International Academic Partnership Program

Brazil (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015)

IIE has run several programs with focus on Brazil from 2012-2015. As the Brazilian economy continues to grow and Brazil expands its world reach through programs like the Brazil Scientific Mobility Program, higher education linkages will become even more important in the relationship between the U.S. and Brazil. IAPP Brazil seeks to increase those institutional partnerships by helping U.S. institutions: navigate the Brazilian higher education system, think critically about a strategic partnership plan, and access the tools and resources necessary to make informed decisions.

China (2011)

According to Open Doors, China continues to rank number one in sending student to the U.S. and is in the top 10 countries for receiving U.S. students. In 2009, President Obama launched the 100,000 Strong Initiative, a public-private challenge to see 100,000 Americans study in China over the next four years, marking the importance of U.S.-China relations and the critical role that education can play in this dialogue. In this context, U.S.-China institutional partnerships have played a major role in increasing student and scholar flow, and have added to the academic and cultural enrichment of higher education institutions in both countries. The 2011 IAPP China program engaged 10 institutions in developing a comprehensive partnership strategy, and included a study tour to Bejing, Wuhan, and Chongqing. IAPP China is not offered in the current IAPP cycle.

Colombia (2017)

Over the past decade Colombia’s higher education system has flourished. Since 2006, gross enrollment in higher education has increased by more than 60% and earlier this year a Colombian university was ranked within the top 10 Latin American universities. Commitments to the U.S.-Colombia High-Level Partnership Dialogue and 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative have paved the way for expanded scholarly exchange between Colombia and the United States. IIE will guide program participants through a strategic planning process to assess on-campus international partnership capacity and develop practical strategic plans for partnership activities in Colombia. Participants will also take part in an IIE-led delegation to Colombia to meet with relevant higher education institutions, government organizations, and important non-government actors. Training webinars will also be provided by IIE and will focus on topics such as implementing strategic partnerships, faculty engagement, developing a consolidated partnership strategy, and higher education within Colombia.

Cuba (2015, 2016, 2018)

As relations continue to improve between the US and Cuba, opportunities for increased academic partnership are growing. President Obama’s historic visit to Cuba in March 2016 further signaled an easing of tensions between the two countries, which allows for greater international collaboration going forward. The Cuba Partnership Program will draw on IIE’s relationship with key stakeholders in the Cuban Ministry of Higher Education and Cuban university system, experience leading high-level academic delegations, and expertise in international partnership building to provide expert guidance on US-Cuba academic collaboration.

The 2018 Cuba Delegation took place between February 11th-17th, 2018. Twenty U.S. higher education officials from eight different universities joined the delegation. Participants met with Cuban university and government officials to discuss opportunities for academic collaboration.

Greece (2019-2022)

IAPP Greece was dedicated to developing new partnerships and deepening existing ones between U.S. and Greek institutions of higher education. Initiated in December 2019, this iteration of the IAPP program adapted rapidly to the COVID-19 pandemic, adding more virtual meeting components to the program. During this time, 92% of participating institutions were able to reach out to potential counterparts to start partnership conversations.

Toward this goal, representatives from 30 U.S. universities and colleges visited Greece in November 2022 for the Pharos Summit 2022: Greek-U.S. Collaboration in Higher Education. The Ministry of Education, the U.S. Embassy in Athens, the Fulbright Foundation in Greece, and IIE worked together on a robust itinerary in Greece that provided a broad view of Greek higher education while also maximizing the potential for meeting with institutions throughout the country. During this visit, the group divided into smaller delegations, each of which visited several Greek universities.

India (2010, 2012, 2013)

As the number two ranked country for sending students to the U.S., and among the top 20 destinations for U.S. students, India continues to play an important role for the U.S. higher education community. In July 2011, the governments of India and the U.S. announced the Obama-Singh 21st Century Knowledge Initiative, a bilateral effort to strengthen collaboration and build partnerships between American and Indian institutions of higher education. IAPP India guides U.S. institutions through the complex Indian higher education system and provides a year-long program through which to learn about Indian higher education institutions’ priorities and challenges in forming sustainable international partnerships.

Iran (2015)

The IIE Iran Higher Education Initiative seeks to foster and increase engagement between U.S. and Iranian universities and colleges. The Iran initiative includes the International Academic Partnership Program (IAPP) with Iran, a six-month program that assists higher education institutions in developing a strategic plan for partnering with counterparts in Iran, and a series of bi-national conference calls and briefing papers to increase higher education cooperation between the U.S. and Iran. As part of the initiative, IIE led a delegation of senior U.S. higher education representatives to Iran to meet with counterparts from Iranian universities and research institutes with the goal of increasing academic cooperation between the two countries. Ultimately, the aim of the initiative is to enrich the academic experiences of students, faculty, staff, and administrators from both countries.

Mexico (2016)

With its rich cultural heritage, growing economy, and competitive higher education system, Mexico has become a destination for international academic exchange and collaboration. The Mexico Partnership Program, a component within the larger IIE Mexico Higher Education Initiative, will explore the wealth of opportunities for academic partnership with higher education institutions in Mexico, while also confronting the challenges that have faced partnership building with the country in recent years. IIE will guide colleges and universities from around the world through the strategic planning process in order to develop a plan for increasing academic collaboration with Mexico. Participants of the program will also take part in an IIE-led delegation to Mexico City, Puebla, and Querétero in September 2016 to meet with important stakeholders from universities, government, and organizations that deal with the Mexican higher education system.

Myanmar (2013)

The IAPP Myanmar program assists U.S. colleges and universities to develop a strategy for building sustainable partnerships with their counterparts in Myanmar, and to utilize those linkages to build capacity at Myanmar higher education institutions. The program runs from October 2012 through April 2013 and includes: a monthly webinar series, partnership-related materials and resources, a guided strategic planning exercise, expert mentorship from an Advisory Board member, and a one-week capacity building delegation to Myanmar. This program is one of the Center’s Special Partnerships Initiatives, which focus on assisting in transitional countries through higher education capacity building.

New Zealand (2016)

The Institute of International Education (IIE) and Education New Zealand (ENZ) are pleased to partner on IAPP New Zealand as part of ENZ’s Generation Study Abroad (GSA) commitment. IAPP New Zealand seeks to increase the number of international partnerships between higher education institutions in the U.S. and in New Zealand. Over the course of the six month program, IAPP will engage a select group of U.S. higher education institutions in training activities focused on implementing strategic partnerships specifically with New Zealand Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs).

Norway (2014)

The Institute of International Education (IIE) and the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Education (SIU) are pleased to partner on the International Academic Partnership Program with Norway, which seeks to increase the number of international partnerships between higher education institutions in the U.S. and in Norway. Over the course of the six month program, IAPP Norway is engaging a group of U.S. higher education institutions in training activities focused on implementing strategic partnerships with higher education institutions in Norway, particularly in the globally important fields of energy and the environment. IAPP Norway seeks to increase institutional partnerships between U.S. and Norwegian institutions of higher education by helping U.S. institutions: navigate the Norwegian higher education system, think critically about a strategic partnership plan, and access the tools and resources necessary to make informed decisions.

Vietnam (2013)

The IAPP Vietnam program assists U.S. colleges and universities to develop a strategy for building sustainable partnerships with their counterparts in Vietnam. The program runs from May 2013 through April 2014 and includes: a monthly webinar series, partnership-related materials and resources, a guided strategic planning exercise, expert mentorship from an Advisory Board member, and a one-week delegation to Vietnam.