Emergency Assistance to Syrian Students
By Allan E. Goodman

As I write this, the upheaval in Syria continues to make headline news. What you may not hear is that many students from Syria who are enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities have been cut off from funds from home and face dire financial need. We have learned from recent emergencies in Haiti, Japan, and Thailand that an emergency grant at this critical time can help them stay in school and get the education they will need to be able to help their country in the future.

At our conference, we announced that IIE's Emergency Student Fund will make 46 grants to students from Syria who might not otherwise be able to remain enrolled at their U.S. institutions. We are particularly grateful to members of the Syrian American community who have contributed to this emergency fund and to the campuses who are providing help with tuition or other costs. To learn more about this initiative or to donate, please visit iie.org/syria-esf.

Many thanks to Senator Ted Kaufman, and IIE's Daniela Kaisth and Jaye Chen for their ideas and service in guiding this fund.

I also invite you to take a moment to visit our new multimedia conference site to watch our eloquent keynote speakers and meet some of the remarkable educators who are responsible for the initiatives that won IIE's Andrew Heiskell Awards for 2012. We hope you will be inspired, as we were, by their innovative initiatives and the passion and dedication of the professionals who make these programs succeed.

Thank You to our Partners and Sponsors

We would like to thank conference sponsors Educational Testing Service (ETS) and the French Embassy.

These sponsors and IIE's college and university partners play an important role in the work that the institute has done throughout its history to enable future leaders from all backgrounds and in all sectors to gain access to world-class education.

Open Doors Spotlight

STUDENTS IN THE U.S.
From Syria: 526
From the Middle East: 42,543

U.S. STUDY ABROAD IN
Syria: 104
The Middle East: 4,959

How can Campuses be More International?

Leading educators convened at IIE's New York headquarters on March 9 to present successful strategies for internationalizing the campus to nearly 200 guests at our 7th Annual Best Practices in Internationalization Conference. Participants included university presidents, provosts, deans and international education professionals from campuses across the United States and eight other countries.
View videos, see photos and download presentations >>

American "Smart Power" and the Role of Philanthropy

Ann Stock, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, delivered an inspirational keynote address on "American ‘Smart Power' and International Education." Mariët Westermann, Vice President of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation shared her insight on the role of American philanthropy on internationalizing higher education.
Watch the keynote speeches >>

Why is International Education so Important Today?

See university leaders and award-winning educators voice their views on why international education is so crucial to developing today's workforce and global citizens.
View video interviews >>

Meet the Innovators

The Institute presented the 2012 Andrew Heiskell Awards for Innovation in International Education to promote and honor the most outstanding initiatives being conducted by IIENetwork member campuses. This year's awards featured new initiatives in internationalizing the campus, study abroad, and international exchange partnerships. See what is new, and which campuses are doing it best. Visit the IIENetwork best practices resource.
Browse 11 years of Best Practices >>

Why is Brazil Sending 100,000 Students Abroad?

Denise Neddermeyer from CAPES, part of the Brazil Ministry of Education, spoke about the new Science Without Borders program to send 100,000 students abroad, and the goals of this extensive new initiative, for which IIE is placing undergraduate students at U.S. campuses.
See interview >>

Roundtables on Hot Topics in International Education

On March 8, IIE convened educators for three lively roundtable discussions: U.S.-Brazil Higher Education Initiatives; The Arab Spring and Helping to Build Higher Education Capacity in Middle East and North Africa; and Engaging Faculty in Internationalization.
See speakers and presentations >>

See more information on the 2012 Best Practices Conference

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