About the Awards

The IIE Andrew Heiskell Awards for Innovation in International Education

IIE created these awards in 2001 to promote and honor the most outstanding initiatives being conducted in international higher education by IIENetwork member universities and colleges. We are particularly interested in highlighting innovative initiatives or programs that address a specific need, remove institutional barriers, and broaden the base of participation in international teaching and learning on campus. A winning initiative does not have to be the biggest or oldest. It should bring innovative approaches and new resources to bear on addressing a need or taking advantage of a new opportunity. By recognizing excellence and innovation, IIE hopes to encourage the expansion and creation of programs based on these successful models.

Learn more about the 2022 IIE Heiskell Award Winners.

2023 Award Categories:

1. Widening Access for International Education
Demonstrating creative and substantial efforts to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion by creating and broadening access to global learning and academic advancement opportunities for students/scholars. This may include outreach and recruitment, support services, curriculum development, and international programming, with a particular focus on expanding access to historically underrepresented, marginalized, displaced, or vulnerable populations of students/scholars.

2. Student Mobility & Exchange
Advancing and increasing student mobility and exchanges by providing innovative programs and services to make intercultural and experiential interactions, global learning, and study abroad accessible and equitable for a broader student population. This could include in-person, virtual, or hybrid modalities.

3. Strategic Partnerships
Recognizing innovative partnership efforts that foster international education and demonstrate strong, sustainable linkages among higher education institutions or within an institution/organization or public/private partnerships with government, local community, and NGOs.

4. Models of International Education Financial Support
Developing innovative and sustainable models of either direct financial support or increasing access to funding so students, faculty, and/or staff can participate in international education, contributing to the institutional/organizational strategic goals.

Applications are welcome from current IIENetwork member institutions/organizations from around the world. We encourage new members to join the IIENetwork in order to submit a nomination for the IIE Heiskell Awards. Please note, for the Strategic Partnerships category, at least one of the partnering institutions must be an IIENetwork member. If you are unsure of your organization’s membership status, contact membership@iie.org.

About Andrew Heiskell:

Andrew Heiskell, a former chairman of Time Inc. and a member of the Executive Committee of IIE’s Board of Trustees, was a renowned international and cultural philanthropist and a long-time supporter of international education. He died in July 2003 at his home in Darien, Connecticut. Mr. Heiskell was a former head of one of the world’s largest providers of news and information, having retired in 1980 after a twenty-year tenure as Chairman of the Board of Time Inc. Born in Italy and educated in Germany, Switzerland and France, Mr. Heiskell came to the United States in 1935. He attended the Harvard Graduate School of Business and worked as a reporter for the New York Herald Tribune before joining LIFE Magazine as Science and Medical Editor in 1937. After serving as Publisher and General Manager of LIFE and Vice President of Time Inc., Mr. Heiskell was elected Chairman of the Board of Time Inc. in 1960 and became the company’s Chief Executive Officer in 1969. Mr. Heiskell was Chairman Emeritus of the New York Public Library and served as Chairman of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities and The Bryant Park Restoration Corporation, and as Vice Chairman of the Lincoln Center Theater. He was a founder and Co-Chair of the National Urban Coalition. He served as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Institute of International Education, and in the same capacity for several other organizations, including People for the American Way, the American Academy in Rome, and the Brookings Institution.