Brief Notes on the Intertwined History of Comparative and International Education in the Early Years

Those of you who enjoy reading about the history of international education may appreciate this IHEC Blog post that I pulled from my research notes. To be sure, a much longer manuscript could be written (and some have been written) on the development of the comparative education and international education fields during this time period.

Even though an all-telling history of international education has not been established[1], many comparativists will agree that international education and travels to distant countries was the foundation on which comparative education was based.[2] William Brickman even notes in his writing the importance of early travels abroad to the foundation of the Comparative Education Society later called the Comparative and International Education Society.[3]

The 1920s and 1930s and the years after World War II brought about increased interest in going abroad and documentation on international exchange. These two decades also proved to be a significant time in itself for educators to explore educational systems in other countries. According to Jurgen Schriewer and Carlos Martinez, these decades were some of the most active times in terms of education for such countries as Spain, Russia/USSR, and China. They show through citations in major academic and scientific journals that this was the time period over the last 100 years that represented the most international exchange of ideas. They write, “The 1920s and early 1930s stand out as the period in history when all three countries clearly opened up their own reform reflections and displayed an enormous interest in international models, modern reference societies, and theory discussions from abroad.”[4]

Not only did the idea and interest in travels abroad, the development of professional organizations, the creation of publications, and simply ripe timing surround the development of the comparative education and international education fields, but special reports and research by either government or private agencies also helped to create interest and awareness about systems abroad. In addition, the fields were solidified with the first organized academic program, as well as the development and emergence of other related areas of study.

[1] William Hoffa has done an excellent job of documenting the history of study abroad in the United States.
[2] Erwin H. Epstein, “Comparative and International Education: Overview and Historical Development,” in International Encyclopedia of Education, 2nd Ed., ed. Torsten Husen and T. Neville Postlethwaite, 918-923 (Oxford, England; New York: Pergamon; New York: Elsevier Science, 1994): 918-919.
David N. Wilson, "Comparative and International Education: Fraternal or Siamese twins? A preliminary genealogy of our twin fields," Comparative Education Review 38, no. 4 (November 1994): 451.
[3] William Brickman, “Genesis and Early Development of the Comparative and International Education Society” Comparative Education Review 10, no. 1 (February 1966): 9-19.
[4] Jurgen Schriewer and Carlos Martinez, “Constructions of Internationality in Education” in The Global Politics of Educational Borrowing and Lending, ed. Gita Steiner-Khamsi, 29-53 (New York: Teachers College Press, 2004): 45.

Photo credit: Lin Pernille Photography

South Korea Scholarship Program

I just learned about an interesting new partnership between CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange and The Korea Foundation. Specifically, these two organizations have partnered to create the South Korea Scholarship Program which is a full, all expenses paid, scholarship program for U.S. high school and university students. According to the website, the South Korea Scholarship Program is “aimed at promoting awareness and understanding of Korea throughout the international community, and to enhance goodwill and friendship through the implementation of various international exchange programs.”

You can learn more about the scholarship program for both high school students and university students here.

Visa Donkey Chipmunk...

...apparently had to do with Soviets applying for exchange visas to the United States. Who knew! Anyone know why cables for the educational exchange officers in Moscow had “Visa Donkey Chipmunk” in the subject line? Is this still the same in Moscow?

I picked up this interesting international educational exchange factoid from the December 28, 2009 U.S. State Department “On-the-Record Briefing” when Ian Kelly, Department Spokesman, was answering questions about Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab (individual who attempted to bring down a Delta Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on December 25^th) and the VISA VIPER cable issued by The United States Embassy in Abuja (Nigeria). You can read the entire press conference here but I have copied and pasted the relevant part of the Q&A that mentions “Visas Donkey Chipmunk” cables below:

QUESTION: What does VISAS VIPER mean? Is that some slick acronym?

MR. KELLY: Yeah. Well, it’s not an acronym, no. It’s – I remember when I was in Moscow, they – it’s just a – it’s a tradition in the State Department. I was in Moscow and I was the educational exchanges officer, and I would get cables that were – the subject line was “Visas Donkey Chipmunk,” and it had to do with Soviets applying for exchange visas.

NAFSA Call for Volunteers for Chair Designate of the Subcommittee on Information Management (SIM)

NAFSA: Association of International Educators has put out a call for volunteers for Chair Designate of the Subcommittee on Information Management (SIM). I was a member of NAFSA’s Subcommittee on Information Management for three years (2006-2008) representing the Teaching, Learning & Scholarship knowledge community and I think it is a great committee. SIM is “a key pan-NAFSA body that works with all of the knowledge communities to coordinate print and e-publication projects.”[1] Not only is SIM a great way to contribute to the work of NAFSA but you get an inside perpective to the publishing field and you get to add you voice to future and updated NAFSA publications! You can read more about this position and download a position description and application here.

Have an idea for a publication or article in the field of international education? Consider writing for NAFSA! You can learn more about writing for NAFSA here.

Photo credit: Orin Zebest

[1] from the December 15, 2009 (Vol. 14, No. 46) NAFSA.news

Video of the Week - Happy Anniversary NAFSA

For this Video of the Week I selected this Happy Anniversay NAFSA video that was recorded in 2008. The reason I selected this video is because I remember when it was made during the NAFSA Winter Leadership Meetings in January 2008 and if you look closely you can see me when the Teaching, Learning & Scholarship (TLS) Knowledge Community wished NAFSA a Happy 60th Anniversary. Now, I didn't include this video because I'm in it or because 60 years as a leading international education organization fits my historical interests in the field. I chose this video because I miss many of my colleagues, both on the TLS team as well as others in the video and I wish them all well this holiday season!



I pulled this video from the NAFSA YouTube Channel which you can access here: http://www.youtube.com/user/nafsatube.

Studying Abroad and the Post 9/11 GI Bill

Over the past few weeks there have been a few messages sent to SECUSS-L about veterans not being able to apply Post 9/11 GI Bill funds towards study abroad. Admittedly this was off my radar and I was happy to see the posts as I was able to learn more about this important issue. What helped me learn the most was a post from Daniel Obst, Director of Membership and Higher Education Services at the Institute of International Education (IIE), who provided the list a summary of what IIE has been doing in this area by forwarding a brief message on behalf of IIE’s President Allan Goodman. Here is a copy and paste of Goodman’s statement:

“After gaining the support of the Veterans Administration, IIE has been working with congressional representatives and legislative staff in both the Senate and House to ensure that veterans will have the opportunity to study abroad through the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill. We have been advocating for a change in the language of the current Bill to simply redefine "fees," thereby allowing students to study abroad through the institution in which they are already enrolled.” [1]

I want to thank IIE for their efforts and leadership in this area and I encourage IHEC Blog readers who are in the United States to take a moment out of your day to send a quick message to your Senators and Congressional Representative. Additionally, take an additional moment to thank IIE for their work on this!!

[1]Statement obtained from December 3, 2009 SECUSS-L post entitled “DISC: Post 9/11 GI Bill and study abroad - Follow-up from IIE” sent by "Obst, Daniel" .

Germany as a Study Abroad Destination for American Students in the STEM Fields

A short time ago I found out that a manuscript I submitted to a journal had been accepted for publication in 2010. My article, “Germany as a Study Abroad Destination of American Students in the Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) Fields: A Historical Examination,” was submitted some time ago and the only recommendations for revision that I received from the Editorial Board was that I should add a few more examples of current developments/programs for American STEM students to study and/or research in Germany. In addition to focusing on family during y brief winter break (over the Christmas holiday through the New Year’s Eve festivities) I plan to start work on a brief update to this manuscript.

This IHEC Blog post is more of a request for assistance to locate two or three new specific programs, developments, collaborations, etc. in Germany for American STEM students. I’ve been saving various pieces of information from listservs, e-newsletters and other resources over the past couple of months to sort through but I thought I would put out this call to see if any IHEC Blog readers have any recommendations. If you know of anything I would love to hear from you and you can e-mail me at international.ed.consulting@gmail.com. Please understand that I cannot incorporate every program/opportunity I learn about into my revision.

Many thanks in advance! David

New NAFSA Report - A Visa and Immigration Policy for the Brain-Circulation Era

I’m about a week late in posting to IHEC Blog about this but due to being sick most of last week I’m getting this up today. The majority of this post is a copy and paste job with a few minor edits of a message I received from my colleague Andy Amsler at NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

On Monday, December 14th NAFSA released a report entitled A Visa and Immigration Policy for the Brain-Circulation Era: Adjusting To What Happened in the World While We Were Making Other Plans on what the Obama administration and Congress need to do about immigration reform and visa policy as they relate to attracting foreign students and foreign talent to the United States. NAFSA will make the case that there are two shifts in thinking that need to happen – one in reference to post -9/11 policies and one in regard to trends in global mobility – and that there are specific policies that can and need to be implemented to make a big difference in enhancing the US’ ability to participate in the global community, both economically and beyond.
As Congress gears up to tackle immigration reform next spring and the administration continues to focus on innovation, job creation, and getting the economy moving, we believe it is past time for an in-depth look at how foreign students factor in. On Friday [December 3rd], President Obama himself raised the issue in response to a question after his job summit, saying:

“We have not seen the same kinds of openness, I think, over the last several years that I'd like to see. Now, we've got to do it in a prudent way, but, you know, let's just take the example of foreign students. One of the great things about this country is we get the best and the brightest talent to study here, and once they study here, they start enjoying the intellectual freedom and the
entrepreneurship, and they decide to stay and they start new businesses. Suddenly, you've got a whole new generation of folks who are creating Intel or other extraordinary businesses. If -- if -- if those students start seeing, you know, a -- a -- a closed door, then we are losing what is one of our greatest competitive advantages. And that's something that I think, you know, we're
committed to doing.”

There are specific policy steps with regard to immigration and visas that the administration and Congress need to take to resolve long-standing issues – doing so would contribute enormously to both America’s global engagement and its economic recovery. Our purpose with the paper is to elevate those and talk about them.

To view the report, visit www.nafsa.org/braincirculationreport. There you will also find a link to NAFSA’s press release and a one-page summary of the report. Additionally, you can join the conversation on this topic over at NAFSA’s blog here where guest blogger DeDe Long writes about “NAFSA’s New Policy Report Reflects Needs of Brain-Circulation Era”.

Links of Interest for the Week of December 11th-17th

Due to me being out of commission much of this week due to the flu the links of interest this week is on the short side. Not as much time to be on The Twitter. I hope you find some of these to be of interest:

Global Engagement blog

IHEC Blog is listed as 100 Best Education Blogs by Certification Map

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program will be piloting a special Summer 2010 award cycle for students in the STEM fields

3% of total number of study abroad students were students with disabilities in 2007/08

Survival Strategies for Going Abroad: A Guide for People with Disabilities

Center for Science Diplomacy of the American Association for Advancement of Science

New @NAFSA paper: A Visa and Immigration Policy for the Brain-Circulation Era

The Franco-American Educational Exchange Network

Increase in foreign students good for economy (Otago, New Zealand)

Collection of all USATODAY.com coverage of Institute of International Education

The USA Football International Student Program

Senate gives final congressional approval to $400 million for Peace Corps (via @pcorpsconnect )

Smithsonian Journeys announces study abroad opportunity for HS students (via @acewlp)

Photo credit: Randy Son Of Robert

Video of the Week – Ms. Harriet Mayor Fulbright at the launch of the Initiative for Global Citizen Diplomacy

In this second installment of IHEC Blog’s "Video of the Week" I selected this brief speech by Harriet Mayor Fulbright at the national launch of the Initiative for Global Citizen Diplomacy back in February, 2009 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. I had the pleasure of meeting her briefly at the Colloquium on Diversity in Education Abroad hosted by the Academy for Educational Development on May 2, 2006. This video comes from the YouTube channel of the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy which you can subscribe to here. Additionally, please take a few moments to visit the website of the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy here as I believe that most IHEC Blog readers will find great value in their work.



You can access 120 international education related YouTube channels via IHEC Blog's YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/IHECBlog.

What was the Biggest International Education News of the Decade?

Perhaps I'm getting caught up in all of the end of decade hoopla where everyone is making their "Top of the Decade" lists and I thought there is no reason why I can't jump on that cheesy train. I created my first IHEC Blog poll (top right of the blog) asking "What was the Biggest International Education News of the Decade?" Following are the top four news events of the decade that I could think of on my own and with the help of a colleague via IHEC Blog's Facebook page:

- Establishment of International Education Week
- September 11th (increasing international focus of U.S. students, immigration, image of U.S.)
- SEVIS
- Lincoln Commission/ Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act

The poll closes at 11:59p.m. (CST) on December 31st. If you have a moment to vote I would greatly appreciate it!

Towards a More Cross-Culturally Competent United States Air Force

During my research activities this past weekend I came across a very interesting news piece on the official website of the U.S. Air Force entitled “Air Force Officials Developing Cross-Culturally Competent Officers”. The topic of the U.S. Air Force and ROTC working towards developing cross-culturally competent officers is not only of interest to me but one I have posted about to IHEC Blog in the past (see links below). I won’t summarize the article for you as you can access and read it right here. However, here is a copy and paste job of the first two paragraphs from the article:

“In an effort to produce more culturally competent officers, Air Force ROTC officials now encourage cadets to take foreign language coursework and participate in cultural and language immersion and study abroad programs, according to an Air Force culture and language official.

"This is one of many new programs aimed at developing cross-culturally competent Airmen who are better able to build coalitions and enable partner nations and appropriately respond to the human elements of conflict," said Lt. Col. Paul Valenzuela, the Air Force culture and language office chief.”

I imagine that other branches of the U.S. military are also wanting to develop cross-culturally competent officers but I just haven’t found any resources/articles yet on this topic. As I come across them I will be sure to post to IHEC Blog or IHEC Blog’s Facebook page. If you know of similar initiatives happening in the U.S. military (as well as other militaries [friend or foe]) please leave a brief comment with a link(s) on where to access further information. Were these types of initiatives part of the education/training of U.S. military officers prior to the arrival of Secretary Gates?

Related articles:

“Toward a ‘Cross-Culturally Competent’ Air Force” ~ January 9, 2009 Inside Higher Ed article

Related IHEC Blog posts:

“Cross-Cultural Awareness in the U.S. Military”

“Project Go – The ROTC Language & Culture Project”

Photo credit: Beverly & Pack

The Importance of Creating Standards to Evaluate Master’s Programs in International Education - NAFSA Collegial Conversation

I'm posting the following with permission of Yating Chang, Network Leader of the NAFSA International Education Leader Development Network, as I think several IHEC Blog readers may find this upcoming conversation to be of interest:

International Education is a wonderful career field to be in! Are you thinking of attaining a Master's degree? What are some of the available programs in the country? What about quality of these programs?

Join IELD network's online discussion session
December 17, 2009
4-5pm EST
Be online and conduct LIVE conversation with David Urias, School of Education, Drexel University.
Be free to ask questions and provide your thoughts about this topic.

COLLEGIAL CONVERSATION:
NAFSA Collegial Conversation: The Importance of Creating Standards to Evaluate Master’s Programs in International Education

By David Urias, Ph.D., Drexel University

Everything depends on the quality of the experience which is had.
~ John Dewey

Over the past two decades, programmatic guidelines for undergraduate international education at U.S. colleges and universities have been presented by several national associations and several academic disciplines. However, none of these groups has ventured into the area of suggesting comparable guidelines at the graduate level. It should be noted that in the past, senior level leaders in international education came up through the ranks of faculty and now the trend is toward a more professionalized administrative corps, i.e., a greater professionalization and specialized graduate degree is needed. Professionals in international education - whether from a more theoretical or practical orientation - need to be concerned about the quality and availability of what is being taught at the graduate level. Graduates of these programs are most likely to enter either the academic or practitioner side of the profession. They are our colleagues of the future.

It is both exciting and unsettling that new educational models and means of delivering educational programs and services are evolving at all levels of higher education. One of the myriad of complex challenges facing American higher education is to develop standards and benchmarks for newly emerging professions, including global, international, and comparative education, which have arisen in an era of transition and globalization. Standards provide policymakers, educators, parents, students, and the public with the means to monitor, measure, and continuously improve student achievement and college/university program quality.

A major value of graduate standards is that they provide criteria by which an academic program can judge its educational effectiveness. Whether used for accreditation or program development purposes, standards provide faculty, staff, administrators, and students alike a tool to measure a program’s characteristics against a set of well-conceived criteria designed to ensure educational quality and efficacy. Knowing exactly what a program is expected to do makes it more likely stakeholders will mobilize their energies to meet those expectations and provide the means for potential students to make appropriate decisions concerning their future study objectives. The standards/benchmark criteria do not have to constitute a precise set of indicators to be applied rigidly in assessing all such programs. Rather, they are the dimensions that should be considered in reviewing and guiding existing and planned international education programmatic activities.

Photo credit: austinevan

U.S.-DPRK Science Engagement Consortium

Last week I posted to Twitter (RT of @PublicDiplomacy) and listed on IHEC Blog’s “Links of Interest” post on Friday the following article “U.S. Scientists Due in Pyongyang for Talks on Academic Cooperation” from Brunei fm World. In my busy I life last week I didn’t stop to think about the significance of these talks but over the weekend I thought much more about this and wondered why I only picked this up via @PublicDiplomacy's Twitter post and didn't read it in any U.S. media outlets.

I then investigated further and went to the American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS) & the U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation (CDRF) websites to see what they were saying about this historic visit by U.S. scientists to North Korea. You can read the joint AAAS/CDRF news release here.

I have copied and pasted a snippet of the news release below that further describes the U.S.-DPRK Science Engagement Consortuim visit:

“The six-person delegation of the U.S.-DPRK Science Engagement Consortium aims to discuss and identify future opportunities for collaborative research activities with the DPRK in fields of mutual interest.

The consortium is composed of four organizations: CRDF, a nonprofit organization that promotes international scientific and technical collaboration; AAAS, the world's largest general science society; Syracuse University, which has been engaged with Kim Chaek University of Technology in Pyongyang in the only sustained U.S.- North Korea academic science collaboration to date; and The Korea Society, a nonprofit group that promotes greater awareness, understanding and cooperation between the people of the United States and Korea.”

You can read more information about the history of the U.S.-DPRK Science Engagement Consortium here.

The scientific community here in the United States has been quite active in conducting Science Diplomacy with so many countries across the globe. Nearly a year ago (December 18, 2008) I posted to IHEC Blog about an interesting development in U.S.-Iranian scientific collaboration and you can access that post entitled“Science as a Gateway to Understanding: International Workshop Proceedings, Tehran, Iran (2008)” here.

More on what I discovered on the American Association for Advancement of Science and the U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation websites later on IHEC Blog’s Facebook page.

My question is this...with all of the international scientific collaboration happening across the globe why do we make it so difficult for students in the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) to study, research or intern abroad? To me, an international academic experience should be a required part of any STEM field program of study.

Links of Interest for Week of December 4th – 10th

It’s been another busy week of news in the Twitterverse for the field of international education. We started with a guilty verdict in Italy and we end with U.S. & North Korean scientists talking about academic cooperation! I hope you find some of these links to be of interest and/or useful in your theory & practice:

U.S. Scientists Due in Pyongyang for Talks on Academic Cooperation (via @PublicDiplomacy)

Nice bar graph of NSEP recipients and how they fulfilled their service requirement in departments & agencies of U.S. Federal Government

American-educated Chinese students and their impact on U.S.-China relations (via @IDPDRIE)

National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange AWAY Journal Release (via @MobilityINTL)

Education ministry is planning to increase funds for Azerbaijani students who study abroad

The International Education Round Table of Tasmania to provide $1.2 million of funding to attract more overseas learners

New NAFSA Report Features Internationalization Efforts (via @NAFSA)

@uniworldnews is now on Twitter!

2009 is the 40th Birthday of the term Third Culture Kid (via @CindyKing)

US-China: Global engagement and study abroad (via @WESFans)

University of Maryland Office of Sustainability study abroad travel emissions in Campus Greenhouse report (via @pdxnicolle)

An opportunity for some good friends & people to get together to talk about politics in a non-threatening forum

Ann Stock nominated as Assistant Secretary of State for Educational & Cultural Affairs (via the Alliance for International Educational & Cultural Exchange – not via Twitter)

Amanda Knox sentenced to 26 years in prison for Kercher killing (via @cnnbrk)

Students: Enter the Doors to Diplomacy competition for a $2000 scholarship (via @usembassyottawa)

Subtitle of IHEC Blog (http://ihec-djc.blogspot.com/) has been revised and now reads “A Source for News on International Educational Exchange & Mutual Understanding”

Yale World Fellows Program for mid-career professionals (via @planetecole)

Photo credit: Jo Jakeman

Interrupting all Programmes…Video of the Week ~The Australia Project Student Documentary Trailer

Today on IHEC Blog I’m starting what I hope will become an interesting and ongoing Friday feature. The new “Video of the Week” series will compliment the “Links of Interest” post every Friday. For this initial post I selected “The Australia Project Student Documentary Trailer” from the AustraLearn YouTube channel. Here is a brief summary of The Australia Project that I copied and pasted from the channel:

“A student developed documentary created by two film students on an AustraLearn internship in Australia. Learn more or request a free copy of the DVD at www.australearn.org/AustraliaProject”




Check out more of AustraLearn’s videos on their YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/AustraLearn. Additionally, you may want to follow AustraLearn on Twitter here and you can find them on Facebook here.

IHEC Blog Interview with Christi Hunter from Global Leadership Excellence, LLC

Today on IHEC Blog I’m pleased to be posting my first interview! I’ve been planning on conducting and posting interviews for several months now (and I still need to get back in touch with a few colleagues about interview requests I made through LinkedIn) and I am very happy to be posting this interview with Christi Hunter! Christi is the Director of Global Leadership Excellence, LLC and you can learn more about their work here.

1. What is global competence?

Global Competence is "having an open mind while actively seeking to understand cultural norms and expectations of others, and leveraging this gained knowledge to interact, communicate and work effectively outside one's environment" (Hunter, 2004). The Internal Readiness components are attitudinal in nature; they are: Self-Aware, Open-Minded, Willing to Take Risks, and Perceptive and Respectful of Diversity. External Readiness components are based on one’s knowledge gained from education or life experience; they include: Knowledgeable about World History, Globally Aware, Interculturally Competent, and Effective across Cultures

When the research on Global Competence began in 1999, there were 12 published definitions of the term and they varied widely. With that in mind, a primary goal of the research became to derive a consensus definition of the term. With the help of a number of international educators, Human Resources managers with Fortune 500 corporations, UN representatives, and others with extensive international experience, a Delphi Technique was employed. Following several rounds, first beginning with all published definitions of the term, a consensus definition for global competence was reached.

2. What’s the difference between global competence and intercultural competence? Are they the same thing?

No, global competence and intercultural competence are not synonymous terms; however, intercultural competence is one of the eight components of global competence. Our friend and colleague Darla Deardorff defined intercultural competence as “the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately in intercultural situations based on one’s intercultural knowledge, skills and attitudes.” However, the Global Competence Model™ expands to include a willingness to take personal risks outside one’s comfort zone, global awareness (including cross-border interactions, trade, geography, etc.), knowledge of world history, and being effective across cultures, so as to collaborate and work effectively within and across perceived or actual cultural barriers.

3. There are a lot of assessments available. What makes the Global Competence Aptitude Assessment® (GCAA®) different from the others?

There are several key distinctions between the GCAA® and its competitors. First of all, the Global Competence Aptitude Assessment® is one of the most widely piloted assessments in the world; it has been researched in more than 40 countries. The GCAA® is currently being used by students and educators around the world. As the global competence research population and the GCAA® deployment pilot group included Human Resources managers in transnational corporations, the instrument measures the skills that employers around the world seek in the workforce. Therefore, employers are actively seeking means of implementing the GCAA®, too.

While other assessments claim to measure global competence, they are not capturing all the components identified in the research and presented in the Global Competence Model™:
http://www.globalcompetence.org/model/

The GCAA® is far more insightful and revealing than many assessments that use question repetition or mere self appraisal. The Assessment challenges participants with a wide range of question styles, and most importantly, requires thinking on one’s feet, not just static responses.

Scoring is immediate, and provides an extensive report spanning both the Internal and External Readiness categories for global competence. The report also includes definitions of each component, and a series of recommendations, training and published resources to guide one’s growth and maturation. Since the participant receives the report directly, there is no costly overhead associated with training assessment administrators to deliver feedback. The report clearly delineates an individual’s strengths and growth opportunities across each of the eight components of global competence in understandable terms for personal improvement.

4. How does global competence impact education and employment marketability?

The American Council on Education has noted “the United States has a dangerous shortfall of individuals with global competence,” and went as far as to say that “America’s future depends upon our ability to develop a citizen base that is globally competent.” (1998)

Global competence isn’t just for those studying abroad, majoring in international relations or hoping to work for a transnational company. There are very few sustainable jobs in the global marketplace that don’t require effective communication and cooperation with international partners, counterparts, suppliers, or customers.

According to US Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, “We're competing … around the globe for jobs of the future” (2009). The research on global competence identified the necessary skills for the global workforce, so being globally competent dramatically increases one’s ability to compete in the global talent pool.

5. Can’t one just study about the destination country before departure and expect to be successful?

While there are many traveler’s guides and How To books and websites, they rarely prepare people for any experience deeper than language tidbits, common customs, tipping suggestions and food expectations. It would be naïve to assume that everyone one encounters in another country is a native or shares the majority culture identified in reference materials. As the world becomes more intermixed, so do the cultural norms and expectations.

In addition, no matter where one lives, one cannot always anticipate when one will encounter a person with a different cultural background -- leaving no opportunity to study in advance. A globally competent person can parachute to anywhere in the world, prepared with the foundational skills for effective interchanges with people from any cultural background. Basic skills for success begin with a mindset where one is willing to step outside one’s comfort zone, and has the ability to accept and embrace differences in a non-judgmental manner when in a new environment.

Is it a Good Thing to Limit the Number of Foreign Exchange Students?

The Killeen Daily Herald (Texas) posted an article yesterday entitled “CCISD board considering foreign exchange student limit” which, of course, caught my attention. In the article, the Copperas Cove Independent School District board is considering to institute a “three-year limit of six foreign exchange students in the district in order to prevent exchange students from taking up too much of a campus' resources.” You can link to the article here.

Here are some links to additional documents on this issue:
1) CCISD Regular Meeting Agenda Packet for Tuesday, December 8, 2009 where you can link to the "Action Sheet" and the "Foreign Exchange Student Waiver" in order to “Consider and Act to Approve Foreign Exchange Student Waiver for The 2010-2011, 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 School Years”
2) The Texas Education Agency “Foreign Exchange Student Waiver Guidelines”
3) The Texas Education Agency “Foreign Exchange Students Frequently Asked Questions”

Finally, according to TEC §25.001 (e) (1) (2) (3), the district may only limit the number of foreign exchange students if the commissioner determines that the admission of a foreign exchange student would:
1) create a financial or staffing hardship for the district;
2) diminish the district’s ability to provide high quality educational services for the district’s domestic students; or
3) require domestic students to compete with foreign exchange students for educational resources.

I checked the Killeen Daily Herald and the CCISD websites today to see what decision, if any, came from last night’s meeting but can’t find anything. I’ll try to check from time to time to learn what the CCISD board decided on this.

What are your thoughts on this?

Photo credit: AlphaTangoBravo / Adam Baker

How do we Diversify the U.S. Study Abroad Student Profile?

This IHEC Blog post is simply a question with a data chart I compiled some time ago to provide basic demographic data on the U.S. population, U.S. higher education enrollments and U.S. student participation in education abroad for comparative purposes. About the only point I wish to make is that the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is for students who are Pell Grant eligible.

What do the data tell you? What can we do to change the face of U.S. study abroad?

Sorry that the data chart is a bit small but I'm having difficulty making it larger and easier to read. If you would to view and download a larger and easier to read you can find it on my SCRIBD page here.

No doubt about it…studying abroad is fun!

I came across an interesting article today in The Independent entitled “Broaden your horizons with international study” with a sub-title of “Venturing overseas to get a degree makes you attractive to employers – and it’s fun”. Before reading the article I decided that this article would serve as the basis of today’s IHEC Blog post.

The article discusses the mobility of UK students and provides some very interesting data points recently released by the British Council. I won’t summarize the data or other themes of the article for you here as you should read it for yourself as I think it is a very good article.

What surprised me was that the “and it's fun!” part of the sub-title was never mentioned in the article at all. I was fully expecting to read that one should go and study abroad because it is a fun thing to do and you can put the experience on your resume and market it as an advantage over other applicants who have not studied abroad. Why then did the author feel the need to include this in the sub-title of the article?

This leads me to the real point of this post…I was an exchange student in Rosenheim, Germany during the summers between my sophomore (2nd) and junior (3rd) years of high school and again during my senior (4th) year of high school and my freshman (1st) year of college. I then studied abroad in Valladolid, Spain during the spring semester my junior year in college followed by a month of backpacking around Europe. Did I have fun during my two high school exchange experiences and while I studied abroad…Oh Yes I Certainly Did (details are only known by the participants in the programs!). Did I take my academics seriously while I studied abroad in Spain (Rosenheim was more of a cultural exchange than an academic exchange)? I took my academics as seriously in Spain as I took them while back at my home institution!! I also know that many of my colleagues in the field of international education had fun while studying abroad but it is important to recognize that everyone defines “fun” differently. Have I witnessed international students here in the United States have fun? The answer to that question is…Yes!

I fully support and believe in rigorous education abroad programs (broadly defined) but I also believe that participation in these programs is indeed a fun experience. So how do we as a field go about educating senior administrators, faculty, colleagues, parents and others that the education abroad programs we develop are rich in academic content and value and that it is absolutely okay to have fun while participating? We are not creating longer and glorified spring break trips (at least a significant majority in the field aren’t) and, for the record, I don’t consider my exchange experiences in Rosenheim and my academic experience in Valladolid to be long glorified spring break trips! I must admit, however, that it was an interesting experience to be on a flight from Chicago to Germany when I was 15 and to be able to order a bier with no questions asked (that was in 1986 and it was free back then so I may have had a couple).

What do you think? Did you have fun on an education abroad program?

Photo Credit: Ethan Prater

Links of Interest for Week of November 27th – December 3rd

Here is a list of some interesting links I posted to The Twitter as well as many interesting links I pulled from The Twitter and retweeted. Also, I now have things set up so that my IHEC Blog Facebook page posts feed to my Twitter profile which then feed to my LinkedIn profile.

@RickRuth was asking some really great questions on measuring "success" of public diplomacy. A question I think about often for my dissertation!

“Cultural Exchange and the Cold War: How the West Won” guest post by Yale Richmond on WhirldView

IIE President Goodman on Language Learning/Global Citizenship: "using another's language reminds Americans we are not alone"(via @IIEglobal)

I plan to utilize the “share” feature much more in my Google Reader. Here's a start: http://www.google.com/reader/shared/international.ed.consulting

New Orleans Citizen Diplomacy Council has a LinkedIn group

Study Abroad and Global Learning: Exploring Connections, AAC&U Peer Review Fall 2009 issue

PAX November newsletter is here! (via @yesprogramnews)

Expanding Partnership with Kyrgyzstan (@dipnote New Blog Post)

Salman Rushdie to Keynote NAFSA 2010 Annual Conference & Expo (via @NAFSA)

2010 Marshall Scholar winners announced (via @MarshallScholar)

US-CHINA: No hope of meeting Obama's goal

Vegetarians abroad: A handy travelling & study abroad guide (via @mcinternational)

Enter the ExchangesConnect 2nd Annual Video Contest for your chance to win an International Exchange Program

Research indicates Fulbright scholars are models of international collaboration (via @FulbrightSchlrs)

The 2nd November issue of BCCIE eNews is now published! (via @BCCIE)

Journal of International & Global Studies (new) is seeking international and comparative education submissions

Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation Notice of Meeting

Yale World Fellows Program for mid-career professionals (via @planetecole)

100 Awesome iPhone Apps for Studying Abroad

The photo in this student article on study abroad makes me wonder about Public Diplomacy & U.S. students abroad (link via @pdxnicolle)

"Law Programs for an Interconnected World" (NYT article)

Why are more students crossing the Atlantic for their studies?

November News from U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy (via @CitizenDiplomat)

Province [British Columbia] preparing for influx of foreign-educated professionals (via @BCCIE)
ExchangesConnect surpassed 15,000 members (via @ConnectStateGov) ~ CONGRATS!

Data and Resources (such as program evaluation summaries) related to Department of State Exchanges

Georgetown professor asks how the U.S. can keep up in the competition for talent abroad (via @NAFSA)

Five new papers in IELTS Research Report

Photo Credit: Leo Reynolds

The Student Diplomat Video Contest Deadline is Near!

NAFSA: Association of International Educators and Abroad View, the global magazine for students, are hosting this contest to give U.S. students the opportunity to share how their study abroad experiences have helped to advance global understanding. The extended deadline for the contest – December 15, 2009 – is quickly approaching. Please help them spread the word with students.

If you’re looking for a message to include in your next communication with your students abroad right now, you can use this one:

“Has your study abroad experience helped to shape you as a global citizen, served as a bridge to cross-cultural understanding, promoted peace, or positively impacted the local community in which you are studying? If you answered yes to any of these questions and want to tell your story, check out the Student Diplomat Video Contest hosted by NAFSA and Abroad View magazine. A short video – one to three minutes -- about how your study abroad experience has helped to advance global understanding enters you for the chance to win $300 and become the next Student Diplomat! But, the deadline of December 15th is quickly approaching, so be sure to get your video in soon! To read the contest rules and learn how you can submit your video, visit the Contest Page.”

Finally, you can download the official flyer here.

What Would be the Economic Impact on the United States if we Send 1,000,000 U.S. Students to Study Abroad?

There has been much written in the media and blogosphere over the last year or so about the economic impact that international students have on various nations, provinces/states and even cities across the globe. Most recently, NAFSA: Association of International Educators released their annual Economic Impact Statements for 2008-2009 which you can access here.

Here are some questions I have on this topic but don’t currently have answers for:

What was the economic impact on the United States of sending 262,416 U.S. students to study abroad during the 2007/08 academic year?

What would be the economic impact on the United States if we send an additional 86,835 U.S. students to study in China (thus meeting President Obama’s stated goal of sending 100,000 U.S. students to China)?

What would be the economic impact on the United States if we send 1,000,000 U.S. students to study abroad annually?

To be sure, there are many, many more variables that would need to be considered and calculated into this economic impact equation compared to what I imagine is a bit simpler equation for calculating the economic impact of international students in the United States. Any mathematically/economically inclined people out there have ideas on how to calculate this?

I just think it is important to present data on both sides of this economic trade coin…I think a future IHEC Blog post on GATS should be in the works!

If you are interested in the economic impact of international students you might find the following resources to be of interest:

Related IHEC Blog posts on the economic impact of international education (worldwide focus and not specific to the United States):

- The Economic Impact of International Students – New Paper Released Today
- The Economic Contribution of International Students in Australia
- Dublin Enters the International Student Recruiting Market with The Lord Mayor of Dublin International Scholarships

- International Students Contribute $15.54 Billion to U.S. Economy
- Aberdeen City Council Investigates Economic Impact of International Students

- Manitoba’s International Education Strategy


Stuart Hughes who maintains the IDP Database of Research on International Education commented on my Aberdeen City Council blog post listing the following state level reports:
- Brisbane - city of education : the economic impact of international students. (2004 and 2007)
- The economic impact of London's international students. (2007)
- Report : international student spending. Dunedin: Dunedin City Council. (2004)
- International students : economic benefits for Auckland city. (2003)
- International students : their impact on Auckland city. (2003)
- Vancouver's English language school sector. (2003)
- A report on the demographic, social and economic impact of international students on North Shore City [Auckland]. (2002)
- The economic impact of the overseas student industry: special reference to the Wollongong economy. (1998)
- Domestic economic impact of exporting education: a case study of the University of Wollongong. (1995)

Those of you on Twitter might want to follow the IDP Database of Research on International Education at: http://twitter.com/IDPDRIE

Photo by SqueakyMarmot

U.S. Students Heading to Copenhagen and their Public Opinion Poll relating to the United Nations Climate Change Conference

In an effort to help spread the word I’m posting the following message from the Green Passport Program network that comes from an Ithaca College student who will be traveling to the United Nations Climate Change Conference this weekend and who is asking for assistance in answering some daily poll questions.

"We want the delegates and the press to know how we and our fellow citizens feel about climate change and the policies surrounding it. Together with Dickinson College we have planned a daily Public Opinion Poll to do just that. Every day we will have one simple yes/no question to be answered by as many people globally as possible. We are hoping to gather 1 MILLION VOTES PER DAY.

For daily poll reminders– and to help spread awareness– please join our Facebook Group at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=126410380508

Further information for connecting to the poll and its results is located at the following website:
http://www.ithaca.edu/hs/depts/envstudies/climatechange/

At this site you can read about our participation at the UN-FCCC, Meet the Delegates (and read our bios), link to our Facebook Fan Page and/or Twitter page, and link to the Public Opinion Poll where you can VOTE and see the daily results! We will also results at our Exhibit Space in Copenhagen that we were graciously given by the UN.

We are sure to get media attention so look for us in the news!"

Here is a different message Stustainabiltyabroad mailing list (actually, the message was posted to the mailing list by Astrid Jirka, the Green Passport Director) from the faculty member at Ithaca College who will be leading this group of students to Copenhagen.

“My International Environmental Policy class and I are leaving Friday to attend the climate change talks in Copenhagen. One of our goals is to bring to voice of the people to the delegates and the press. Together with Dickinson College, we have planned a daily public opinion poll - one simple yes/no question - to be answered by as many people globally as possible and then we will display the votes at our exhibit space. Our goal is 1 million votes per day - which means we need to go viral and reach out to everyone we know (you) and everyone you know and so on.

The relevant information for connecting to the poll and its results is:
http://www.popcop15.com

This site is our hub site that shows how the poll looks, and will be where the results are available. People can get connected via twitter or facebook right from this site from where they can get daily reminders to answer the poll questions.

I would very much appreciate whatever you could do to publicize the poll! Through your email contacts, facebook friends, any one you can reach out to - anywhere! Many thanks - Susan Allen Gil"

Please participate in the poll if you can and help spread the word!

If you are interested in the Global Passport Program you can link to and join at http://greenpassport.ning.com/

If you are interested in subscribing to the Sustanabilityabroad mailing list you can do so at http://lists.livingroutes.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabilityabroad

Check out this Oct. 15th IHEC Blog post entitled “International Educational Exchange and Climate Change” here.

Cultural Exchange or American Dominance?

Part of the description of IHEC Blog states “from time to time, International Higher Education Consulting Blog will post thought provoking pieces to challenge readers and to encourage comments and professional dialogue” and I hope that this post meets this criteria so here goes it…

I came across an interesting article over lunch entitled “Is $120 Million Study Abroad Bill About Cultural Exchange or American Dominance?” which was posted yesterday to MatadorAbroad.com. I think the author, Sarah Menkedick, raises some interesting/important points that are worthy of discussion here on IHEC Blog.

What’s your take on the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act? Is it about cultural exchange or American dominance or is it a little bit of both?

Here is a video of Senator Paul Simon from November 13, 2003 (a few weeks before his untimely death) announcing his vision of the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program:



I plan to post more to IHEC Blog about sending one million students abroad in the near future. I leave you with this thought I have; if the United States does reach the goal of sending one million students abroad I wonder how many more “Itaewon” type areas will be established across the globe?

This post is related to a similar to a March 30, 2009 IHEC Blog post entitled “Spreading of Colonial Influence Abroad via the Peace Corps” which you can read and comment on here.