HOUSTON, TX, May 30, 2012—The Institute of International Education’s Center for Academic Mobility Research is releasing two new papers that have been published to help international education practitioners assist U.S. students cultivate global competencies by expanding opportunities to study and work abroad. The papers are available for download and purchase at iie.org, and will also be distributed during the NAFSA Annual Conference in Houston at IIE’s booth (#315).
“Expanding U.S. Study Abroad to Brazil” is the fourth report in a series of user-friendly guides for U.S. institutions interested in expanding their study abroad offerings. Other reports in this series have focused on expanding U.S. study abroad to India, Turkey, and Indonesia.
IIE, with the support of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), launched this initiative to expand the capacity of key nontraditional destination countries to host a larger number of U.S. study abroad students. The project has been carried out in partnership with EducationUSA, the Forum on Education Abroad, the American Association of Community Colleges, and the U.S.-India Educational Foundation (USIEF).
The new report begins with an overview of the Brazilian higher education sector, with a particular focus on U.S.-Brazil higher education exchanges and partnerships, and the current state of U.S. study abroad to Brazil. The second portion of the report focuses on existing study abroad programs available to U.S. students, and challenges and recommendations for expanding study abroad to Brazil.
The other paper, “Learn by Doing: Expanding International Internships/Work Abroad Opportunities for U.S. STEM Students,” is the outcome of a special workshop held in April 2012 in Washington, DC to explore internship and work abroad programs in the STEM fields, specifically creating, maintaining, funding and assessing these programs. A coalition of education abroad professionals from the NAFSA: Association for International Educators’ Work, Internship, and Volunteer Abroad (WIVA) Subcommittee, and the University of California, San Diego joined IIE in convening the event, which was attended by more than 60 participants from across the United States and Canada.
This report helps define work abroad, review existing program models, and address how to effectively communicate the benefits of work abroad programs to faculty, administration and employers. The paper also discusses funding and assessment tools for work abroad programs.
“For U.S. students to become more globally aware and more competent in intercultural skills, they must have access to substantive study and work abroad programs,” says Rajika Bhandari, Deputy Vice President of Research and Evaluation at IIE and Director of IIE’s Center for Academic Mobility Research. “These new papers from IIE’s Center for Academic Mobility Research will provide international education practitioners additional resources to expand this access and new opportunities for U.S. students.”
Institute of International Education
The Institute of International Education, founded in 1919, is a world leader in the exchange of people and ideas. IIE has a network of 30 offices worldwide and 1,100 college and university members. In collaboration with governments, corporate and private foundations, and other sponsors, IIE designs and implements 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 and Humphrey Fellowships and the Gilman Scholarships, administered for the U.S. Department of State, and the Boren Scholarships and Fellowships administered for the National Security Education Program.
IIE’s Center for Academic Mobility Research
The IIE Center for Academic Mobility Research brings together the Institute’s in-house research expertise with leading minds from around the world to conduct and disseminate timely and relevant research and policy analysis in the field of international student and faculty mobility. The Center provides applied research and program evaluation services to domestic and international governmental agencies, nongovernmental organizations, corporations, and foundations. The Center’s in-depth books and reports, including the well-known Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, supported by the U.S. Department of State, are key reference resources. In addition, the Center’s policy papers and snapshot surveys capture trends in the changing landscape of international education.
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