The new center advances accessible programming and equitable practices in community building that enrich and expand international education
NEW YORK, March 30, 2023 — Today, the Institute of International Education (IIE) announced the launch of its Center for Access and Equity, building on its comprehensive diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) strategy and commitment.
As global higher education institutions prioritize diversity and inclusion,1 IIE seeks to ensure international education and exchange opportunities are accessible to all.
Underrepresented groups, including students of color, first-generation college students, students with disabilities, and students with limited financial means, face unique challenges in higher education, and have been historically underrepresented in international exchange2. Through the new center, IIE’s focus is to create equity and increase access through global learning opportunities for individuals, organizations, and governments to address these historic and systemic inequities.
Our mission is to ensure our values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access are reflected through our current and future programming. We believe increasing access to educational opportunity is more important today than ever to foster community and inclusivity, and help the next generation prosper.
Lindsay Gee Calvert, Director of the Center for Access and Equity, IIE
Through dialogue and action, the Center for Access and Equity will:
- Leverage programs and partnerships that examine the intersection of international education with diversity, equity, inclusion, and access.
- Cultivate global learning to support engagement and understanding of individuals and communities.
- Support access for underrepresented communities by examining and addressing structural inequities.
I am thrilled for the launch of the Center for Access and Equity. It has been part of IIE’s century-long mission to create access to opportunities in international education. Formalizing this work through the Center marks an important and critical milestone that will help guide us into our next century.
Courtney Temple, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, IIE
Current programs and initiatives that are part of the Center for Access and Equity include:
- IIE American Passport Project, which promotes access and diversity in U.S. study abroad.
- IIE Dickinson Partnership, which helps higher education professionals reimagine an international education framework that incorporates global, intercultural, and equity inclusion lenses.
IIE believes access to international education provides a gateway to opportunity, builds economies, and fosters a more secure and equitable world. IIE has developed significant expertise, capabilities, and best practices in a set of core areas formalized into Centers of Excellence. The Center for Access and Equity joins the Center for International Partnerships in furthering that mission.
About the Institute of International Education (IIE)
The Institute of International Education (IIE) is the leader in designing and implementing international education strategies and program services. We work with governments, policymakers, educators, and employers across the globe to prepare students and professionals for the global workforce and equip them to solve the increasingly complex challenges facing our interconnected world. With support from donors, we also create initiatives that assist students, scholars, and artists whose lives and work are threatened; expand teaching and learning across cultures; and provide opportunities to underserved populations. A not-for-profit organization founded in 1919, IIE has a network of 16 offices and affiliates worldwide and over 1,600 higher education partners.
- 2021 Survey of College and University Presidents. Inside Higher Education. https://www.insidehighered.com/booklet/2021-survey-college-and-university-presidents
- Institute of International Education. (2022). “Profile of U.S. Study Abroad Students, 2000/01-2020/21.” Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange. Retrieved from http://www.opendoorsdata.org