Embracing Connections to Expand Access for All
IIE’s Center for Access & Equity is Prioritizing Partnerships to Reach Underserved Populations
International education offers a myriad of opportunities, but not enough students know about these opportunities or have the financial means to pursue them. This year, the IIE Center for Access and Equity set out to work with the people and organizations that have established trust and proven approaches among historically underserved student populations—from low-income to first-generation college students. The 2024 shows that 34% of U.S. study abroad students identified as students of color in 2022/23, despite students of color comprising 48% of national student enrollment. First-generation and low-income college students are also underrepresented among those who study abroad.
In the spirit of IIE’s International Education Week theme of embracing connections this year, we’re looking back at our collaborations this year and looking ahead to maximize impact in the next.
We started strong in February when we officially partnered with the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE), which supports federal programs delivering college access and retention services to nearly one million low-income, first-generation students and students with disabilities each year. Our goal: to make sure these students—and faculty and staff who influence them—know about, and take advantage of, the international side of higher education. Over the summer, I met with members of the COE network to inform them about the American Passport Project and other resources. Along with the Center’s summer intern, I also met several first-time study-abroad students before and after their travels to assist them with contextualizing their study-abroad experiences within their academic, career, and personal goals. Studies show that students who clearly articulate the relevant goals and outcomes of their study-abroad experiences reap greater rewards in their careers.
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) represents more than 500 colleges and universities, which are home to two-thirds of all Hispanic college students in the U.S. This fall, the Center initiated a framework for cooperation between our organizations to expand access to international education for both Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Hispanic identifying students. The Center and HACU’s Institute of Global Engagement are coordinating to promote equity and access programs and services, develop and share informational resources, and participate in conferences, meetings, webinars, and other events that amplify thought leadership.
This year, building on the partnership we initiated with the nonprofit Leaders of the Free World(LFW), the Center co-sponsored several LFW engagements and its signature LFW Fellowship, which includes a summer term in Ghana. We sponsored a LFW fellow to participate in the Ghana program, as well as an IIE team member to serve as an LFW mentor during the fellowship and trip. By focusing on a culturally responsive curriculum, LFW ensures that fellows see themselves reflected in the curriculum and leadership models. We recently shared our learnings from this year’s activities during the Global Inclusion Conference; I joined Lavar Thomas and Ruby Maddox, LFW co-founders, to lead the session titled, “From Access to Equity: Increasing Black Male Engagement in International Education.” In 2025, we are looking forward to producing a Supporting Black Male Students in International Education Resource Guide, supporting the next Black Men in Global Leadership Summit in February, a webinar series to kick-off in late Spring 2025 to share information and resources for Black men pursuing global education as well as leadership and career opportunities, and hosting a networking event to build professional connections.
The Center, as part of its long-term partnership with Dickinson College, has been cultivating a community of practice for higher education professionals to reimagine an international education framework that incorporates global, intercultural, and equity and inclusion lenses. This year, we initiated, “What Next? A Dialogue on Equity and Justice in International Education,” a global dialogue series building off what we’ve learned in previous years to discuss how we have changed and how we measure success. This regional approach values the nuance of geographical contexts while also comparing each conversation’s themes for throughlines. These critical conversations are contributing to a growing body of knowledge and practices that will help inform decisions about the future of access and equity in international education, which we will be publishing outcomes next year. We have conducted dialogues for North America and Europe and look forward to additional regional conversations in 2025.
The IIE Center for Access and Equity wishes a happy International Education Week to all and is grateful for the collaboration and support we receive to actively address the importance of creating, elevating, and expanding access and equity in international education!
120+ Convened in Brussels to Share Sustainable Models for Supporting Threatened and Displaced Scholars
More than 120 fellows, alumni, hosts, and other partners from the higher education, government, and non-profit sectors gathered in Brussels, Belgium, on October 10th for the 2024 IIE Scholar Rescue Fund Forum, the first in six years. Speakers emphasized the importance of the international community coming together to protect the lives and careers of displaced and threatened scholars and empowering them to drive positive impacts in their host communities, home countries, and academic fields. With support from the IIE Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF), threatened and displaced scholars from around the world can continue conducting valuable research and teaching the next generations of students.
“It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude and ferocity of today’s wars and other crises. But then we look to the remarkable scholars we have the honor of supporting, and they give us hope,” said James Robin King, Senior Director of the IIE Scholar Rescue Fund. “We are grateful to be in the trenches with our scholars and partners as we work together to build better societies that honor human rights and that value academic freedom, scientific inquiry, and international exchange.”
Prioritizing Regional Placements
Mariët Westermann, IIE-SRF Chair, IIE Trustee, and Director and CEO of the Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, delivered the Forum’s opening remarks and led the first panel, which set the theme for the day-long forum: building partnerships. Participants shared best practices and learned about IIE-SRF’s support for placements that create opportunities for threatened scholars to continue their academic work closer to home.
More than 117 million people — including researchers and other academics — have been displaced from their homes and careers due to ongoing global crises such as war, extreme weather, and censorship (UNHCR). In response to these concurrent crises and in alignment with the Global Compact on Refugees, IIE-SRF is prioritizing regional partnerships that enable it to place threatened and displaced scholars at host institutions located in the scholars’ home regions. Last year, 30% of IIE-SRF fellows undertook placements in their home regions.
Fellowships undertaken inside scholars’ home regions allow IIE-SRF to support a more diverse range of scholars, including those who are unable to join institutions in North America and Europe, whether due to language barriers, visa restrictions, or higher costs of living. These arrangements also provide critically needed resources, partnerships, expertise, and solidarity with over-burdened host communities with large populations of displaced people.
Finland and Freie Universität Berlin Receive Beacon Awards
In recognition of its longtime support of academic freedom, the Republic of Finland received an IIE-SRF Beacon Award at the Forum. To date, IIE-SRF’s partnership with the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) has jointly funded nearly 30 fellowship appointments for 11 IIE-SRF fellows. IIE’s CEO, Allan E. Goodman, presented the award to Finland as well as Freie Universität Berlin. An emerging critical partner in Europe and globally, Freie Universität Berlin has provided support for IIE-SRF fellows from Poland, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.
IIE-SRF Fellows Lead Initiatives to Improve Home Conditions
The Forum consisted of remarks, three panels, networking breaks, and a closing reception in the mezzanine of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. Panelists included current and past IIE-SRF fellows as well as representatives from host institutions and partner organizations.
We will help our home countries with all our energy, our hearts, our everything, but we need the help of the international community to take our work to the next level.”
Mustafa Bahran
IIE-SRF Alumnus from Yemen
Previous and current fellows showcased their respective initiatives to improve education and scholarship in their home countries: Mustafa Bahran, IIE-SRF alumnus from Yemen and visiting professor-instructor at Carleton University in Canada; Adil Al-Handal, IIE-SRF alumnus from Iraq and scholar of marine biology; Sweeta Akbari, IIE-SRF fellow from Afghanistan at Tampere University in Finland; and Yevheniia Polishchuk IIE-SRF fellow from Ukraine at Jagiellonian University in Poland. Chemical engineering researcher Dr. Akbari recently contributed to new research in regenerative medicine and founded Scholars in STEM, a non-profit that aims to empower women and advance gender equity in the STEM fields in Afghanistan. Secondary and higher education has been forbidden for women and girls in the country since 2021. Dr. Akbari stressed that progress to support Afghan women and girls can only be made when working together, saying:
We need everyone to join us. We need global engagement, and we cannot do it alone. Let’s stand up and say that we don’t want any more bans on education.”
Dr. Sweeta Akbari, IIE-SRF Fellow
IIE-SRF’s Ukraine strategy has focused on placing Ukrainian fellows at host institutions in Central and Eastern Europe. Dr. Svitlana Chugaievska, a Ukrainian IIE-SRF fellow at Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University in Poland, shared that her regional placement allowed her to pursue research on the economic situation of Ukrainians displaced by the war. She also described the positive impact of her placement on her family, including her mother and children, who have been able to integrate into the Polish community while still maintaining connections to Ukrainian culture and society.
Piloting a New Fellowship Model with Cornell University
Nishi Dhupa, Associate Vice Provost for International Affairs at Cornell University, explained a new partnership model co-developed with IIE-SRF to offer additional funding and professional resources for fellows undertaking regional placements. The pilot has expanded the fellowships of two Ukrainian IIE-SRF fellows currently in Eastern Europe; in addition to living and working in safety at their respective host institutions in Europe, they have virtual access to a range of Cornell offerings, including its digital library resources and networking opportunities with academics in North America. IIE-SRF is partnering with Cornell to expand this pilot to include additional scholars, including potentially Sudanese fellows undertaking the fellowship in Egypt and South Africa.
IIE-SRF is confident that the connections made during the Forum will continue to blossom and looks forward to strengthening existing partnerships and establishing new relationships. For a more detailed summary of the event, see the IIE-SRF Beacon newsletter here.
IIE’s Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF) is the only global program that arranges, funds, and supports fellowships for threatened and displaced scholars at partnering higher education institutions worldwide, including inside their home regions. At the heart of IIE-SRF is the idea that each scholar we support is a beacon of hope in our world. Since 2002, IIE-SRF has supported more than 1,100 scholars from 62 countries in partnership with more than 500 host institutions in 59 countries. Learn more at scholarrescuefund.org.
There are more people crossing borders to pursue education—and human connection—than ever before (Project Atlas, Open Doors). International education can unlock not only opportunities but also friendships that last a lifetime. As part of IIE’s celebration of International Education Week (IEW) 2024, we affirm the transformative power of Embracing Connection. By learning from and alongside people who have different life experiences, people can develop open minds and work together to solve global problems.
In addition, 2024 marks the 75th year of the Open Doors® Report on International Educational Exchange, the premier information resource on international students and scholars in the United States and on U.S. students studying abroad for academic credit. To our fellow data task force members—the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, AACRAO, NAFSA—and U.S. colleges and universities who first saw the value of collecting this information, we say thank you and congratulations on your visionary commitment.
To celebrate this milestone as well as IEW, we are highlighting the many benefits of international education, especially the friendships and partnerships that are cultivated through it. Stay tuned throughout the week of November 18 – 22 for a number of exciting new announcements and share your stories about how you’re embracing connection using #IEW2024.
It all starts on Monday, November 18! At 9:30 a.m. EST, leaders from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and IIE’s Research, Learning, and Evaluation (REL) department will lead a virtual briefing to unveil new data from Open Doors®. The report will include details such as the total number of international students in the U.S., international students’ top countries of origin, the proportion of U.S. students opting to study abroad, and the lengths of study abroad among U.S. students during the 2023/24 and 2022/23 academic years, respectively.
Tuesday, learn about the latest advancements at the IIE Center for Access and Equity, including three exciting partnerships and activities coming in the next year. For professionals and other advocates seeking to expand access to international education for all, we’d like to remind you about free resources from the Center: Supporting First-Generation College Students in International Education Resource Guide; Models of Change: Equity and Inclusion in Action; and the IIE American Passport Project, which provides grants for U.S. colleges and universities in the IIENetwork to assist Pell-eligible students with obtaining a U.S. passport. Advocates also regularly reference Open Doors data when seeking information about U.S. students’ access to study abroad. Finally, we are pleased to work with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs to unveil new video tips about safely and efficiently traveling with a U.S. passport; stay tuned to IIEGlobal on Instagram!
On Wednesday, IIE will announce the inaugural members of the new Global Community for Women’s Leadership (GCWL). Designed to build a robust, international network of ascendant and established women leaders and their allies, IIE’s GCWL aims to help achieve gender parity in leadership worldwide. This remarkable group represents all world regions, more than 20 fields and industries, and comes from some of the most prestigious programs administered by IIE. We can’t wait for you to meet the first GCWL members.
On Friday, we want to hear from YOU. How did you celebrate the week? IIE will share looks from behind the scenes of our busy week and information you might have missed from the busy schedule outlined in this blog. Bookmark IIE’s Latest News and Opening Minds Blog, and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, and X to ensure you don’t miss a moment. We look forward to celebrating international education together!
A Closer Look at IIE’s People-Driven Affinity Groups
When IIE launched affinity groups for team members in 2020, the aim was to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility by creating safe and welcoming spaces for networking, collaboration, support, and development. The affinity groups are a platform for team members to strengthen their networks, access resources for personal and professional growth, and provide IIE with feedback that will drive change for the better. The initial launch featured four voluntarily created affinity groups: Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage, Black Heritage, LGBTQIA+, and Mental Health and Wellness. In the following years, team members volunteered to create more affinity groups, including Hispanic/Latinx Heritage and IIE’s newest affinity group, Dis/Ability & Accessibility. To celebrate Global Diversity Awareness Month, we spoke with leaders and members of each group to share an update on their group’s evolution over the years.
Leaders of the LGBTQIA+ Affinity Group acknowledged that group members sometimes feel hesitant to share thoughts on their lived identities and experiences in more formal settings. This is why, as co-leads, they strive to create safe, non-judgmental opportunities for team members to openly discuss their experiences, learn from one another, and grow. The Affinity Group’s meetings prioritize genuine connection and community-building, allowing team members to express themselves authentically. Co-lead Shannon comments that welcoming new team members to the affinity group is always a highlight, “I want every team member to show up as their full selves and feel welcomed at IIE.”
IIE’s Mental Health and Wellness Affinity Group launched with the distinction of being the first group with a co-lead from an IIE International Office. The onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic made the group a priority as the world changed quickly and severely. In the words of one originator of the group, “Witnessing what was happening around the world at that time, including dealing with severe anxiety myself, was what prompted me to suggest that we create a support group for colleagues at IIE.” Over the next few years, supporting the mental health of team members only increased in importance, both at IIE and the global workplace in general. The Mental Health and Wellness Affinity Group provides support by way of meetings in both American and international time zones and offers wide-ranging sessions and content. One meeting might feature short films on mental health, while another featured a guest speaker who spoke about how to incorporate relaxation and stressbusters in team member’s daily lives in the workplace. Looking forward, the group will continue to support team members’ efforts to achieve a healthy life-work balance to avoid burnout and ensure they can contribute their fullest to IIE’s work.
The Asian & Pacific Islander (API) Heritage Affinity Group began with an express intent to move the conversation about API identity from focusing solely on cultural or “food” events to also thinking about how we can highlight nuances around Asian American identity and identities of different nationalities that are part of an “Asian” identity to IIE more broadly. Co-lead Athena shares a passion for advocating for API and AAPI communities with friends and co-workers who are also part of the affinity group. A goal of her and her co-leads was to have more events that give AAPI team members a dedicated community and space for professional growth. The group has hosted such events not only in group meetings but also in inviting IIE team members outside of the group to participate in celebrations for the Lunar New Year and AAPI Heritage Month. The API Affinity Group will welcome new co-leads in the immediate future who have already begun to create meeting plans and affinity group activities.
The mission of IIE’s Black Heritage Affinity Group is to create “space for joy, empowerment, and community among Black team members from around the world.” While IIE has long created and managed programs for Black students, scholars, and artists, the launch of the Black Heritage Affinity Group marked the opportunity for team members to gather in community with colleagues. The group reaches out beyond its membership to share stories and context about the international education connections embedded throughout Black history and invites non-members to join the group on various outings. As February began, the Black Heritage Affinity Group invited team members in New York to a screening of the film Origin, Ava DuVernay’s cinematic adaptation of Caste by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson. The film follows Wilkerson’s process of conducting research to write the book, traveling across the globe to examine social stratification in India, Nazi Germany, and the United States. Following the screening, the group hosted a group discussion where participants “shared their personal stories and perspectives, collectively recognizing striking similarities in international contexts and agreeing that everyone can and should play a role in disrupting caste and co-creating a more equitable world.” The Black Heritage Affinity Group will convene more activities and conversations in the coming year.
Shortly after IIE Affinity Groups began holding meetings in 2020, two team members of Hispanic and LatinX Heritage joined forces to create the Hispanic/LatinX Heritage Affinity Group. This group maintained the international aspect of the Mental Health and Wellness Affinity Group, with a co-lead based in IIE Mexico’s office. The group came together to “show representation within IIE and share our cultura.” Meetings covered cultural and historical topics such as recognizing and celebrating influential LatinX figures in U.S. history, creating spaces to discuss Hispanic/LatinX issues, and hosting office-wide activities to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Recently, the group started to host conversation sessions in both Spanish and French, open to anyone interested and featuring group member support. Going forward, the group plans to grow its membership by welcoming new team members and opening its conversation series to IIE team members at large.
The latest affinity group formed at IIE is the Dis/Ability and Accessibility Affinity Group. Already strong at 14 members, the Dis/Ability and Accessibility Affinity Group is a safe place for members to create a voice, support, and advocate for change regarding disability rights. The group has facilitated participation in various disability pride events. Alongside welcoming new co-leads, the group will soon be creating a congruent disability support group to create a more welcoming environment for everyone “regardless of visibility, or invisibility of physical, mental or other health challenge.” From their respective launches to future plans, affinity groups at IIE are well utilized by team members around the world. They serve to deepen relationships within IIE and share identities and traditions with others who may not be familiar with cultures and customs outside their own. Affinity groups create a way for IIE to truly embrace and celebrate the diversity present in this worldwide organization, and we hope you have an outlet to do the same.
IIE Scholar Rescue Fund Supports Academics Threatened by Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan
“April 14, 2023, is a date I will never forget. My family and I embarked on what we believed would be an ordinary day in Khartoum, my beloved city. It was a hot midday, and we were in the midst of shopping for my young daughter to buy her a new outfit for Eid al-Fitr, the Islamic celebration that follows a month of fasting. After a tiresome search, we managed to find a lovely pair of trousers and a blouse that she adored. However, the perfect pair of shoes remained elusive. Our fasting and fatigue led us to promise that we would buy the shoes tomorrow, and we returned home.”
Dr. Rasha Siddig Azrag, a medical entomologist and IIE Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF) fellow from Sudan, never had the opportunity to buy her daughter those shoes. The day after her shopping trip, fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The humanitarian crisis and higher education emergency that was created fueled IIE-SRF’s largest surge in fellowship applications in its more than 20-year history. The next day, when Azrag’s young daughter reminded her mother of their plan to look for the shoes, she had to tell her that it was too dangerous to go outside.
“Days turned into weeks, and we came to accept the grim reality that we were in the midst of a real war. The sounds of bombs, gunfire, and warplanes reverberated through our city, an incessant reminder of imminent danger. It was a constant fear that at any moment, one of those deadly bombs could strike us or our children.”
As the world grapples with multiple conflicts and crises, many of which have dominated media headlines, Sudan’s civil war has received less attention, despite the dire circumstances in the country. According to the UNHCR, more than 10.2 million people have been displaced since the start of the conflict, and an estimated 25 million people –more than half of Sudan’s population – are in need of humanitarian assistance. It is currently the largest internal displacement crisis in the world. The International Rescue Committee named Sudan as the top country at greatest risk of experiencing new humanitarian crises in its 2024 Emergency Watchlist. The list of threats facing the country includes the threat of mass killings and forced displacement along ethnic lines, increased poverty and food insecurity, difficulties with distributing humanitarian aid, and the potential collapse of the healthcare system.
Sudan’s academics, students, and higher education institutions are also impacted. More than 100 universities have been damaged, looted, or completely destroyed. In an interview with University World News, Professor Mohamed Hassan, the president of the Sudanese National Academy of Sciences and the World Academy of Sciences in Italy, said that “this destruction has led to a complete standstill in teaching and research activities in many universities and higher education institutions, significantly disrupting the country’s educational progress.” In addition to these disruptions to higher education, the UNHCR estimates that nearly 19 million Sudanese children are currently unable to attend school, threatening the educations of an entire generation of learners.
Azrag worried about the impact this war could have on her and her children, saying that, “I am aware that the upheaval my family and I are going through is bound to have a significant psychological impact. I am very concerned about this, and I believe time is of the essence if we are to avoid lasting negative impact. I consider myself lucky to be alive and in a safe place with my kids. But I need to work – not only to provide for my family but also to contribute to the advancement of science and the education of Sudan’s youth. An opportunity to get back to pursuing my scientific career will go a long way to alleviate this.”
Azrag, who was able to reach safety in Egypt with her family, was selected for the IIE-SRF fellowship in March 2024. She is one of 23 Sudanese scholars awarded an IIE-SRF fellowship since the crisis began in April 2023. Several of these scholars are now continuing their work in safety at host institutions in Egypt, Germany, Iraqi Kurdistan, Jordan, Malaysia, Oman, and the U.S. IIE-SRF is finalizing host placements for the other fellows. Azrag recently began her fellowship at the University at Buffalo, where she will continue her research on mosquitos found in Khartoum State and her work on a surveillance system for disease vectors. More Sudanese scholars will be considered for fellowships in the coming months.
IIE-SRF is committed to supporting Sudanese scholars whose lives and careers have been upended by this brutal war. This effort, along with the work of other IIE initiatives supporting students and artists – including the IIE Artist Protection Fund and the IIE Odyssey Scholarship – will help to ensure that Sudan’s crucial knowledge is preserved and that, when the situation improves, scholars can contribute to the rebuilding of the Sudanese academy.
IIE’s Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF) is the only global program that arranges, funds, and supports fellowships for threatened and displaced scholars at partnering higher education institutions worldwide, including inside their home regions. At the heart of IIE-SRF is the idea that each scholar we support is a beacon of hope in our world. Since 2002, IIE-SRF has supported more than 1,100 scholars from 62 countries in partnership with more than 500 host institutions in 59 countries.
The beginning of the academic year represents a moment of great opportunity, but often you might not have the time or bandwidth to take advantage of them. The IIENetwork membership offers resources, funding opportunities, and best practices to help your organization advance its international education strategy. Whether you aim to increase and enhance study abroad programming, welcome and engage international students to campus, or gain access to special funding opportunities, joining the IIENetwork empowers international education professionals and advocates to advance strategic priorities.
The IIENetwork is a robust global membership association of professionals, higher education institutions, organizations, and government agencies led by the Institute of International Education. Representing the many facets of international education, IIENetwork members come together to exchange ideas and gain access to critical resources, data, and information to pursue a market-forward international education strategy. Expand your global reach by using the member-exclusive directory to identify collaborators interested in COIL and virtual exchange programs or STEM programming without having to search through dozens of websites to find the right contact.
The IIENetwork gives higher education institutions access to funding opportunities that support their students like the IIE American Passport Project and the Emergency Student Fund (ESF). The Passport Project enables Pell-eligible students to obtain a U.S. passport, thereby promoting access to and equity in study abroad by supporting underrepresented student communities at IIENetwork member institutions in the U.S. The ESF provides grants to international college students in the U.S. when natural disasters, war, or other crises threaten their education. These funding initiatives support students who have traveled to the U.S. and those looking to study abroad, resulting in positive outcomes for both students and campuses.
Delve into and utilize IIE’s extensive knowledge and over a century-long experience to strategize and actualize internationalization efforts. Members can access standard and additional Open Doors Report data, the preeminent study, and analysis of international student mobility, to use for benchmarking, strategic planning, and market research. You also receive a complimentary print copy of the award-winning IIENetworker magazine, a publication at the forefront of thought leadership on the major issues facing international higher education today. Members can also join engaging, informative webinars and discussions led by IIE, involving experts on timely topics. If you or your colleagues can’t attend, search through the IIENetwork’s Resource Center for a library of recorded webinars and additional valuable information and materials.
IIENetwork members receive discounts on IIE’s U.S. Exchange Visitor Sponsorship services, global outreach and recruitment, advertising, and more. As a designated sponsor of the BridgeUSA Program, IIE provides visa sponsorship services that can be used to engage in research collaborations, teach in the U.S. at all academic levels, or train in their occupational field.
Members receive the weekly IIE.Interactive newsletter with updates, news, and opportunities from fellow members and the international higher education community. Share your own announcements and openings in our newsletter, with a circulation of over 10,000 members. Keeping track of all the different programs, teams, and opportunities available through IIE can feel difficult, but the Interactive newsletter brings all that information together and is delivered directly to your inbox.
When individuals or organizations join over 10,000 colleagues, the possibilities are endless. The IIENetwork is dedicated to expanding international education by sharing best practices, encouraging international linkages, and assisting members to establish strategic partnerships. For more information about joining the IIENetwork, visit our website.
IIE congratulates Northern Arizona University on receipt of the 2024 Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education. The University widened access to international education by designing the Global Citizen Project Scholars (GCPS) program, which pools financial and administrative support from throughout campus to make international education economically accessible to all. As a benefit of receiving the Heiskell Awards, IIE is publishing guest entries from each recipient institution.
What is unique about the population NAU serves and how did the challenges they face inspire the Global Citizens Project Scholars (GCPS) program?
Northern Arizona University (NAU) sits at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, on homelands sacred to Native Americans throughout the region, and has recently received the Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) designation. As a university, we strive to provide access to higher education for all Indigenous and First Generation students. Education Abroad wanted to extend this access to international opportunities. Our team noticed students were starting, but not completing, their study abroad applications, indicating their interest to participate paired with hesitance to commit. The Global Citizens Project Scholars (GCPS) program aims to ensure that financial barriers do not keep students from going abroad. It allows them to gain cultural competencies that can only be developed by traveling and experiencing programs abroad.
To design the program, I used the model of a similar project I implemented on a smaller scale at my previous institution in collaboration with the Honors College. At NAU, the Honors College has a student base of nearly 2,000 students and also wanted to create more affordable multidisciplinary global programs. The program is open to all academic majors because it focuses on global citizenship. Initially, I worked with the Dean to develop accessible programming just for Honors students. Then, we decided to include Honors-eligible, Indigenous, and First Generation students to increase access for those not officially in the NAU Honors program
How did NAU structure the GCPS program and what does it entail?
GCPS uses a model of campus partnerships based on the complementary goal of expanding access to study abroad. Led by the Center for International Education (CIE), we are building a base of study abroad supporters on campus who pool financial and human resources to support GCPS. All participants receive an automatic $3,000 scholarships to reach students from all financial backgrounds, which brings the total program cost to $600 to $900 per student, including flights. CIE has dedicated funding to support part of the program. Collaborating with the Honors College and the Economic Policy Institute at NAU has enabled the program to triple in size in our third year. We are also working with donors and other funding mechanisms to ensure sustainability in the future.
The GCPS program starts with a six-week online spring course discussing identity, global citizenship, rural community development, language and culture, and responsible service learning to include public health issues. Students read a literary piece about their host country/region. After a pre-departure orientation, the students and faculty attend a nine to 11 day study abroad program in the summer. To help students maintain forward academic momentum, students earn 1.00 upper division credit towards their major or Honors requirement.
What made the program successful and what results have you seen through GCPS?
With affordability as the cornerstone of the program, we had to identify partners in each country with the same goal of providing quality experiences at a lower price point. DELCO Abroad in Ecuador was our initial partner for all three years. Their commitment to providing affordable programming with excellent community connections, guest lecturers, and excursions laid the path for others to do the same. Molise Italian Studies in Italy and WinAnn Tours in Vietnam joined our efforts in year three, allowing us to expand GCPS to three continents.
So far, 20% of our GCPS participants have continued with other study abroad programs in their college experience. “I never thought I would have the chance to see something so beautiful outside of the U.S. This program opened my mind to more than I could have imagined” said Armando. 100% of students who participated stated that they hope to travel in the future and continue their international exploration.
The Heiskell Award was created in 2001 to promote and honor outstanding international higher education initiatives conducted by IIENetwork members. By recognizing excellence and innovation, IIE supports IIENetwork members in their endeavors, encourages the expansion and creation of initiatives based on these successful models, and amplifies the important role of international higher education on campuses and communities. Each winning initiative receives $1,000 to contribute to their ongoing success. Learn more about the awards and honorees at iie.org/HeiskellAwards
IIE congratulates the Loyola Marymount University (LMU) on receipt of the 2024 Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education. The University’s Gilman Incentive Grant represents a novel model to incentivize students and support their applications to the Gilman Scholarship. As a benefit of receiving the Heiskell Awards, IIE is publishing guest entries from each recipient institution.
How does LMU’s mission to Life inspire you to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belongingness?
At LMU, we see global learning as an integral part of undergraduate and graduate education. As Associate Provost, Dr. Roberta Espinoza, asserts: “Our university is committed to global engagement and innovative financial assistance to foster transformative global learning opportunities for all of our students.” Like many institutions, we face obstacles in realizing this commitment, from internal structures to ever-expanding workloads. Sustained intentional and concerted effort is necessary to overcome obstacles and see the big picture. Fortunately, the offices focused on internationalization, like International Programs and Partnerships (IPP; formerly Global-Local Affairs), have a dedicated staff who are willing to brainstorm together and act to enhance student engagement in life-changing global experiences.
Both offices under IPP, the Office of Study Abroad (OSA) and the Office of National & International Fellowships (ONIF), recognized that low-income students face major hurdles when it comes to studying abroad. While programs like the national Gilman Scholarship seek to support students who receive Federal Pell Grants, the submission rates at LMU were lagging. We knew our low-income students were interested in studying abroad, but the financial aspect and the application process were often daunting. As a result, we came together to determine how we could actively help our students overcome these hurdles.
Tell us about bringing two offices together to design this initiative. How did you collaborate?
OSA and ONIF realized that there were similar applications but students tended to prioritize one grant and overlook the other! Motivated by our desire to help students and with an openness to collaboration, an idea was conceived: the Gilman Incentive Grant (GIG). Regardless of whether a student wins a Gilman Scholarship, as long as they work with ONIF to submit a polished application, they will receive a small grant to put towards an LMU study abroad program.
To support students with the GIG application, we leaned into each other’s strengths. OSA provided individualized advising to guide students in study abroad program selection. ONIF, as our fellowship experts, developed outreach initiatives and, in partnership with our Writing Center, provided student support in writing compelling application essays. Juliette Jamjian, a recipient of the GIG and the Gilman Scholarship, attests that “I received great feedback and advice regarding what I could add to my essays to make them better as well as how I can improve my writing… I always felt like I had someone at ONIF that I could reach out to if I had any questions.”
What process do Gilman Incentive Grant applicants follow and how are you measuring progress?
Launched in spring 2023, our first GIG cohort included 12 students who attended essay workshops, submitted drafts for revision, and incorporated critical feedback before submitting their Gilman applications. Two students from this first cohort received the Gilman Scholarship, and many more highly praised the GIG experience.
In our second year, 26 students completed the GIG and five of these candidates received Gilman Scholarships. We expect to grow participation as we continue to build excitement and awareness around this initiative. The overwhelmingly positive feedback we’ve received from students serves to inspire us to expand the opportunity to more eligible applicants.
Like anything, the GIG is a work in progress. Planning for GIG is a significant consideration for both students and staff. OSA must help students identify potential programs at least 6 to 12 months before they plan to go abroad, ONIF must host application workshops and review rough drafts; all before the Gilman national due date which is earlier than similar scholarships. Each cycle we reevaluate our GIG timeline to not only factor in national deadlines, but to also account for holidays, mid-terms, as well as our students’ availability and capacity.
Please share some key takeaways from creating the Gilman Incentive Grant.
Although GIG is a modest grant, it offers a number of benefits to students. Not only does the GIG help break down financial barriers and increase diversity in study abroad, but it also strengthens students’ writing skills. It further emboldens them to apply for other opportunities now that they have experience with the application process.
Moreover, there is great value in walking through a scholarship application, beginning to end. “Awards like Gilman are competitive, so we want our students to understand the value of simply applying,” says Dr. Cassidy Alvarado, Director of National & International Fellowships. “These application processes can help students clarify their personal, academic, and professional goals, regardless of the outcome.”
GIG recipient and Gilman Scholar, Lizzie Joiner ‘24, shares that “Applying for the Gilman Scholarship was an eye-opening experience for me. In my essays, I spoke about the impact my mother’s trip to Afghanistan had on me at a young age. I realized that my perspective of the world was nuanced … I needed that connection because I see how my career goals are connected to my childhood experiences.”
Thanks to the GIG, more LMU students can engage in transformative global education, facilitating our common goal across offices to support equitable global learning for all.
The Heiskell Award was created in 2001 to promote and honor outstanding international higher education initiatives conducted by IIENetwork members. By recognizing excellence and innovation, IIE supports IIENetwork members in their endeavors, encourages the expansion and creation of initiatives based on these successful models, and amplifies the important role of international higher education on campuses and communities. Each winning initiative receives $1,000 to contribute to their ongoing success. Learn more about the awards and honorees at iie.org/HeiskellAwards.
above: Alissia Lingaur, an adjunct instructor with Northwestern Michigan College’s Communications Department, leading students through Reserva Natural Atitlan, Guatamala, in 2023.
For those of us dedicated to international education, the importance and power of a passport is a foregone conclusion, and having an annual National Passport Month could seem unnecessary. But what has struck me over the five years I’ve managed the IIE American Passport Project is the number of people who say that they believed a passport and studying abroad “wasn’t for them.” I remember my father’s excitement when he got his first passport in his 60s — to visit me when I was studying in Scotland. I asked him why he didn’t apply for one sooner; he said, “It didn’t seem necessary before.” Statements like his remind me that there are many more people to reach with a simple and powerful message: a passport—and the ability to travel the world—is for everyone.
Programs like the IIE American Passport Project (IIE APP), which awards funding for Pell-eligible students at U.S. colleges and universities are helping break through barriers to open the path to study abroad. So far, we’ve supported 179 institutions across 40 states. I’ve learned many lessons from IIENetwork members and IIE APP recipients along the way.
Tip 1: Meet Students Where They Are
The students who seek study abroad are already motivated, but how do you reach students who don’t even consider it an option? IIE APP institutions have gotten creative, from hosting open workshops on navigating the passport application to co-hosting events with other campus organizations like the TRIO office, identity-based student groups, and accessibility resource teams.
Meeting students where they are, however, goes beyond physical location; you also need to understand and speak to their unique perspectives on studying abroad. Marina Call, International Services and Service-Learning Facilitator at Northwestern Michigan College (NMC), knew that most students would feel overwhelmed if she approached getting a passport as a commitment to studying abroad; NMC is a two-year public community college. “We told them that the passport was our ten-year gift to them. Getting a passport opens up opportunities well beyond their time at NMC. That idea excited them, brought them into our office, and then we were able to start sharing information about study abroad opportunities.” For some students, jumping straight to study abroad is a huge leap, but focusing on obtaining a passport can start them on a transformational journey.
Tip 2: Consider How to Pay by Check in a Digital World
Currently, when you apply for a new U.S. passport, you can only pay by check or money order because it needs to be physically included in the application. But in 2024, many people do not have checkbooks. Also, in most cases they will have to make two separate payments: the passport application fee to the U.S. Department of State and an execution fee to the passport acceptance agency where they are applying. Different IIE APP institutions have devised innovative approaches. Jen Sydow-Madoski at Maricopa County Community College District collaborated with their grants accounting office to cut checks directly from the institution to the U.S. Department of State. “By simplifying the process and cutting checks directly to the U.S. Department of State, we created a more accessible and efficient method for students. This approach reduced confusion and ensured that funds were used directly for their passport, making it a win-win for everyone involved.” Public higher education institutions can become Passport Acceptance Facilities through the U.S. Department of State, which I’ve seen not only ease the challenges for students but also have a ripple effect as local community members use the services for their passports.
Tip 3: Passports Are Worth Celebrating
Going through the paperwork and administration of submitting a passport application can make the process feel tedious or procedural. Remember that receiving a passport is something to celebrate! Even a small event or acknowledgment can center the fun and joy of international travel while also providing an opportunity to share more information about the vast array of education abroad options students can pursue.
Judy Moore, Associate Director of Study Abroad at the University of Texas at El Paso, brought all the IIE APP students together at the Global Explorers Reception. “The Associate Dean of Students for International Student and Scholar Global Initiatives presents on the importance of this first step in their study abroad journey. Seated among the students and their guests are also Deans or representatives from the different Colleges at UTEP. By inviting our academic partners, it further grounds the celebration in the realm of scholarship, encouraging students to consider how this might help them participate in international education through study or research in a global environment.” For students from historically marginalized identities, receiving their passport also represents overcoming any barriers and challenges they may have faced in the process.
When I advise these students, I remember the first time I traveled outside the U.S. and how the world felt bigger and full of endless possibilities. I encourage you to consider similar experiences and what it felt like to get your first ten-year gift. This National Passport Month, I am celebrating the 2,600+ students supported by the IIE American Passport Project so far, the thousands of students we will reach in the future, and my international education colleagues who are dedicated to reaching anyone who thinks study abroad is “not for them” with a simple message: “Yes, it is.”
Offered through the IIE Center for Access and Equity, the IIE American Passport Project has issued grants to 176 higher education institutions in 41 states, including community colleges, HBCUs, HSIs, AANAPISIs, and MSIs. Learn more about the American Passport Project here.
UNC-Chapel Hill and Eberhart Karls Universität Tübingen Created a Seed Fund for Joint Research on Emerging Technologies
IIE congratulates the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on receipt of the 2024 Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education. The University’s Data Science and Society Collaboration with Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen funds multidisciplinary research that engages U.S. and German faculty and students in the topic of data and society. The innovative approach is designed to generate and support sustained research collaborations that address the challenges of emerging technologies to democratic societies. As a benefit of receiving the Heiskell Awards, IIE is publishing guest entries from each recipient institution.
UNC-Chapel Hill and Eberhart Karls Universität Tübingen have been partners since 1986. How did the new idea of a joint seed fund for research come about?
In January 2022, I joined UNC Global Affairs, and one of my first priorities was to support and strengthen the rich, long-standing partnership between UNC-Chapel Hill and Eberhart Karls Universität Tübingen. At the heart of this relationship is the idea that the two institutions can do more together than alone.
Coinciding with my arrival in 2022, UNC-Chapel Hill established the School of Data Science and Society (SDSS). Unlike data science programs focused mainly on computer science, Carolina’s new school emphasizes the interconnected and complex issues that emerging technologies create for society. Tübingen is a German University of Excellence and leader in machine learning and data science. Researchers at Tübingen work closely with policymakers in Germany and throughout the European Union, and have been at the forefront of protecting data and regulating misinformation.
My team in the global affairs office saw an opportunity here: to expand collaboration through joint projects involving data science. That same year, our universities created a joint seed fund to expand research collaborations over five years and to support multidisciplinary, UNC-Chapel Hill and Tübingen faculty-led projects investigating the use, application, or impact of data science on democratic societies. Our universities contribute equally to funding and jointly reviewing proposals. Together, Tübingen and UNC-Chapel Hill researchers are developing technologies founded in data science and trying to understand their usefulness for society, the risks they involve, and the promise they represent.
Who are the campus champions of the seed fund?
Carolina’s Vice Provost for Global Affairs and Chief Global Officer, Barbara Stephenson, and Tübingen’s Vice-President of International Affairs and Diversity, Monique Scheer, lead our strategic partnership. UNC-Chapel Hill’s dean of SDSS and vice chancellor for research also support the collaboration. Leadership at both institutions saw the potential for advancing research outcomes given complementary strengths – an ideal scenario for productive, mutually-beneficial partnerships.
Did you encounter challenges? How did you navigate through them?
We only received one application in the first cycle of the seed fund. But with sustained outreach to faculty about the opportunity, interest has grown. This past cycle, however, we received eight novel proposals; all eight are currently being funded, focusing on a range of disciplines, including humanities, social sciences, and biomedical fields.
To simplify and expedite fund distribution, we decided to disburse seed funding within faculty members’ home institutions. Collaborators apply for grants jointly, but UNC-Chapel Hill and Tübingen distribute funds to their respective faculty. We removed the challenge that international borders present, but we did not anticipate how difficult it would be to distribute funds across schools at the same institution! We’ve also learned lessons about the timing and cadence of calls for proposals and revised the language to emphasize multidisciplinary approaches.
How has the collaboration grown since its start in 2022?
This innovative collaboration in data science and society has reenergized UNC-Chapel Hill’s partnership with Tübingen and expanded it into many new areas. Today, activity spans a range of schools and departments across campus, including language studies, communication and media, digital humanities, exercise and sports science, information and library science, law, linguistics, humanities and philosophy, health sciences, and physical and natural sciences. Discussions have continued around joint research and student engagement in epidemiology, environmental sciences and engineering, geosciences, infectious diseases, microbiology and immunology, nutrition, oncology, pharmacy and pharmacology, and psychology. As of December 2023, 153 coauthored publications have been published in the last five years (Source: SCOPUS).
Please share key takeaways from establishing the seed fund.
Other partnering institutions can use the UNC-Chapel Hill-Tübingen experience as a model to foster engagement on a specific global challenge or to expand a partnership. In the beginning, we utilized Zoom for faculty from both institutions to meet in virtual break-out rooms to dive into content and begin matchmaking. Reciprocal delegation visits with university leadership and faculty have invigorated the relationship.
Achieving a balance between top-down and bottom-up support has been key. UNC Global Affairs leadership and the partnerships team spot opportunities — scanning the landscape for promising global collaborations and funding which present low risk and high reward. However, it is the faculty-led initiatives that generate the exchange of ideas, ground-breaking research, and solutions to shared challenges.
The Heiskell Award was created in 2001 to promote and honor outstanding international higher education initiatives conducted by IIENetwork members. By recognizing excellence and innovation, IIE supports IIENetwork members in their endeavors, encourages the expansion and creation of initiatives based on these successful models, and amplifies the important role of international higher education on campuses and communities. Each winning initiative receives $1,000 to contribute to their ongoing success. Learn more about the awards and honorees at iie.org/HeiskellAwards.