @CindyKing)

US-China: Global engagement and study abroad (via @WESFans)

University of Maryland Office of Sustainability study abroad travel emissions in Campus Greenhouse report (via @pdxnicolle)

An opportunity for some good friends & people to get together to talk about politics in a non-threatening forum

Ann Stock nominated as Assistant Secretary of State for Educational & Cultural Affairs (via the Alliance for International Educational & Cultural Exchange – not via Twitter)

Amanda Knox sentenced to 26 years in prison for Kercher killing (via @cnnbrk)

Students: Enter the Doors to Diplomacy competition for a $2000 scholarship (via @usembassyottawa)

Subtitle of IHEC Blog (http://ihec-djc.blogspot.com/) has been revised and now reads “A Source for News on International Educational Exchange & Mutual Understanding”

Yale World Fellows Program for mid-career professionals (via @planetecole)

Photo credit: Jo Jakeman

Interrupting all Programmes…Video of the Week ~The Australia Project Student Documentary Trailer

2009-12-11T10:04:00.007-06:00

Today on IHEC Blog I’m starting what I hope will become an interesting and ongoing Friday feature. The new “Video of the Week” series will compliment the “Links of Interest” post every Friday. For this initial post I selected “The Australia Project Student Documentary Trailer” from the AustraLearn YouTube channel. Here is a brief summary of The Australia Project that I copied and pasted from the channel:

“A student developed documentary created by two film students on an AustraLearn internship in Australia. Learn more or request a free copy of the DVD at www.australearn.org/AustraliaProject”

Check out more of AustraLearn’s videos on their YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/AustraLearn. Additionally, you may want to follow AustraLearn on Twitter here and you can find them on Facebook here.

IHEC Blog Interview with Christi Hunter from Global Leadership Excellence, LLC

2009-12-10T14:41:00.012-06:00

Today on IHEC Blog I’m pleased to be posting my first interview! I’ve been planning on conducting and posting interviews for several months now (and I still need to get back in touch with a few colleagues about interview requests I made through LinkedIn) and I am very happy to be posting this interview with Christi Hunter! Christi is the Director of Global Leadership Excellence, LLC and you can learn more about their work here.

1. What is global competence?

Global Competence is "having an open mind while actively seeking to understand cultural norms and expectations of others, and leveraging this gained knowledge to interact, communicate and work effectively outside one's environment" (Hunter, 2004). The Internal Readiness components are attitudinal in nature; they are: Self-Aware, Open-Minded, Willing to Take Risks, and Perceptive and Respectful of Diversity. External Readiness components are based on one’s knowledge gained from education or life experience; they include: Knowledgeable about World History, Globally Aware, Interculturally Competent, and Effective across Cultures

When the research on Global Competence began in 1999, there were 12 published definitions of the term and they varied widely. With that in mind, a primary goal of the research became to derive a consensus definition of the term. With the help of a number of international educators, Human Resources managers with Fortune 500 corporations, UN representatives, and others with extensive international experience, a Delphi Technique was employed. Following several rounds, first beginning with all published definitions of the term, a consensus definition for global competence was reached.

2. What’s the difference between global competence and intercultural competence? Are they the same thing?

No, global competence and intercultural competence are not synonymous terms; however, intercultural competence is one of the eight components of global competence. Our friend and colleague Darla Deardorff defined intercultural competence as “the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately in intercultural situations based on one’s intercultural knowledge, skills and attitudes.” However, the Global Competence Model™ expands to include a willingness to take personal risks outside one’s comfort zone, global awareness (including cross-border interactions, trade, geography, etc.), knowledge of world history, and being effective across cultures, so as to collaborate and work effectively within and across perceived or actual cultural barriers.

3. There are a lot of assessments available. What makes the Global Competence Aptitude Assessment® (GCAA®) different from the others?

There are several key distinctions between the GCAA® and its competitors. First of all, the Global Competence Aptitude Assessment® is one of the most widely piloted assessments in the world; it has been researched in more than 40 countries. The GCAA® is currently being used by students and educators around the world. As the global competence research population and the GCAA® deployment pilot group included Human Resources managers in transnational corporations, the instrument measures the skills that employers around the world seek in the workforce. Therefore, employers are actively seeking means of implementing the GCAA®, too.

While other assessments claim to measure global competence, they are not capturing all the components identified in the research and presented in the Global Competence Model™:
http://www.globalcompetence.org/model/

The GCAA® is far more insightful and revealing than many assessments that use question repetition or mere self appraisal. The Assessment challenges participants with a wide range of question styles, and most importantly, requires thinking on one’s feet, not just static responses.

Scoring is immediate, and provides an extensive report spanning both the Internal and External Readiness categories for global competence. The report also includes definitions of each component, and a series of recommendations, training and published resources to guide one’s growth and maturation. Since the participant receives the report directly, there is no costly overhead associated with training assessment administrators to deliver feedback. The report clearly delineates an individual’s strengths and growth opportunities across each of the eight components of global competence in understandable terms for personal improvement.

4. How does global competence impact education and employment marketability?

The American Council on Education has noted “the United States has a dangerous shortfall of individuals with global competence,” and went as far as to say that “America’s future depends upon our ability to develop a citizen base that is globally competent.” (1998)

Global competence isn’t just for those studying abroad, majoring in international relations or hoping to work for a transnational company. There are very few sustainable jobs in the global marketplace that don’t require effective communication and cooperation with international partners, counterparts, suppliers, or customers.

According to US Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, “We're competing … around the globe for jobs of the future” (2009). The research on global competence identified the necessary skills for the global workforce, so being globally competent dramatically increases one’s ability to compete in the global talent pool.

5. Can’t one just study about the destination country before departure and expect to be successful?

While there are many traveler’s guides and How To books and websites, they rarely prepare people for any experience deeper than language tidbits, common customs, tipping suggestions and food expectations. It would be naïve to assume that everyone one encounters in another country is a native or shares the majority culture identified in reference materials. As the world becomes more intermixed, so do the cultural norms and expectations.

In addition, no matter where one lives, one cannot always anticipate when one will encounter a person with a different cultural background -- leaving no opportunity to study in advance. A globally competent person can parachute to anywhere in the world, prepared with the foundational skills for effective interchanges with people from any cultural background. Basic skills for success begin with a mindset where one is willing to step outside one’s comfort zone, and has the ability to accept and embrace differences in a non-judgmental manner when in a new environment.

Is it a Good Thing to Limit the Number of Foreign Exchange Students?

2009-12-09T12:16:00.008-06:00

The Killeen Daily Herald (Texas) posted an article yesterday entitled “CCISD board considering foreign exchange student limit” which, of course, caught my attention. In the article, the Copperas Cove Independent School District board is considering to institute a “three-year limit of six foreign exchange students in the district in order to prevent exchange students from taking up too much of a campus' resources.” You can link to the article here.

Here are some links to additional documents on this issue:
1) CCISD Regular Meeting Agenda Packet for Tuesday, December 8, 2009 where you can link to the "Action Sheet" and the "Foreign Exchange Student Waiver" in order to “Consider and Act to Approve Foreign Exchange Student Waiver for The 2010-2011, 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 School Years”
2) The Texas Education Agency “Foreign Exchange Student Waiver Guidelines”
3) The Texas Education Agency “Foreign Exchange Students Frequently Asked Questions”

Finally, according to TEC §25.001 (e) (1) (2) (3), the district may only limit the number of foreign exchange students if the commissioner determines that the admission of a foreign exchange student would:
1) create a financial or staffing hardship for the district;
2) diminish the district’s ability to provide high quality educational services for the district’s domestic students; or
3) require domestic students to compete with foreign exchange students for educational resources.

I checked the Killeen Daily Herald and the CCISD websites today to see what decision, if any, came from last night’s meeting but can’t find anything. I’ll try to check from time to time to learn what the CCISD board decided on this.

What are your thoughts on this?

Photo credit: AlphaTangoBravo / Adam Baker

How do we Diversify the U.S. Study Abroad Student Profile?

2009-12-08T15:43:00.003-06:00

This IHEC Blog post is simply a question with a data chart I compiled some time ago to provide basic demographic data on the U.S. population, U.S. higher education enrollments and U.S. student participation in education abroad for comparative purposes. About the only point I wish to make is that the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is for students who are Pell Grant eligible.

What do the data tell you? What can we do to change the face of U.S. study abroad?

Sorry that the data chart is a bit small but I'm having difficulty making it larger and easier to read. If you would to view and download a larger and easier to read you can find it on my SCRIBD page here.

No doubt about it…studying abroad is fun!

2009-12-07T12:56:00.004-06:00

I came across an interesting article today in The Independent entitled “Broaden your horizons with international study” with a sub-title of “Venturing overseas to get a degree makes you attractive to employers – and it’s fun”. Before reading the article I decided that this article would serve as the basis of today’s IHEC Blog post.

The article discusses the mobility of UK students and provides some very interesting data points recently released by the British Council. I won’t summarize the data or other themes of the article for you here as you should read it for yourself as I think it is a very good article.

What surprised me was that the “and it's fun!” part of the sub-title was never mentioned in the article at all. I was fully expecting to read that one should go and study abroad because it is a fun thing to do and you can put the experience on your resume and market it as an advantage over other applicants who have not studied abroad. Why then did the author feel the need to include this in the sub-title of the article?

This leads me to the real point of this post…I was an exchange student in Rosenheim, Germany during the summers between my sophomore (2nd) and junior (3rd) years of high school and again during my senior (4th) year of high school and my freshman (1st) year of college. I then studied abroad in Valladolid, Spain during the spring semester my junior year in college followed by a month of backpacking around Europe. Did I have fun during my two high school exchange experiences and while I studied abroad…Oh Yes I Certainly Did (details are only known by the participants in the programs!). Did I take my academics seriously while I studied abroad in Spain (Rosenheim was more of a cultural exchange than an academic exchange)? I took my academics as seriously in Spain as I took them while back at my home institution!! I also know that many of my colleagues in the field of international education had fun while studying abroad but it is important to recognize that everyone defines “fun” differently. Have I witnessed international students here in the United States have fun? The answer to that question is…Yes!

I fully support and believe in rigorous education abroad programs (broadly defined) but I also believe that participation in these programs is indeed a fun experience. So how do we as a field go about educating senior administrators, faculty, colleagues, parents and others that the education abroad programs we develop are rich in academic content and value and that it is absolutely okay to have fun while participating? We are not creating longer and glorified spring break trips (at least a significant majority in the field aren’t) and, for the record, I don’t consider my exchange experiences in Rosenheim and my academic experience in Valladolid to be long glorified spring break trips! I must admit, however, that it was an interesting experience to be on a flight from Chicago to Germany when I was 15 and to be able to order a bier with no questions asked (that was in 1986 and it was free back then so I may have had a couple).

What do you think? Did you have fun on an education abroad program?

Photo Credit: Ethan Prater

Links of Interest for Week of November 27th – December 3rd

2009-12-04T13:55:00.009-06:00

Here is a list of some interesting links I posted to The Twitter as well as many interesting links I pulled from The Twitter and retweeted. Also, I now have things set up so that my IHEC Blog Facebook page posts feed to my Twitter profile which then feed to my LinkedIn profile.

@RickRuth was asking some really great questions on measuring "success" of public diplomacy. A question I think about often for my dissertation!

“Cultural Exchange and the Cold War: How the West Won” guest post by Yale Richmond on WhirldView

IIE President Goodman on Language Learning/Global Citizenship: "using another's language reminds Americans we are not alone"(via @IIEglobal)

I plan to utilize the “share” feature much more in my Google Reader. Here's a start: http://www.google.com/reader/shared/international.ed.consulting

New Orleans Citizen Diplomacy Council has a LinkedIn group

Study Abroad and Global Learning: Exploring Connections, AAC&U Peer Review Fall 2009 issue

PAX November newsletter is here! (via @yesprogramnews)

Expanding Partnership with Kyrgyzstan (@dipnote New Blog Post)

Salman Rushdie to Keynote NAFSA 2010 Annual Conference & Expo (via @NAFSA)

2010 Marshall Scholar winners announced (via @MarshallScholar)

US-CHINA: No hope of meeting Obama's goal

Vegetarians abroad: A handy travelling & study abroad guide (via @mcinternational)

Enter the ExchangesConnect 2nd Annual Video Contest for your chance to win an International Exchange Program

Research indicates Fulbright scholars are models of international collaboration (via @FulbrightSchlrs)

The 2nd November issue of BCCIE eNews is now published! (via @BCCIE)

Journal of International & Global Studies (new) is seeking international and comparative education submissions

Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation Notice of Meeting

Yale World Fellows Program for mid-career professionals (via @planetecole)

100 Awesome iPhone Apps for Studying Abroad

The photo in this student article on study abroad makes me wonder about Public Diplomacy & U.S. students abroad (link via @pdxnicolle)

"Law Programs for an Interconnected World" (NYT article)

Why are more students crossing the Atlantic for their studies?

November News from U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy (via @CitizenDiplomat)

Province [British Columbia] preparing for influx of foreign-educated professionals (via @BCCIE)
ExchangesConnect surpassed 15,000 members (via @ConnectStateGov) ~ CONGRATS!

Data and Resources (such as program evaluation summaries) related to Department of State Exchanges

Georgetown professor asks how the U.S. can keep up in the competition for talent abroad (via @NAFSA)

Five new papers in IELTS Research Report

Photo Credit: Leo Reynolds

The Student Diplomat Video Contest Deadline is Near!

2009-12-03T12:59:00.003-06:00

NAFSA: Association of International Educators and Abroad View, the global magazine for students, are hosting this contest to give U.S. students the opportunity to share how their study abroad experiences have helped to advance global understanding. The extended deadline for the contest – December 15, 2009 – is quickly approaching. Please help them spread the word with students.

If you’re looking for a message to include in your next communication with your students abroad right now, you can use this one:

“Has your study abroad experience helped to shape you as a global citizen, served as a bridge to cross-cultural understanding, promoted peace, or positively impacted the local community in which you are studying? If you answered yes to any of these questions and want to tell your story, check out the Student Diplomat Video Contest hosted by NAFSA and Abroad View magazine. A short video – one to three minutes -- about how your study abroad experience has helped to advance global understanding enters you for the chance to win $300 and become the next Student Diplomat! But, the deadline of December 15th is quickly approaching, so be sure to get your video in soon! To read the contest rules and learn how you can submit your video, visit the Contest Page.”

Finally, you can download the official flyer here.

What Would be the Economic Impact on the United States if we Send 1,000,000 U.S. Students to Study Abroad?

2009-12-03T12:12:00.000-06:00

There has been much written in the media and blogosphere over the last year or so about the economic impact that international students have on various nations, provinces/states and even cities across the globe. Most recently, NAFSA: Association of International Educators released their annual Economic Impact Statements for 2008-2009 which you can access here.

Here are some questions I have on this topic but don’t currently have answers for:

What was the economic impact on the United States of sending 262,416 U.S. students to study abroad during the 2007/08 academic year?

What would be the economic impact on the United States if we send an additional 86,835 U.S. students to study in China (thus meeting President Obama’s stated goal of sending 100,000 U.S. students to China)?

What would be the economic impact on the United States if we send 1,000,000 U.S. students to study abroad annually?

To be sure, there are many, many more variables that would need to be considered and calculated into this economic impact equation compared to what I imagine is a bit simpler equation for calculating the economic impact of international students in the United States. Any mathematically/economically inclined people out there have ideas on how to calculate this?

I just think it is important to present data on both sides of this economic trade coin…I think a future IHEC Blog post on GATS should be in the works!

If you are interested in the economic impact of international students you might find the following resources to be of interest:

Related IHEC Blog posts on the economic impact of international education (worldwide focus and not specific to the United States):

- The Economic Impact of International Students – New Paper Released Today
- The Economic Contribution of International Students in Australia
- Dublin Enters the International Student Recruiting Market with The Lord Mayor of Dublin International Scholarships

- International Students Contribute $15.54 Billion to U.S. Economy
- Aberdeen City Council Investigates Economic Impact of International Students

- Manitoba’s International Education Strategy

Stuart Hughes who maintains the IDP Database of Research on International Education commented on my Aberdeen City Council blog post listing the following state level reports:
- Brisbane - city of education : the economic impact of international students. (2004 and 2007)
- The economic impact of London's international students. (2007)
- Report : international student spending. Dunedin: Dunedin City Council. (2004)
- International students : economic benefits for Auckland city. (2003)
- International students : their impact on Auckland city. (2003)
- Vancouver's English language school sector. (2003)
- A report on the demographic, social and economic impact of international students on North Shore City [Auckland]. (2002)
- The economic impact of the overseas student industry: special reference to the Wollongong economy. (1998)
- Domestic economic impact of exporting education: a case study of the University of Wollongong. (1995)

Those of you on Twitter might want to follow the IDP Database of Research on International Education at: http://twitter.com/IDPDRIE

Photo by SqueakyMarmot

U.S. Students Heading to Copenhagen and their Public Opinion Poll relating to the United Nations Climate Change Conference

2009-12-02T14:50:00.004-06:00

In an effort to help spread the word I’m posting the following message from the Green Passport Program network that comes from an Ithaca College student who will be traveling to the United Nations Climate Change Conference this weekend and who is asking for assistance in answering some daily poll questions.

"We want the delegates and the press to know how we and our fellow citizens feel about climate change and the policies surrounding it. Together with Dickinson College we have planned a daily Public Opinion Poll to do just that. Every day we will have one simple yes/no question to be answered by as many people globally as possible. We are hoping to gather 1 MILLION VOTES PER DAY.

For daily poll reminders– and to help spread awareness– please join our Facebook Group at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=126410380508

Further information for connecting to the poll and its results is located at the following website:
http://www.ithaca.edu/hs/depts/envstudies/climatechange/

At this site you can read about our participation at the UN-FCCC, Meet the Delegates (and read our bios), link to our Facebook Fan Page and/or Twitter page, and link to the Public Opinion Poll where you can VOTE and see the daily results! We will also results at our Exhibit Space in Copenhagen that we were graciously given by the UN.

We are sure to get media attention so look for us in the news!"

Here is a different message Stustainabiltyabroad mailing list (actually, the message was posted to the mailing list by Astrid Jirka, the Green Passport Director) from the faculty member at Ithaca College who will be leading this group of students to Copenhagen.

“My International Environmental Policy class and I are leaving Friday to attend the climate change talks in Copenhagen. One of our goals is to bring to voice of the people to the delegates and the press. Together with Dickinson College, we have planned a daily public opinion poll - one simple yes/no question - to be answered by as many people globally as possible and then we will display the votes at our exhibit space. Our goal is 1 million votes per day - which means we need to go viral and reach out to everyone we know (you) and everyone you know and so on.

The relevant information for connecting to the poll and its results is:
http://www.popcop15.com

This site is our hub site that shows how the poll looks, and will be where the results are available. People can get connected via twitter or facebook right from this site from where they can get daily reminders to answer the poll questions.

I would very much appreciate whatever you could do to publicize the poll! Through your email contacts, facebook friends, any one you can reach out to - anywhere! Many thanks - Susan Allen Gil"

Please participate in the poll if you can and help spread the word!

If you are interested in the Global Passport Program you can link to and join at http://greenpassport.ning.com/

If you are interested in subscribing to the Sustanabilityabroad mailing list you can do so at http://lists.livingroutes.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabilityabroad

Check out this Oct. 15th IHEC Blog post entitled “International Educational Exchange and Climate Change” here.

Cultural Exchange or American Dominance?

2009-12-01T12:36:00.007-06:00

Part of the description of IHEC Blog states “from time to time, International Higher Education Consulting Blog will post thought provoking pieces to challenge readers and to encourage comments and professional dialogue” and I hope that this post meets this criteria so here goes it…

I came across an interesting article over lunch entitled “Is $120 Million Study Abroad Bill About Cultural Exchange or American Dominance?” which was posted yesterday to MatadorAbroad.com. I think the author, Sarah Menkedick, raises some interesting/important points that are worthy of discussion here on IHEC Blog.

What’s your take on the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act? Is it about cultural exchange or American dominance or is it a little bit of both?

Here is a video of Senator Paul Simon from November 13, 2003 (a few weeks before his untimely death) announcing his vision of the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program:

I plan to post more to IHEC Blog about sending one million students abroad in the near future. I leave you with this thought I have; if the United States does reach the goal of sending one million students abroad I wonder how many more “Itaewon” type areas will be established across the globe?

This post is related to a similar to a March 30, 2009 IHEC Blog post entitled “Spreading of Colonial Influence Abroad via the Peace Corps” which you can read and comment on here.

IHEC Blog’s YouTube Channel is Looking for Subscription Recommendations

2009-11-30T11:45:00.008-06:00

A little over a week ago I created a YouTube channel for IHEC Blog. I decided to create a YouTube channel primarily for my research activities as well as a way for me to find and archive (favorite) interesting videos related to international education and public/citizen diplomacy. The side benefit is that IHEC Blog’s channel can serve as a clearinghouse for all international education and public/citizen diplomacy related channels on YouTube. Building up the subscriptions will be a slow process but as I come across channels of interest I will subscribe to them. Additionally, as I come across videos of interest I will add them to my list of favorites. Here are the YouTube channels I have subscribed to so far:

U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy (http://www.youtube.com/user/USCitizenDiplomacy)

Wandering Educators (http://www.youtube.com/user/WanderingEducators)

Education USA TV (http://www.youtube.com/user/EducationUSAtv)

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program (http://www.youtube.com/user/gilmanscholarship)

Manitou Heights (http://www.youtube.com/user/rmsylte)

Fulbright Center (http://www.youtube.com/user/fulbrightcenter)

Fulbright U.S. Student Program (http://www.youtube.com/user/fulbrightprogram)

Fulbright Scholar 1 (http://www.youtube.com/user/FulbrightScholar1)

Foreign Fulbright Program (http://www.youtube.com/user/fulbrightforeign)

ExchangesConnect (http://www.youtube.com/user/exchangesvideo)

AustraLearn (http://www.youtube.com/user/AustraLearn)

What channels are missing? If you have a YouTube channel (or have recommendations for channels) that I should subscribe to on IHEC Blog's channel please leave a comment with the link to your channel.[1]

You can link to IHEC Blog’s YouTube channel here at http://www.youtube.com/user/IHECBlog

[1] Links to relevant channels only please! Please note that I reserve the right not to subscribe to a suggested YouTube channel and/or to not post comments suggesting YouTube channels.

Links of Interest for Week of Nov. 20th to 27th

2009-11-27T22:49:00.009-06:00

Here are some items I posted and came across on The Twitter that I thought I would highlight and share this week:

IHEC Blog now has a YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/IHECBlog

isa Glancy from IIE-Mexico City talks on CNN-Espanol about how EducationUSA assists students looking to study in the United States (via @EdUSAtips)

Abstracts & presentations from recent Observatory on Borderless Higher Education Global Forum online (via @IDPDRIE)

New Blog Post: Educational and Cultural Exchanges Create Lasting Friendships in U.S. and Russia (via @dipnote)

New blog post on global public opinion on international issues by @CitizenDiplomat

Highlights from a Successful International Education Week by @NAFSA

Study abroad: New pact strengthens student exchange ties between Missouri and Panama

Subscribe to Gilman Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/gilmanscholarship

Canada Can Open a Door to Foreign Students That New U.S. Law Shuts, Report Says

Over 500 Azerbaijani students receive education abroad under state programs

Joint NAFSA-AIEA letter on proposed rule in the FR “Exchange Visitor Program-General Provisions”

Open World now has a Facebook fan page

Congrats to S. Bell from the Univ. of Chicago on her Rhodes!

US Rhodes Secretary Elliot Gerson explores the growing trend of Rhodes Scholars entering finance after Oxford (via @NAFAdvisors)

Take Action @change: Encouraging Americans to Become Global Citizens and Citizen Diplomats

50 Open Courses to Make You an Expert on China

The World’s 50 Best Open Courseware Collections

Citizen Diplomacy and Thanksgiving Day in the United States

2009-11-26T10:04:00.006-06:00

For international students (no matter where the student is from and what country the student is studying in), holidays in a foreign land can be a difficult time. The other day I came across an interesting article entitled "Everything after that is gravy - citizen diplomacy and ambassadorial moments during Thanksgiving" in the November 20th Chicago Examiner (they frequently have articles on study abroad by the way). You can link to the article here.

Indian Engineering Education in Peril

2009-11-25T12:16:00.001-06:00

Guest post by Dr. Rahul Choudaha, http://www.dreducation.com/

Dr. Rahul Choudaha is an international higher education professional based in New York. He earned his Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Denver and holds an MBA and an undergraduate degree in Engineering.

The gap between quality and quality in Indian engineering education is widening. The recent decision of the Washington Accord to turn down India’s proposal to graduate from the provisional membership to full membership highlights the lack of global competitiveness of the Indian engineering education system. The primary reason for denial relate to the “concerns over the quality of faculty members and students in Indian engineering programs.”

The number of seats for AICTE (Indian regulatory body) approved engineering colleges grew from 115,000 to 653,000 (CAGR of 19%) in the ten-year period from 1997-2007. Private institutions contributed to the most of growth however, it came at the expense of quality. This is clearly evident from the reports of unemployment among engineers on one hand and on other hand there are concerns of future unmet demand by the industry. Thus, there is a significant quality gap between what industry needs and what engineering education is providing.

One of the biggest challenges for Indian higher education is that institutional practices consider quality as an option and not a requirement. This means quality does not figure as a strategic priority. In addition, over-regulation and dysfunctional reward system further stifles quality orientation. This is also evident from the number of engineering institutions opting for “voluntary” accreditation of quality offered by National Board of Accreditation (NBA). This means given a choice, Indian engineering programs are not striving to integrate quality assurance in their academic offerings.

Source: http://www.education.nic.in/tech/tech_nba.asp

The problem is evident, urgent and systemic. It calls for solutions that more comprehensive and collaborative. Without the support of industry support, regulatory reform and institutional transformation, Indian engineering education is at the risk of created overeducated and underemployed youth.

Indian quality assurance system in engineering education requires an overhaul. A recent report by UNESCO, A New Dynamic: Private Higher Education, argues that "quality mechanisms must find a balance that ensures high levels of provision while at the same time not constraining appropriate innovation that responds to the evolving public and private education sectors."

French Embassy Partner University Fund (PUF) - Call for Projects

2009-11-24T16:07:00.004-06:00

For the third year, the Embassy of France to the United States and France American Cultural Exchange (FACE) announced a call for project proposals of the Partner University Fund (PUF).

Here is a brief description of the Partner University Fund obtained from the website:

"Grants provided by the Partner University Fund support research and graduate education partnerships between French and American Universities with emphasis placed on novel, innovative and, when relevant, interdisciplinary approaches that involve exchanges across national and disciplinary boundaries.

Applicants are expected to develop new or deeper partnerships through the collaboration. The PUF Grant Review Committee will value, when applicable, evidence of institutional commitment to the development of joint or dual degrees even when the partnership starts with simple shared teaching and research exchanges.

PUF seeks to fund research and graduate education projects in all disciplines without exception. It also encourages interdisciplinary projects when relevant."

The application deadline of December 15, 2009 is quickly approaching but there is still time to submit a competitive application. You can learn more about the Partner University Fund here.

What should be the Next Web 2.0 Tool(s) for the Field of International Education?

2009-11-23T12:50:00.008-06:00

I don't have an answer to this question but I found myself thinking about this over lunch.

I started IHEC Blog in February 2007 but didn't start blogging on a regular basis until June of 2008. I opened a Twitter account in February of 2009. I tried to start a Facebook page for my side consulting business and couldn't figure out how to do it (but instead have connected with many people from high school, college and my early professional career when I worked with juvenile delinquents and individuals with developmental disabilities). I finally figured out how to make a fanpage on Facebook for IHEC Blog only two months ago. I'm also on several Ning networks (such as ExchangesConnect) and other random sites. All of my experiences on these networks has lead me to connect with many great people and these new connections have lead to many collaborations on various projects which is why I signed up in the first place so I'm meeting that goal.

I'm certainly no expert but having a presence on all of these networks has allowed me to sit back to watch and learn about how the many stakeholders in the field (the students, the faculty, the study abroad offices/providers, the researchers, the international education organizations, etc.) have been using the web 2.0 tools in their work. I've been learning much just by observing what is happening in these networks. Some people, offices, providers and organizations are using web 2.0 tools very effectively while others I feel could better capatilize on the power/value that web 2.0 tools can provide. Things are moving and changing at such a rapid pace and the web 2.0 is changing the way the world (and the field of international education) communicates, interacts and does business. Check out this video (4:22) if you aren't convinced[1]

I'm excited and interested to see how these tools and networks will evolve and how the field of international education adapts them into our work. Google Wave Perhaps?[2]

So back to my question...What should be the Next Web 2.0 Tool(s) for the Field of International Education? What have you wanted to do with any of these tools that you can't do now?

[1] Many thanks to @APIstudyabroad for putting this video on my radar. Stealing a little from Chris Brogan (@chrisbrogan) ~ @APIstudyabroad is doing it right!

[2] Over the weekend I was invited to preview Google Wave ~ much appreciation and thanks to the person who invited me! This person and I connected via various web 2.0 networks and have only communicated electronically but someday in person over a frosty mug!

Links of Interest for Week of November 13th to 19th

2009-11-20T10:29:00.007-06:00

This is my 450th post to IHEC Blog and I'm continuing with my weekly Friday post highlighthing some of the posts I made to Twitter as well as some of the posts others have made to Twitter this past week.

My plan to find time in the evenings this week to do some of my own analysis of the Open Doors 2009 data did not happen as I thought. Stay tuned as I hope to find some time in the near future as I'm sure I'll have something to say and post to IHEC Blog. Until then...please enjoy these links:

New International Education Blog on the scene! Really good stuff so check it out at www.melibeeglobal.com

Educational and Cultural Exchanges Create Lasting Friendships in U.S. and Russia (@dipnote blog post)

Take Action @change: Encouraging Americans to Become Global Citizens and Citizen Diplomats (via @CitizenDiplomat)

"Conflicting International Enrollment Trends at U.S. Institutions of Higher Education" on WENR

Full U.S.-China Joint Statement

Revisiting an old IHEC Blog post for IEW ’09 ~ “Dear President Obama – What’s Your International Policy?”

“Put Germany on Your Resume”

DrEducation.com posted a nice analysis of IIE Open Doors data for Indian students enrolled in US institutions

British Council Sets Up Fund for Partnerships With U.S. Colleges

Profiles in International Education: Brian Whalen by @WanderingEds