IIE Europe Announces Award for Excellence

BUDAPEST, December 7, 2015—The Institute of International Education’s European Office is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2015 IIE Europe Award for Excellence. This year the award is presented to Robert Stanley to recognize his accomplishments in promoting closer educational relations between the United States and countries in various world regions including Europe through his leadership of ASSIST.

Mr. Stanley is the President of ASSIST (American Secondary Schools for International Students and Teachers), a nonprofit, international educational and cultural exchange organization based in the United States, which is active in more than twenty countries around the globe. The core work of ASSIST is to identify, place, and support outstanding international students on one-year scholarships at leading American independent secondary schools.

After graduating from Suffield Academy, Mr. Stanley obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in British and American Literature from Brown University (1983), and then a Master of Arts degree in Religion from Yale University Divinity School (1996). Having spent the first four years of his career in the business world, he began a lifelong commitment to education by joining the faculty of his alma mater, Suffield Academy, in 1987. Mr. Stanley spent thirteen years at Suffield as an English teacher, dorm parent, football and hockey coach, and in a variety of leadership positions – admissions, alumni and parent relations, development, communications, technology, and Dean of Students. He left the Academy in June 2000 to assume the leadership of ASSIST. He and his wife, Anne, who also works for ASSIST, live in Suffield, CT, along with their two daughters, Jordan and Olivia.

ASSIST was founded in 1968 and has identified, placed and supported 4,820 international Scholars from 51 countries at independent secondary schools across the U.S. Each year, more than 90% of the Class accomplishes honors or high honors work. This past year, 1,525 students submitted applications in the country competitions, and 685 were offered interviews. Of these, 91 students were selected to receive full scholarships, with another 87 earning partial scholarships. The Class of 2015/16 represents 21 countries and will contribute significantly to 92 American independent secondary schools.

Many ASSIST alumni have commented on the life-changing experience they have received through the program. “My ASSIST experience has managed to steer my life. It invited me into a global fellowship, challenged me personally and intellectually trained me for my next steps. The ASSIST experience continues to be hugely responsible for my motivation and success. My year in the U.S. was the most fruitful year of my life,” said alumnus Krystof Vosatka (Czech Republic, Northfield Mount Hermon School ’07, Oxford University).

“With the 2015 Award, we are honoring a true educator who has championed a remarkable international education initiative and has personally impacted the academic advancement and personal and professional development of generations of talented young Europeans. Through ASSIST, Bob contributed to fostering transatlantic student mobility and promoting the United States as a study abroad destination in significant ways,” said IIE Europe’s Director Ágnes Vajda.


About the Institute of International Education

The Institute of International Education is a world leader in the international exchange of people and ideas. IIE designs and implements over 200 programs of study and training for students, educators, young professionals and trainees from all sectors annually with funding from government and private sources. These programs include the flagship Fulbright Program and Gilman Scholarships administered for the U.S. Department of State. IIE also conducts policy research, provides resources on international exchange opportunities and offers support to scholars in danger. IIE has a network of 19 offices around the world led by talented and dedicated international education experts. IIENetwork is IIE’s membership program with over 1,400 member institutions around the world. Each IIENetwork designee is an important link in a network of over 7,000 individuals with a commitment to the internationalization of their institutions. An independent, not-for-profit founded in 1919, The Institute of International Education (IIE) is among the world’s largest and most experienced international education and training organizations.

About the IIE Europe Award for Excellence

The IIE Europe Award for Excellence is an award initiative that was launched by the IIE European Office in 2011 to recognize outstanding achievement in international education. The criteria for recipients include meaningful contributions to IIE’s mission of Opening Minds to the World®, relevance to European higher education, and high impact on the European education community.

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