NEW YORK, September 29, 2016—At the Institute of International Education’s Gala on September 28 at New York’s Pierre Hotel, more than 250 business, education, government, foundation and policy leaders joined IIE to recognize Qualcomm Incorporated for its role in helping women and girls enter and succeed in technology careers, and to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Fulbright Program. The guests also heard a moving testimony from a Syrian student on the critical need to keep students and scholars from countries in crisis in higher education.
Qualcomm Chief Executive Officer Steve Mollenkopf accepted IIE’s Opening Minds Corporate Leadership Award on behalf of his company in recognition of its leading role in the Women Enhancing Technology (WeTech) initiative, which IIE launched in 2013.
“Helping women and girls enter and succeed in technology careers empowers women and builds the talent and skills that are needed to fuel technological and economic growth,” said IIE Chairman Thomas S. Johnson. “Qualcomm’s partnership with IIE in support of WeTech demonstrates the company’s commitment to fostering access to STEM education in the global communities where it works and building a future talent pool for the industry.”
“Qualcomm is very proud of our collaboration with IIE on the WeTech initiative, and I’m honored to receive their Corporate Leadership Award,” said Steve Mollenkopf, CEO of Qualcomm Incorporated. “STEM education is the foundation of innovation and we are committed to making a meaningful and lasting contribution. Based on the impact that our WeTech programs are making, we are pleased that our effort to engage girls and women in STEM fields is contributing to a more diverse industry, benefiting society as a whole.”
For the past three years, Qualcomm and IIE have worked together on initiatives such as Qcamp for Girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) in the US, the Afterschool Program for Girls in India, and the WeTech Qualcomm Global Scholars Program in Asia. This year, IIE and Qualcomm expanded Qcamp to engage more middle school students in developing STEM skills and expanded the Global Scholars Program from initial pilot programs in China and India to new programs in South Korea and Taiwan to help close the global gender gap in the STEM industries. In addition to providing scholarship assistance to deserving female students, the Global Scholars Program connects the women with Qualcomm mentors, giving the students an important opportunity to gain academic experience, access to role models, and build professional skills preparing them for a globally competitive world.
In celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the Fulbright Program, IIE presented seven notable Fulbright Alumni with the IIE Global Changemaker Award to highlight the impact of the individuals and the program throughout its history. The awards recognized alumni who came from or went to Germany, Greece, India, Jordan, Madagascar, Mexico, and New Zealand as students or professors over the seven decades of the program.
“We applaud these Fulbright alumni not only for what they have achieved, but for their continued commitment to transform society and humanity through their work,” said Allan E. Goodman, IIE president and CEO. “Their vision and their accomplishments are a fitting tribute to the impact and innovation of the Fulbright Program’s first 70 years.”
Fulbright, administered by IIE on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, builds relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries, impacting local communities and the world by providing innovative and inclusive educational exchange opportunities for current and future leaders.
Sana Mustafa, a Syrian student who came to the United States to complete her university degree with a scholarship from Bard College through the IIE Syria Consortium for Higher Education in Crisis and received an IIE Emergency Student Fund grant, spoke passionately about the urgent need to help students and scholars who are displaced by violence in their home countries.
Students and scholars in Syria and many other parts of the world have been cut off from educational opportunities by war, persecution, and violence. IIE’s history of providing emergency assistance to students and scholars facing threats and danger spans nearly 100 years. Its response to the ongoing conflict in Syria and other countries in crisis, including the IIE Syria Consortium for Higher Education in Crisis, the IIE Emergency Student Fund, and the IIE Scholar Rescue Fund continue this legacy.
“We are facing a lost generation, with hundreds of thousands of students lacking access to education,” said Mark Angelson, IIE’s Vice Chairman and the Chair of the IIE Scholar Rescue Fund. “Universities, governments and donors around the world have a unique opportunity now to preserve the intellectual power of societies in crisis. We are working to provide students with scholarships and academic resources, and to provide scholars with fellowships and safe havens to continue their work until they can return safely to rebuild their once flourishing academic communities.”
About the Institute of International Education
The Institute of International Education (IIE) is a world leader in the international exchange of people and ideas. A private not-for-profit organization, IIE designs and implements over 250 programs of study and training for students, educators, young professionals and trainees from all sectors with funding from government and private sources. These programs include the Fulbright Student and Scholar programs, the Gilman International Scholarship Program, and the Humphrey Fellowships, administered for the U.S. Department of State, as well as corporate and foundation training and scholarship programs. IIE also conducts policy research, provides advice and counseling on international educational opportunities abroad, and provides emergency support to students and scholars in danger. The Institute of International Education has a network of 19 international offices and affiliates worldwide and more than 1,200 college and university members. More than 60 Fulbright alumni, IIE alumni, IIE trustees and advisers have received Nobel Prizes. IIE will celebrate its Centennial in 2019.
About the Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation by the U.S. Congress to the Department of State. Participating governments, host institutions, corporations, and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support. More than 370,000 “Fulbrighters” have participated in the Program since its inception. Today, the Fulbright Program awards approximately 8,000 grants annually. For press inquiries, please contact eca-press@state.gov.
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