HIVER: Building Bridges between U.S. and MENA Through Inclusive Virtual Exchange

At IIE, we believe international education and exchange should be a part of everyone’s educational journey. In fact, IIE is the first private organization to facilitate international exchanges — with our earliest programs dating more than a century ago. Today, we continue to develop and administer cutting-edge educational programs and resources that promote access to opportunity, including and especially among underserved populations. In our permanent pursuit of innovation, we have expanded our services into virtual exchange programs like The Harnessing Innovation Through Virtual Exchange for Enhanced Results (HIVER).

In 2021, The J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI) awarded IIE the grant to implement the Harnessing Innovation Through Virtual Exchange for Enhanced Results (HIVER). This program enables U.S. university faculty to collaborate with their counterparts in universities across the Middle East and North Africa to integrate a virtual exchange component into existing courses. Through classroom discussions, group projects, and leadership sessions, the HIVER program fosters cross-cultural dialogue, helping students find common ground, respect differences, address challenges, and think globally.

This virtual exchange enables students from diverse backgrounds and cultures, including first-generation, refugee, and female and minority students, to interact and learn from each other. In addition, virtual exchanges like HIVER offer an innovative and affordable solution among students facing the financial barriers typically associated with traditional, in-person programs.

We asked both HIVER students and faculty to reflect on the virtual program. Here are the highlights:

Integrating HIVER into our curriculum has not only expanded our academic horizons but also fostered a unique sense of global community among our students and faculty.”

Dr. Ali Keyvanfar, Faculty, Kennesaw State University, U.S.

Being part of HIVER gave me a chance to get to know people from different backgrounds and find out the best ways to communicate regarding the challenges of time zone differences and language. Working on a project with students from different majors was a new and different experience that helped me consider different perspectives and try to get to the most efficient solutions.”

Shahd Mostafa, Student, Helwan University, Egypt

This experience has enhanced my interpersonal skills and broadened my perspective, fostering a deeper appreciation for diversity. Moreover, my architectural skills have flourished through collaboration with international peers.”

Noor Majed Ali Foqha, Student, An-Najah National University, Palestinian Territory

HIVER lets me interact with American professors in remote locations from the other side of the world, which could lead to professional opportunities I might not be exposed to in a traditional classroom setting.”

Dr. Anan M. Abuhammour, Faculty, Yarmouk University, Jordan

---

HIVER is implemented by the Institute of International Education and is supported by the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI). JCSVEI is a U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs program administered by the Aspen Institute.

A year ago, IIE launched the Center for Access and Equity to build upon our 100+ years mission of increasing international higher education opportunities for all. It’s an ambitious but valuable goal; one that we are continuing to strive to achieve daily. Data continues to show that while progress has been made, there is more to do to equitably expand access to opportunities in international education. It takes sustained, collaborative effort and through the IIE CAE, we are in it for the long haul.

A year certainly flew by as the IIE CAE jumped into various projects that revolved around our mission and focus on cultivating global learning, supporting access for underrepresented communities, and leveraging partnerships and programs.

Resource generation and knowledge sharing is of the utmost importance as we aim to work with various stakeholders and audiences that can shape and implement accessible and equitable programming for underrepresented communities.

• We produced the first resource guide, Supporting First-Generation College Students in International Education, to provide program expertise, the personal experience of individuals, and  perspectives and recommended practices.
• In collaboration with Dickinson College, we published Models of Change: Equity and Inclusion in Action in International Education, sharing a summary of our past virtual workshop series and a curated set of case studies of learned experiences and reflections from workshop participants utilizing an educational framework that incorporates global, intercultural, equity and inclusion lenses.
• Within IIE, we have formed an Accessibility & Inclusion Resource Working Group to create a hub of learning and resource sharing that will benefit our colleagues and applicable to our work with programs, participants, sponsors, and partners.

We value collaboration to expand our collective abilities and work across diverse touchpoints supporting access and equity in international education. In addition to our valued partnership with Dickinson College, we announced two new partnerships with the Center – Leaders of the Free World and the Council for Opportunity in Education. These two outstanding organizations have been working with underrepresented U.S. student populations in international higher education: Black males, first-generation college students, students with disabilities, and students with lower socio-economic backgrounds. We are working together to support existing and new programming and activities, amplifying their educational and study abroad programming and introducing resources and information from IIE.

We created the IIE Center for Access and Equity Empower Award to honor outstanding organizations and individuals who have demonstrated exemplary diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) contributions and to elevate strategic models of advancing access and equity in international education diversity, equity, inclusion. The IIE Empower Award paves the way for further collaboration and opens new avenues for joint initiatives in the DEIA landscape. This annual award marks a significant milestone and includes a gift in support of recipients’ strategic DEIA initiatives. The inaugural IIE Empower Awards for 2023 recognize the following:

• NAFSA: Association of International Educators
• IIE team members, five individuals and one team, represent advocates, luminaries, champions, and changemakers from across our U.S. offices.

As much joy as it gives us to award exemplary individuals and organizations, we too were elated to have the IIE American Passport Project receive the 2023 AAUA Khaladjan International Award for Innovation and for the IIE Center for Access and Equity to be short-listed as a finalist for the PIEoneer Award for championing diversity, equity, and inclusion. This month, we awarded American Passport Project grants to 51 higher education institutions, marking the largest number of grants we’ve issued to date. We are grateful to each institution for their efforts to increase access to study abroad among Pell-eligible students, and look forward to ongoing collaboration with them.

We are excited to continue growing and shaping our work through the IIE Center for Access and Equity in this next year and beyond. We are supporting ongoing partnerships and programming and welcoming new opportunities.

Look for these opportunities to engage with the IIE CAE in 2024:

• IIE Empower Award Nominations: Stay tuned to submit a nomination as an individual or an organization!
• Global Dialogues: IIE and Dickinson College are embarking on the next phase of our collaboration by conducting regional conversations to examine what does equity and justice look like in international education now and discuss what we have learned, how we have changed, and how we measure success. 
• Connect with IIE CAE Director: Lindsay Gee Calvert will be attending APAIE, NAFSA and EAIE conferences this year and can be reached by email CAE@iie.org.

IIE greatly appreciates the support and enthusiasm the Center receives and accepts gifts to help expand access to international education for all.

Exchange Alumni Are The World’s Best Ambassadors for Cross-Cultural Understanding

In 2024, more than seventy elections will take place in countries that are home to 4.2 billion people—more than half the global population. Elections can have a wide range of political, social, and economic effects, leading to significant policy shifts that will shape our future. From climate change and diminishing democratic ideals to global health crises, the challenges we face transcend national borders, and thus, our responses must be global and grounded in the principles of cooperation and collective action. Students and scholars who have engaged in international education stand on the front lines of this collective action. We must continue to be advocates for change, inclusivity, equity, access, and cross-cultural collaboration and exercise our right to vote.

In an era where isolationism and nationalism threaten to divide humanity, it is crucial to emphasize the importance of collaboration, dialogue, and shared learning. Whether they’re scientists conducting critical mRNA research that will serve as the basis for developing the COVID-19 vaccine; graduate students developing a search engine that will eventually be known as Google; or chemists who discover that CFCs can damage the ozone layer, students and scholars who’ve crossed borders to learn and collaborate with others have created some of the most influential solutions known to humankind. The acquired knowledge, shared insights, and enduring connections formed during these international experiences create ripple effects that promote health, equity, and economic growth that reach far beyond the immediate individuals—benefiting entire communities, nations, and the world.

International education programs such as the Fulbright Program, Gilman Scholarship Program, and the Boren Awards are powerful instruments of diplomacy in the face of rising discord and misunderstanding. The U.S. Department of State and Department of Defense have invested in these programs for decades because they recognize the value of people-to-people exchanges in building mutual understanding and goodwill among countries and individuals. Participants often leave their programs not as mere individuals, but as architects of a collective vision for a more interconnected and compassionate world.

Immersing oneself in a new place among people different from ourselves beckons us to challenge stereotypes, to dismantle walls, and to bridge divides. Exchange programs humanize the “other” and help to foster a sense of shared humanity. This, in turn, contributes to a more peaceful and cooperative world where nations are bound together not only by political alliances but by the enduring ties of shared knowledge and understanding. In classrooms, boardrooms, and community spaces, we must be ambassadors of understanding, recognizing that true strength lies not in uniformity but in the vibrant mosaic of our differences.

IIE, through our own scholarships, fellowships, and emergency grant programs, also provides a lifeline to scholars, students, and artists impacted by global crises. We are not afraid to step up amid a crisis to offer support; this is what we have done for 105 years and will continue to do with the support of our partners and sponsors around the world. We need these and similar international education programs now more than ever. As international exchange participants, past and present, we are constructing a world where collaboration knows no bounds. Let us not forget that the potential for a world united by knowledge, understanding, and shared humanity is within our grasp.

Four Reasons Why U.S. and Indian Higher Education Institutions Should Partner

I was privileged to help lead  IIE’s delegation of U.S. university leaders to India, facilitating discussions with representatives from more than 60 Indian institutions; visiting key academic hubs in Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai; and exploring opportunities for student and scholar exchange, collaborative research, and joint and dual degree programs.

In recent years, India has emerged as a beacon of opportunity in various sectors, particularly in education. With a rapidly expanding population and a burgeoning educational landscape, the country offers immense potential for institutional engagement, particularly between India and the United States. The scope of these opportunities, the evolving dynamics of Indian institutions and regulations, and the avenues available for fostering closer ties between our two nations pave the way for transformative partnerships and cross-cultural exchanges.

The delegation has ended, but educational opportunities in India continue to bloom. Reflecting on the conversations, here are four reasons why it is an auspicious time for U.S-India institutional engagement.

1. Student enrollment is outpacing capacity in India.

India’s education sector is experiencing unprecedented growth, with over 40 million students enrolled in more than 1,200 universities and 50,000 colleges and institutions. There has been a significant rise in the number of women pursuing higher education, particularly in STEM fields. Despite all this progress, there remains untapped potential, especially concerning international collaboration and exchange.

In the next 25 years, more than 50 million additional students will join India’s higher education ecosystem. With millions of students entering the education system each year, there is a pressing need to expand educational infrastructure and enhance access to quality education. Initiatives like the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP) underscore the Indian government’s commitment to educational expansion and flexibility.

The need for more institutional engagement with India has never been clearer. As the country undergoes rapid demographic and economic changes, there is a window of opportunity for international partners to collaborate and contribute to India’s educational development.

2. India is removing obstacles to attract international business.

Recent technological advancements and policy reforms such as the NEP 2020 have enabled Indian institutions to advance rapidly. The encourages international universities to establish branch campuses and joint degree programs. To help facilitate this, the state of Gujarat created Gujarat International Finance Tech City (GIFT), where international institutions may conduct business with Indian entities in a deregulated environment. These all are signals of a shift towards greater internationalization; however, challenges remain, including the need for faculty training and institutional capacity building. Despite these challenges, Indian institutions are eager to embrace internationalization and enhance their global footprint. Initiatives like the Study in India program aim to attract international students, while platforms like the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) facilitate seamless credit transfer and academic mobility within India. 

3. Programs like the iCET, Quad Fellowship, and Fulbright Program are already jumpstarting engagement.

The U.S. Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), the Quad Fellowship, and the Fulbright Program play pivotal roles in fostering cross-cultural exchange and addressing global challenges. The newest, iCET, announced by President Biden and President Modi in 2022, facilitates the supervision of 400 to 500 doctoral students from both nations by faculty members, enabling them to delve into collaborative projects addressing the significant challenges facing our planet.

The Quad Fellowship was launched in 2021 as an initiative of the Quad country governments (India, Australia, Japan, and the U.S.) to sponsor exceptional master’s and doctoral students in STEM from the Quad countries. The program is administered by IIE and the application for the second cohort is now open. 

The Fulbright Program  with its array of study and research awards, serves as a catalyst for academic collaboration between India and the U.S. as well as more than 160 other countries. Through initiatives like the U.S. Student, Foreign Student, U.S. Scholar, and Visiting Scholar Programs, students and scholars from both countries can engage in cross-cultural exchange and contribute to mutual understanding. In fact, India has both the largest U.S. and Visiting Scholar Programs worldwide.

4. The IIE India Spotlight Series continues.

The time is ripe for institutional engagement with India. With its burgeoning education sector, dynamic institutions, and supportive regulatory framework, India offers a fertile ground for collaboration and innovation. By leveraging current initiatives like the iCET, Quad Fellowship and the Fulbright Program, and by creating new partnerships, U.S. and Indian institutions can forge meaningful, mutually beneficial partnerships and contribute to the advancement of education on a global scale. At IIE, we stand ready to support institutions, businesses, foundations, and governments through our Center for International Partnerships—which powered the IIE Leadership Delegation to India—and our global, 10,000-member IIENetwork. Stay tuned for our bi-national online seminar about U.S.-India Higher Education Collaboration and other engagement activities. As India continues its path of growth and development, the opportunities for closer engagement and exchange between the U.S. and India are limitless.

Celebrating Women’s History Month With a Retrospective

IIE joins the world in its celebrations of International Women’s Day and  Women’s History Month in the United States.  The global community has made significant strides in gender equity, especially in higher education and employment. Yet many challenges endure; the pay gap, on average, persists and gender-based violence and repression continue to be a major barrier in many countries. At IIE, we take pride in expanding access to higher education and international exchange around the globe and thank our sponsors and partners for collaborating with us to design innovative, market-forward programs that serve, among others, women and girls.  We look to a future where women do not face boundaries to pursuing education regardless of their circumstances. Here, we take a look at our past work to close the gender gap in educational and workforce development access.

Investing in Women in Development (IWID)

In 2002, USAID created the Investing in Women in Development (IWID) Program and IIE developed it into a program that fielded fellows with USAID Missions in Nepal, Bangladesh, and in the Africa Bureau in Washington DC. IWID increase the number of U.S. professionals with hands-on experience in international gender development. The exchanges evolved into projects on girls’ education, health and nutrition, business, economic development, the environment, and democracy and governance.

Women in Technology (WIT)

With the success of IWID, IIE launched Women in Technology (WIT) in 2005 with funding from the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) of the U.S. Department of State. IIE implemented the program by collaborating with local partners in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Yemen. WIT used specially tailored training activities to empower women and expand their participation in the workforce. In northern Oman, women who had never turned a computer on were trained in PowerPoint and Excel at a network of Omani Women’s Associations. With more than ten thousand women trained and 35 partner organizations operating WIT Training Centers, the program’s impact in the MENA region was undeniable.

10,000 Women Leadership Academy

In 2009, the 10,000 Women Leadership Academy saw IIE bring together academic and nonprofit partners, business leaders and policymakers to share best practices in training women from developing countries in business and management skills and was organized as a partner experience for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women initiative. The partnership with Goldman Sachs evolved in 2011 when, with additional partners like Google, Qualcomm, and Juniper Networks, IIE’s Center for Women’s Leadership Initiatives developed Women Enhancing Technology (WeTech).  WeTech invested in supporting girls studying computer science in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the United States, and included a variety of after-school programs, mentorships, and scholarship opportunities to improve the education of women. The program was recognized by the Clinton Foundation when it became a CGI Commitment to Action to help women and girls enter and succeed in technology careers.

Higher Education Readiness (HER) Program

In 2013, IIE launched the Higher Education Readiness (HER) program to provide girls from underserved communities with a pathway to university. IIE funded 200 HER scholarships to pay for school fees, books and personal supplies, and provide leadership and entrepreneurship training. This has resulted in heightened self-confidence, improved life skills and success in completing high school. Without this support, the girls would likely have left school early to attend to families at a young age.

[The life skills training] has helped me in building confidence, self-reliance and developing better self-awareness. The other training was a leadership training which helped me add perspectives to how I view the world and understand people.”

Redit Tolossa, HER Alumna

In Ethiopia, HER gave young women in secondary school from underserved communities in a pathway to higher education. Specifically, HER provided girls entering the 11^th grade scholarship support combined with innovative leadership and the skills training mentioned by Tolossa that helped them complete their secondary education and equipped them with the tools needed to succeed in university.

Today

Over the past few years IIE has incorporated the lessons learned and best practices developed in our past work into each program we develop and administer. For example, IIE’s Odyssey Scholarship makes higher education a reality for displaced and refugee students and was awarded to 25 women and 15 men this past fall. The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by IIE, builds connections between U.S. and international professionals to advance solutions to the most pressing global challenges and was made up of nearly 60% women in its 2023-24 cohort. Alumni of the Humphrey Program have gone on to develop national policies, create national programs, serve as national trainers, and advise government officials on legislation in their home countries upon their return.

To support our work with women around the world in higher education, visit https://www.iie.org/donate.

IIE Continues to Support Ukrainian Students, Scholars, and Artists Two Years After Russia’s Invasion

Access to education enables all of us to build a life of our own choosing—a life aligned with our personal values that is safe and secure and empowers each of us to explore and live out our potential. Pursuing knowledge is a desire deeply embedded in the human spirit that transcends language and borders. Yet, more people worldwide are living under conditions that not only limit their liberties but also threaten their very lives.

As of February 24^th, it will have been two years of this reality for the people of Ukraine. Nearly 3.7 million Ukrainians have been driven from their homes in search of safety, while an additional 6.3 million Ukrainian people have fled the country, according to UNHCR data. The agency also estimates that 14.6 million Ukrainian people will need humanitarian assistance this year. From the very start, IIE has stepped in on an often overlooked, but critical need: higher education. We have supported more than 600 scholars, students, and artists since Russia’s invasion through IIE initiatives such as the Scholar Rescue Fund, Emergency Student Fund, and Artist Protection Fund. We continue to offer critical assistance, ranging from relocation, tuition, lodging, and additional funding. IIE is a critical resource when students, scholars, and artists have no other safety net. But as the war rages on, we must do more to provide for the holistic, enduring needs of the Ukrainian people.  

At IIE, we believe that access to education is a human right that empowers individuals and reverberates through communities and nations. Further, access to higher education is a long-term investment in a nation’s human capital, democracy, economic competitiveness, and overall stability. It’s a right that is especially important among displaced people who have the potential to rebuild their home countries post-war. Without education, refugees and displaced people all over the world are at risk of becoming a lost generation.

Unfortunately, as we’ve witnessed in many conflicts, university buildings, professors, college and graduate students, and other civilians attached to education are targeted as authoritarian policies seek to undermine access to knowledge.

While military assaults may damage or even destroy buildings, we know that they cannot erase knowledge, scholarship, and the invaluable people-to-people connections that we are facilitating and supporting through our Ukraine Crisis Response programs and services.

Through our extensive global network, IIE facilitates seamless collaboration with educational and cultural institutions worldwide. IIE opened an office in Kyiv shortly after Ukraine gained its independence in 1991. For the past 30 years and every day throughout the current war, our dedicated team in Ukraine has continued to provide unwavering support to scholars, students, and artists in the country.

We continue to mobilize resources in support of individuals in crisis. You, too, can join us in this ongoing effort to ensure access to educational opportunities and preserve the invaluable knowledge and ideas that these students, scholars, and artists bring to communities.

Consider making a gift to IIE’s  Ukraine Crisis Response. We also invite you to join our IIE-SRF and IIE-APF networks to host a scholar or artist at your institution. Below is a two-year update on IIE’s Ukraine Crisis Response.

Protecting Ukrainian and Russian Scholars and Scholarship

I view myself as an active participant in Ukraine’s recovery process through my work with prospective teachers and public activities. IIE-SRF is contributing to the victory of Ukraine — the experience and knowledge I gained during my fellowship and the long-term ties I built with my foreign colleagues will improve Ukrainian education. This will play a focal role in educating Ukrainian youth to be citizens of a truly European country where democracy, freedom, and independence are not empty words.“

IIE-SRF Fellow Olha Matviienko of Ukraine; Placement: Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland

Since the war began, the IIE Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF) has supported 23 Ukrainian scholars. Many of the fellows are women, and their academic fields range from children’s literature to medicine to computer science. Current fellows from Ukraine are carrying out their scholarship in safety in Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Germany. There, they are continuing their research and teaching while strengthening collaborations abroad and continuing to engage with students and colleagues at their home institutions, when possible, all with the hope of returning to Ukraine when conditions permit.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has also laid bare the risks faced by Russian academics who defy their government’s line on the war. Russian scholars who oppose the war in Ukraine face arrest, dismissal, or forced military conscription. IIE-SRF is currently supporting 11 Russian scholars who can no longer safely continue their work in the country.

Supporting Access to Higher Education for Refugees and Displaced People Globally

Within a week of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, IIE activated our Emergency Student Fund to provide immediate financial support for Ukrainian students who were already studying in the U.S. and faced grave challenges to their ability to continue their degree programs. We received student nominations for this critical grant funding from over 170 colleges and universities across the U.S.Thanks to the support of our friends and affiliates, IIE was able to rapidly provide more than 260 Ukrainian students with grants totaling $635,000 in 2022. These rapid grants helped students with basic living expenses so they could remain safely enrolled in their higher education institutions, including food, healthcare, books, and other costs.

I was constantly scared for my family, praying everybody made it out of Mariupol alive… This scholarship… allowed me to finish my degree without a worry [about] financial strains. …Receiving this scholarship meant absolutely everything to a Ukrainian student like me – I felt heard and understood within this program.”

Student Daryna Zaitseva of Ukraine; Capital University (Ohio), Dentistry

Also, in 2022, IIE was chosen to lead the scholarship administration of the Global Democracy Ambassador Scholarship (GDAS). Co-chaired by chef and humanitarian José Andrés; global human rights and pro-democracy activist Garry Kasparov; social entrepreneur and KIND Snacks Founder Daniel Lubetzky; and Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, GDAS was designed to help Ukrainian students continue their studies, educate global peers on the fragility and importance of democracy, and inspire the world to stay engaged. To date, 20 Ukrainian students have been awarded up to $25,000 each for educational and living expenses and are participating in educational programming led by the Renew Democracy Initiative.

We proudly work with the American University of Kyiv to administer the American University Kyiv Scholarship Fund, which provides a unique opportunity for Ukrainian students to earn an American degree while studying in Ukraine.

Ensuring the Voices of Ukrainian and Russian Artists are Heard

Often seen as a unifying force in political and social movements, artists in the region have been threatened, putting their lives and work in danger due to the protracted war. To date, the IIE Artist Protection Fund (IIE-APF) has received 59 applications from Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. IIE-APF has awarded nine APF Fellowships to artists in need of emergency support, from fields including literary, performing, and visual art. The volume of applications has continued to increase as the crisis enters its third year.

IIE is proud to celebrate Black History Month and pay tribute to the contributions and leadership of Black and people of African descent to IIE, the field of international education, and the world. What began in 1926 as a week-long effort to expose school children to Black history has blossomed into month-long celebrations around the world. Throughout major points in history, IIE has implemented cutting-edge educational programs and resources that promote access to opportunity—including and especially among underserved populations. To commemorate Black History Month this year, we are taking a look at our access and equity programs through the years.

Shortly after IIE’s fiftieth anniversary in 1970, Project City Streets was created to develop young people’s global perspectives. The program brought international students to cities in the United States for internships, and it provided overseas study and observation opportunities for U.S. students from underrepresented minority groups. Project City Streets also provided funding for black filmmakers in the United States to gain experience on a film called Kongi’s Harvest, filmed in Nigeria with the renowned African American actor and civil rights advocate Ossie Davis (pictured at top). Given the universality of urban issues across the world, Project City Streets introduced important educational exchange programs to help meet the needs of the cities and their inhabitants and was one of the first programs to enable young black students to study abroad.

IIE has had the privilege of administering the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship since its inception in 2013. Designed to avert the so-called “brain drain” and to build higher education capacity on the continent, this scholar fellowship model enables institutions in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda to host U.S.- and Canada-based African scholars so they can work on research collaborations, graduate student teaching/mentoring, and curriculum co-development projects in Africa. It has awarded 665 fellowships at 192 universities across 10 African countries.

In 2014, IIE launched the Generation Study Abroad (GSA) initiative to mobilize resources and commitments with the goal of doubling and diversifying the number of U.S. students studying abroad by the end of the decade. The campaign grew to include over 800 GSA Commitment Partners who awarded more than 39,000 scholarships to students, with a focus on Black and African American student populations. Morgan State University, an HBCU in Maryland, more than doubled the number of students who studied abroad. While 28 students studied abroad in the 2011/12 academic year, a whopping 158 students traveled for their education in 2018/19. Generation Study Abroad’s legacy can be seen in present-day programs that support study abroad at HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions. During the five-year initiative, more than 100 colleges and universities achieved their goals to increase and diversify study abroad, and $1 million was disbursed through IIE-administered scholarships and grants.

In a continuation of its programming to support underrepresented student communities such as Black students, IIE launched the Center for Access and Equity (CAE) in 2023. Among other programming, the CAE offers the American Passport Project, which aims to remove the financial barrier of obtaining a passport and promote access to and equity in study abroad. The Project awards institutional grants for underrepresented U.S. college students to obtain passports, a critical—and costly— first step toward studying abroad. The goal: to grant 10,000 Pell-eligible U.S. students their passports by the end of the decade. To date, the Center has provided funding to 127 U.S. colleges and universities—including HBCUs and community colleges—reaching an estimated 3,175 U.S. college students. Last fall, the CAE announced a partnership with Leaders of the Free World, a U.S.-based nonprofit specializing in global leadership development for Black male students in higher education, to enhance existing and develop new programming aimed at increasing study-abroad participation among Black men in college or university. The partnership marks a re-invigorated effort to strategically increase Black Americans’ access to study abroad and international education.

IIE is honored to join in the annual commemoration of International Day of Education. It was created by the United Nations in 2018 to reinforce education as a key factor in building sustainable and resilient societies, and contributing to the achievement of all other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our vision is a more peaceful and equitable world enriched by the international exchange of ideas, and greater understanding between people and cultures. To celebrate this year, we are welcoming the 2023-24 cohort of IIE Centennial Fellows who are each combatting climate change by furthering work they began as Fulbright scholars, students, and teaching assistants.

Jessica Ausinheiler, an IIE Rodman C. Rockefeller Centennial Fellow, is working with community members in the Mamoní River valley of Panama to incentivize smallholders to engage in “conservation services,” such as carbon storage and sequestration.

This project is deeply personal to me because its direct beneficiaries are neighbors in the Mamoní River valley and friends in other remote areas of Panama; because I am passionate about preserving wild spaces for my great-grandchildren, and yours…”

Jessica Ausinheiler

Meet Jessica below and stay tuned to the IIE Centennial Fellows Blog for additional entries and vlogs as our Fellows advance their projects.

Follow the 2023-24 Cohort of IIE Centennial Fellows throughout their projects by bookmarking this blog page where fellows will provide regualar updates to their work. And join IIE in celebrating the International Day of Education by supporting the IIE Centennial Fellowship and other programs funded and managed by IIE.

As we approach the end of the year, we want to send our heartfelt good wishes to all of you. 

Amid rising and ongoing crises, it is understandable to feel disheartened. Let’s pause to acknowledge something truly remarkable—the tireless work that people like you do daily to make our world a better place. 

We see you, and we appreciate your impact. We must remember that it is often in the everyday where lasting change takes root.

As we bid farewell to this year, let us carry the torch of hope and continue working steadily and incrementally toward a more compassionate, equitable, and resilient world.  

With the winter holiday season upon us, many of us will find ourselves at gatherings with friends and family. What will you talk about? If I may, here is a suggestion: ask your friends and relatives to name the top exports from the United States of America.

You may hear answers such as airplanes, financial services, and even Hollywood films. All correct. But before the conversation ends, please make sure they learn that international higher education is a top 10 U.S. export. In fact, the U.S. Department of Commerce reports that international students contributed nearly $38 billion to the U.S. economy last year.

As you know, last month was momentous for those of us in this field. The U.S. saw the fastest growth in international student enrollment in more than 40 years, sending a resounding message that students are, indeed, on the move again and eager to gain an education in the country. And while we are eager to put the pandemic behind us, we also know that we cannot retreat to business as usual.

I am incredibly grateful for your commitment to international education.

Wishing you and yours a safe and happy New Year,