posted 01/06/2006, rev. 02/16/2006 01:01:38 PM

America's Hot New Export: Higher Education. Colleges rush to open degree programs overseas, for both academic and business reasons. By BURTON BOLLAG

When he started as vice provost for international education, in 1989, Stephen C. Dunnett's main responsibility was to make sure that foreign students at the State University of New York at Buffalo were adjusting to life in America and doing well academically. But in recent years his job has changed. Not only has Mr. Dunnett begun to recruit students abroad — he is also developing overseas degree programs for foreign students who cannot, or will not, come to the United States

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5 American Colleges Win Awards That Laud Them for Their International Focus.  By EUGENE MCCORMACK.

Five colleges have won this year's Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization, in recognition of their efforts to expand their focus beyond America's borders. Available online at this
address: http://chronicle.com/temp/email2.php?id=PmvgMZgQcJf8VhmnDSYYj589QwFbfsHk (2/16/2006)

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U.S. To Issue Student Visas 120 Days Ahead of Start of Classes
Measure part of Rice-Chertoff joint vision on secure borders, open doors

The United States has extended the length of time foreign students may be issued student visas, and will issue student visas up to 120 days before classes begin, as compared to 90 days under previous regulations, the State Department announced February 14.

Under the new regulations, students applying for initial-entry F-1 (academic student), F-2 (spouse or child of F-1) and M-1 (vocational training) and M-2 (spouse or child of M-1) visas now may be issued those visas up to 120 days before their academic program start date. MORE...
 

Helping American Colleges Confront Foreign Competition Is Crucial to National Security, Warner Says. By PAUL FAIN

The increasing international competition faced by American higher education should be described as a matter of national security, Mark R. Warner, a former governor of Virginia and a presumed candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, told college administrators on Monday at the American Council on Education's annual meeting.

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SOUTHERN COMPASS

NSF LAUNCHES INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

The National Science Foundation recently announced a new program that seeks to facilitate research partnerships between U.S. scientists and engineers and their international colleagues. Funded under the Partnership for International Research and Education program (PIRE), the program also has an educational focus that includes using technology for distance education and virtual laboratories for college students and post-docs. The program also has funds for incorporating research findings into K-12 activities such as research internships for high school students. More about the PIRE project appears at http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=12819

NEW INITIATIVES CONNECTING SOUTHERN STATES WITH ASIA
Connecting with Asia is a top priority for many southern states this year. North Carolina will soon open a privately funded China Center that will be co-located with the U.S. Department of Commerce, World Trade Center of North Carolina and a large freight management company. The Chinese Ambassador will also be touring the U.S., including several stops in the South. South Carolina and Alabama have major trade missions planned to China, and Oklahoma recently got a major grant to expand its already aggressive Chinese outreach efforts in education and business. It would be helpful to collect a list of these developments so others can inquire about them or simply track developments. The Asia Society can make it possible through its website, which already serves as a single-stop portal for all kinds of news and information. They encourage organizations, museums, publishers, and publicists to submit information on their upcoming events at http://www.asiasource.org/events/ae_mp_04.cfm . You can also subscribe to weekly emails that will alert you to upcoming events in your region of choice. See http://www.asiasource.org

RESEARCH & INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION KEY TO U.S. COMPETITIVENESS
According to the latest edition of Issues in Science and Technology, U.S. researchers will need new skills that allow them to collaborate across international borders. The authors studied engineering research centers across the U.S. and found, among other things, that they have failed to recognize key structural shifts in the global economy. The U.S. can no longer strive to be 'number one' in all research areas. Instead, it must assume a more collaborative stance as knowledge is increasingly diffused around the world. The authors of the article recommend that training in global "collaboration and communication" become a central part of all science and engineering training. They also support more open scientific exchange across borders as well as immigration policies that allow more open circulation of researchers and scientific talent. The research can be found at: http://www.kauffman.org/pdf/collaborative_advantage_12_05.pdf The engineering school at Washington University in St. Louis is forging a fascinating partnership with its business school, with the goal of fostering innovation and global competitiveness. For an informal, two-page description of this program, email cconway@southern.org
 

Brain Drain Is Not Inevitable.  By Joan Dassin

“Brain drain” — the migration of highly trained people from developing countries to wealthy ones — has for decades depleted the most precious resource of the world’s poorest countries, their skilled and educated citizens. Yet this outflow of talent is not inevitable. Ending brain drain ultimately requires new development models that redress fundamental inequalities within developing countries and between the world’s poorest and richest nations. But as a first step, colleges and universities that recruit foreign talent — and the foundations and agencies that support them — can adopt new policies to help stem pervasive brain drain.  More...

 

Capacity and Quality
Enrollments are booming, but the government can’t find money to pay for new universities. Lawmakers want to know if taxpayers are getting value in their higher education systems while colleges fear excessive regulation. Private higher education — much of it from for-profit entities — is growing rapidly, and facing skepticism from traditional providers of higher education.  More....

Americans for Informed Democracy is so excited that you are interested in organizing a town hall meeting in your community! We believe that hosting a town hall meeting is the best way to bring a diverse group of Americans together to discuss the U.S. role in the world. For the spring of 2006, AID has six exciting town hall initiatives. More

Slackers Need Not Apply. An intensive study-abroad program immerses Americans in South Indian culture. By SHAILAJA NEELAKANTAN, Chennai, India

Kalaimamani Subramaniya Thambirar, a master of a traditional South Indian form of street theater called therukoothu, wears a pensive look as he inspects his unusual group of performers. Normally Mr. Thambirar leads a troupe of artists who perform at theater festivals around India and the world, but this afternoon he is producing a performance of an episode from the Mahabharata — one of India's most famous epics — with a group of American college students.

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CED URGES INCREASED INVESTMENT IN INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDIES.  Business-led group warns of economic and national security
implications of U.S. language gap WASHINGTON, D.C., February 9, 2006 – The United States will become less competitive in the global economy because of a shortage of strong foreign language and international studies programs at the elementary, high school and college levels, warns a new statement from the Committee for Economic Development (CED), a business-led policy group. The CED statement, Education for Global Leadership: The Importance of International Studies and
Foreign Language Education for U. S. Economic and National Security,... More, Report
 

U.S. firms becoming tongue-tie. By David J. Lynch, USA TODAY
As the Bush administration promotes its new imitative to keep the United States competitive in a globalized world, it's worth noting this fact: Only one of the men running the five largest U.S. corporations is fluent in any language other than English.  More....

Importance of USA's Global Trade on the Rise (CHART by US State)

Seventy Percent of the World's Cocoa Comes from West Africa.  The Numbers:
Annual world production of cocoa: 3.3 million tons
Annual world exports of cocoa beans: $2.5 billion
Annual world exports of chocolate: $7 billion
More details including reference reading

The Project for Learning Abroad, Training and Outreach (PLATO) is an integrated study abroad training, certification, and diversity outreach program.

As a part of the PLATO Project, we've listed 10 reasons for students from African-American, Hispanic-American, Native American, and Asian/Pacific Islander Backgrounds to study abroad.  You can find them at:    http://www.globaled.us/plato/diversity.html

KENTUCKY WINS PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

The Asia Society picked Kentucky as one of its six 2005 winners in a competition for the Goldman Sachs Foundation Prizes for Excellence in International Education. Kentucky was recognized for its 2003 Governor Summit on International Education (triggered by Southern Growth) that led to a strategic plan and great progress in the last two years. This year it launched the Kentucky Virtual International High School that will allow students from any public school to receive an international diploma while still enrolled in their regular school. It has also signed an MOU with the Chinese Ministry of Education to create a virtual Chinese course, and expand Chinese language and cultural professional development activities statewide. The state has also expanded support to internationalize ten model elementary schools, and has integrated international topics into ongoing intensive Teacher Academies. Profiles of the winners can be seen at http://www.internationaled.org/prizes/2005.winners.htm . A 2005 report profiling 17 states’ initiatives—six of them Southern—can be viewed at http://www.internationaled.org/statespreparefortheglobalage.htm .

Upcoming state events can also be listed at http://www.asiasource.org/events/ae_mp_01.cfm. 
 

HISPANIC POPULATION GROWTH BALANCES LONG-TERM LOSS IN RURAL AMERICA
Hispanic population growth has helped to slow long-term population loss in rural America, points out a new publication from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service. Rural Hispanics at a Glance discusses these growth trends and also provides a snapshot of Hispanics living in nonmetro counties. Highlights include data on demographics, income, poverty, and labor market and social service indicators. The easy-to-read format incorporates text bullets, along with charts and maps, in a six-page brochure. Download the brochure at http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB8/
 

NEW USAID GRANTS AIMED AT INVOLVING U.S. HIGHER EDUCATION IN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT.  According to USAID, more faculty from U.S. colleges, universities and community colleges need to participate in international development. In an unusual move, it has joined with the UK’s Higher Education Staff Development Agency (HED) to issue an RFA called the New IDEAS Partnership Program. Unlike other USAID programs, this one allows institutions to propose their own partnership program, anywhere and on any topic, as long as it: (a) involves a USAID country and its development issues; (b) strengthens the grantee’s capacity to do future development work, and (c) demonstrate unique or exceptionally innovative approaches and ideas. HED anticipates making ten awards of up to $125,000 each over a three-year period, contingent on USAID funding. The deadline is April 25, 2006. More information, including the RFA, is available on the HED website:
http://www.aascu.org/ALO/RFPs/newIDEAS/newIDEAS06.htm.
 

ARTICLE PROPOSES LINKING SCIENCE & ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN U.S. SCHOOLS

The fact that China is producing far more engineers and scientists than the U.S. is often cited as a major competitive threat, but perhaps it is more important to focus on getting our own kids enthusiastic about math and science, and to resist the impulse to exclude foreign talent. This is the view recently expressed by Carl Shramm and Robert Litan of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Reforming immigration policy is only half the story. In the long run, more American youth need to choose technical careers. They suggest doing this by establishing a link between science and entrepreneurship in the schools. Their article, "Foreign Students Who Study Engineering Deserve Citizenship," was published in Inc. Magazine, October 2005. The full text can be found at http://www.inc.com/magazine/20051001/currency.html .
 

American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI) - President Bush's 2006 education agenda, the American Competitiveness Initiative, aims to strengthen innovation and education in the U.S. by improving mathematics and science education, foreign language studies, and high schools.

• Meeting the Challenge of a Changing World: Strengthening Education for the 21st Century

"Colleges Should Collaborate With Industry and Embrace Change, Speakers Tell National Panel"
If colleges hope to succeed in the changing economy, they must team up with industry and embrace new technologies, panelists told the Secretary of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education on Friday.  The commission, which met for two days here to discuss "innovation," now heads to Seattle for a public hearing on Tuesday.  During Friday's first session, on "innovative public/private sector models," speakers stressed the importance of working with businesses to provide internships.

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StudyAbroadFunding.org: Add Your Scholarships and Grants
IIE is pleased to announce StudyAbroadFunding.org, a new online directory with detailed information on hundreds of scholarships, grants, and fellowships available for undergraduate and graduate study, and doctoral and post-doctoral research outside of the United States. The website will officially launch in Spring 2006, but you may already add or update your scholarship or grant online.  http://filemaker.edudirectories.com/sabfunding/fundingmenu.php

"American Colleges Must Change to Compete in the Global Economy, Speakers Tell Panel on Future of Higher Education"

A PANEL CHARGED WITH devising a "comprehensive national strategy" on higher education's future met for a third time on Thursday. Leaders of industry and education recommended that American colleges change the way they deliver their courses, manage their finances, and prepare students to compete in the global economy.  --> SEE http://chronicle.com/daily/2006/02/2006020302n.htm

http://chronicle.com/weekly/v52/i21/21b01701.htm  (avail 5 days from 2/05/06)

"Freshman Survey: More Students Plan to Lend a Hand"

FRESH HELP In an annual survey of college freshmen, two-thirds say it is important to aid people in need, and 83 percent say they volunteered at least occasionally during their senior year of
high school. --> SEE http://chronicle.com/weekly/v52/i22/22a04001.htm

http://chronicle.com/temp/email2.php?id=sMbxbBCnMyhvq6RpvQstp3YHt4Jx6bYp  (avail 5 days from 2/05/06)

"Record Share of College Freshmen Plan to Volunteer, and Their Political Involvement Is Up, Survey
Finds"

TWO OUT OF THREE COLLEGE FRESHMEN regard it as essential or very important to help others who are in difficulty, the highest percentage in a quarter-century. That was among the findings released on Wednesday by an institute of the University of California at Los Angeles that conducts a national survey of incoming freshmen.    --> SEE http://chronicle.com/daily/2006/01/2006012603n.htm 

http://chronicle.com/temp/email2.php?id=Bb9SxgnzrdnjQzzkffkc8fQdpwrnDBPw  (avail 5 days from 2/05/06)

Passage to India.
Can’t find your president on campus? You might try looking in Delhi. For a variety of economic, political and educational reasons, leaders of American colleges are finding it increasingly worth their time to visit India, where they are trying to attract more students, negotiate distance learning agreements, set up joint ventures and raise money. More....
 

ARTICLE PROPOSES LINKING SCIENCE & ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN U.S. SCHOOLS

The fact that China is producing far more engineers and scientists than the U.S. is often cited as a major competitive threat, but perhaps it is more important to focus on getting our own kids enthusiastic about math and science, and to resist the impulse to exclude foreign talent. This is the view recently expressed by Carl Shramm and Robert Litan of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Reforming immigration policy is only half the story. In the long run, more American youth need to choose technical careers. They suggest doing this by establishing a link between science and entrepreneurship in the schools. Their article, "Foreign Students Who Study Engineering Deserve Citizenship," was published in Inc. Magazine, October 2005. The full text can be found at http://www.inc.com/magazine/20051001/currency.html .
 

More Engineering Deficit Mythology
In the ongoing debate over the impact of offshoring on the American workforce, BusinessWeek notes a new study arguing that the engineering deficit may be a myth. more....

New Survey: U.S. Public Calls for Leadership in International Education A recently released nationwide survey found that the U.S. public overwhelmingly believes in the importance of international education and the need to prepare future generations for success in a global society. Regardless of demographic background, the U.S. public echoed staunch support for the importance of learning about other countries and cultures, studying abroad, opportunities to interact with international students, and learning languages Read more...