IIE to Administer New One-Time China–U.S. Scholars Program

The $3.1 million commitment will support 48 Chinese and American faculty and students during the 2021-22 academic year

NEW YORK, Feb. 2, 2021 The Institute of International Education (IIE), the nonpartisan world leader in international educational exchange, and administrator of over two hundred international educational programs, today announced a new one-time China-U.S. Scholars Program. The program is made possible through a $3.1 million commitment made by five private foundations: Carnegie Corporation of New York*, Ford Foundation, Harvard-Yenching Institute, Henry Luce Foundation, and Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Through this funding collaboration, one-time grants will be made to IIE to administer the program.

The China-U.S. Scholars Program will support 48 Chinese and American faculty and students in the arts, humanities and social sciences with opportunities to conduct research, study or teach abroad in the U.S. or China in the 2021-22 academic year.

In a statement, the five foundations said:

“Our organizations have championed exchanges and dialogue between the peoples of China and the U.S. for decades. People-to-people exchanges between these countries have resulted in scientific and medical collaboration; greater awareness of Chinese and American arts, cultures, histories and societies; and diplomatic breakthroughs when formal dialogues were constrained. The two countries’ rich scholarly traditions and world-class universities make such achievements possible.

Academic exchange programs are a cornerstone of public diplomacy and are especially effective during challenging geopolitical periods. We make this one-time commitment at a time when many government-funded academic exchange programs between China and the U.S. have been suspended. This initiative signals the critical importance we place on people-to-people engagement and will ensure that some level of exchange between our two countries continues through the next academic year.

It is our hope that the fellowship – and more importantly the academic collaboration, teaching, research and exchange it facilitates – will inspire the resumption of such government-supported programs for the future.

Our world, and the peoples of China and the U.S., need this opportunity for cooperation more than ever.”

Program Details:

Applications for the China – U.S. Scholars Program will be accepted from March 1 to April 15, 2021. The fellowship program will be 5-10 months long, beginning in fall 2021.

For more information including application link, program description, eligibility requirements and benefits: www.iie.org/CUSP.

IIE is headquartered in New York.

*Carnegie Corporation of New York’s grant is pending the Board of Trustees’ approval at its early March meeting.

About IIE:

Established in 1919, IIE is a global not-for-profit that creates and implements international education programs, conducts research, and provides life-changing opportunities for students and scholars worldwide. IIE collaborates with a range of corporate, government and foundation partners across the globe to design and manage scholarship, study abroad, workforce training and leadership development programs. IIE has a network of 18 offices and affiliates worldwide and over 1,450 member institutions. Visit iie.org.

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