International Higher Education Consulting and related new media activities will be going into hibernation

As of tonight I am going into hibernation for several weeks as dissertation obligations and family matters such as selling one of two condos and then buying and moving into a new house will consume most of my time (outside of my main priorities of being a father and a husband and working at the University of Chicago).  I will peek my head out from my cave occasionally to see what's happening but I'm quite tired and look forward to a well needed rest.  I look forward to waking from my slumber to forage for interesting and helpful international education related news and opportunities on the internets that I can pass on to others here on IHEC Blog, over on the International Higher Education Consulting website, on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.


Sleep tight and I'll see you soon!

Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Zhang Yesui and Kurt Campbell, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Discuss Importance of Educational Exchanges and Public Diplomacy

The following video from the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) is from a podcast conversation between Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Zhang Yesui and Kurt Campbell, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific.  The discussion focuses on the U.S.-China Relationship and the importance of educational exchange as a public diplomacy tool and specifically on the 100,000 Strong Initiative (beginning at the 5:15 mark).

I love study abroad!! #notreallife

This post builds off of or could be a continuation of last week's IHEC Blog post entitled "Is the word ‘study’ really necessary in study abroad?".  That post generated a few comments on the post itself and on Facebook as well as a few e-mail messages to me.  Since that post I came across another Twitter post that lead me to want to continue the discussion.

Following are some more tweets by another student "studying" abroad (based off Twitter profile a young, white, female who is studying fashion in Milan):


"Boring class with a teacher I can't understand. Best combo"


"I love study abroad!! #notreallife"


"Slept thru my 1st day of fashion class at 4 pm this will be a good semester"


"Blacked out the first night in Milan and rode the struggle bus thru a 5 hour Italian class and totally acceptable!!" (I'm assuming this has to do with consuming a tad bit of vino or related substance)


Do I think this student is learning and getting something out of her experience?  Yes, a little probably.  


Do I think she is "studying"?  No.  


Your thoughts?

Remarks of Secretary Hillary Clinton, Under Secretary Judith McHale and Assistant Secretary Ann Stock at the National Council of International Visitors (NCIV) reception celebrating the 50th anniversary of citizen diplomacy at the State Department.

In case you were unable to watch the live feeds of Secretary Hillary Clinton, Under Secretary Judith McHale and Assistant Secretary Ann Stock  from the National Council of International Visitors (NCIV) reception celebrating the 50th anniversary of citizen diplomacy at the State Department I have embedded them below:

Video: The NCIV Network - Shaping History One Handshake at a Time

The National Council for International Visitors (NCIV) is a nonprofit membership association currently marking 50 years of leadership in citizen diplomacy. NCIV's membership includes individuals, program agencies, and more than 90 organizations in communities throughout the United States.  Learn more at http://www.nciv.org/

International Education Blogs & News site in need of a Makeover

Back on February 23, 2009 I started my International Education Blogs site (later renamed International Education Blogs & News) after I came up with the idea on the flight home from the Forum on Education Abroad conference in Portland.  IEB&N is essentially one large blogroll that also has Google news and YouTube video feeds for international education related topics.  I also link to most of my other new media spaces and projects from IEB&N.


I've been thinking about reworking IEB&N for some time now.  I want to change the look and feel of IEB&N as well as rethink what should be posted on, linked from and fed to the site.  I want IEB&N to serve as a new media clearinghouse for the field of international education that requires little work on my end as I have much on my plate.  The idea of a self-updating site is quite appealing.


Do you have any ideas?  I would love to hear from you!


Photo credit: watchsmart

New ExchangesConnect Video "I am a Citizen Diplomat"

I am a Citizen Diplomat is the newest video from ExchangesConnect which you can find on their YouTube channel.

CIEE Ping Doctoral Research Fellowships are back!

I’m very happy to learn that CIEE is offering the Ping Doctoral Research Fellowships again!  Following is a brief description of the Ping Fellowship that I copied and pasted from the February 16, 2011 CIEE News I received via e-mail.

CIEE is pleased, once again, to offer the Ping Doctoral Research Fellowships, providing support for doctoral research focused on U.S. undergraduate study abroad.

We invite Directors of Graduate Studies (or in the absence of a departmental DGS, a Chair) to nominate a qualified doctoral candidate for a Ping Fellowship. These Fellowships, funded through a small endowment, are named after Dr. Charles Ping, President Emeritus of Ohio University and a long-time former Chairman of the CIEE Board of Directors. 

During the 2011-2012 academic year, CIEE will provide up to two $20,000 Ping Doctoral Research Fellowships to outstanding doctoral candidates. Please visit the CIEE website for details about eligibility, requirements, and the nomination of candidates.

Thank you for letting interested parties know about the Ping Doctoral Research Fellowships, and for nominating qualified doctoral candidates. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Mick VandeBerg at mvandeberg@ciee.org. 

Live Webcast Celebrating 50 Years of Citizen Diplomacy with Hillary Rodham Clinton, Judith A. McHale & Ann Stock

Live Webcast Celebrating 50 Years of Citizen Diplomacy with Hillary Rodham Clinton, Judith A. McHale & Ann Stock

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Schedule (all times EST)

8:30am: Assistant Secretary Ann Stock
12:45pm: Under Secretary Judith McHale
6:15pm: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

Tune in at http://exchanges.state.gov/live-stream.html

is the word 'study' really necessary in study abroad?

Reading in le Jardin de Tuilleries

Recently someone posted  the question "is the word 'study' really necessary in study abroad?" to Twitter.  Based on the person's name and photo on Twitter they are a young female (presumably undergraduate or high school student but who actually knows...).  I don't know if this person has studied abroad or not.  I picked up this tweet via a Twitter search for "study abroad" and this question really got me thinking about "studying" abroad and I wanted to post this question here on IHEC Blog to stimulate others in conversation.  


I know that there are many students who treat the study abroad experience in a serious manner and actually "study" and learn during their time abroad.  I also know that there are many students who treat the study abroad experiences in a less that serious manner and with very little or no "study" and learning taking place during their time abroad.


Is it fun to be 20 years old and be in Germany, Spain or Argentina.  Oh, indeed it is and I had my share!  You?  I've posted to IHEC Blog before about how fun study abroad is.  I'm not saying that study abroad programming in the United States is less than rigorous and that the field is not doing a good job in this area.  I just wonder what this person meant by that statement and how others perceive it.


So, is the word 'study' really necessary in study abroad?


Photo credit:  Penningtontron

Tool for Institutions & Organizations to Assess Diversity of Participants in Education Abroad

Several years ago I prepared a simple tool (based off my comparative data tables I have prepared in the past and recently updated for the Diversity in International Education - A Hands-On Workshop and subsequent summary report) to help institutions and organizations assess the diversity of participants on their study abroad programs.  I have embedded that document below for any organization, office or individual to use in their diversification efforts.  If you use this tool I would appreciate hearing from you!

House Appropriations Committee's (H.R. 1) to cut U.S. State Department International Exchange Programs by 21%

The Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchange has issued an Action Alert stating that "the House Appropriations Committee announced Friday night the completion of its spending bill (H.R. 1) to fund the remainder of FY 2011. In the bill, State Dept. international exchange programs would receive a 21 per cent cut, or a reduction to $501.3 million from the current funding level of $635 million."  Read more about this concerning development via the Alliance Policy Monitor here and take action.


The Alliance is also reporting that "President Obama requested $637.1 million for Department of State educational and cultural exchange programs.  This request is an increase of $2.1 million over the FY 2010 actual level and the current FY 2011 continuing resolution level, both $635 million."  You can read more about this as well as review a breakdown of the FY 2012 budget request for educational and cultural exchanges here.


Many thanks to the Alliance for posting this information!


Photo credit: el7bara

The International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) Celebrates 70 Years!

The following is information copied from the description of this ExchangeConnect YouTube channel video:


Now in its 70th year, the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) is the U.S. Department of State's premier professional exchange program. The IVLP connects current and emerging foreign leaders with their American counterparts through short-term programs that foster greater coordination, communication, and collaboration on foreign policy issues. The IVLP has a profound and positive impact on the participants -- and their 80,000 American hosts -- to bridge cultural and political divides and cultivate lasting relationships that help address the challenges that face us all. Nearly 200,000 distinguished individuals have participated in the International Visitor Leadership Program, including more than 300 current and former Chiefs of State and Heads of Government, and thousands of leaders from the public and private sectors. 

Great year for British Scholarships in The College at The University of Chicago with 3 Rhodes, 2 Marshall & 2 Gates-Cambridge (and a Fulbright finalist!)

Congratulations to the seven University of Chicago recipients of the 2011 Rhodes, Marshall and Gates Cambridge Scholarships!  It was a great year for British Scholarships in The College with 3 Rhodes, 2 Marshall & 2 Gates Cambridge (and we have a Fulbright finalist to the UK)!  

Additional recognition is due for my colleagues who work so hard with these applicants!!

Academic Cooperation Association (ACA) annual conference will convene 22-24 May 2011 in Vienna, Austria

The following announcement about the upcoming 2011 Academic Cooperation Association (ACA) annual conference is mostly a copy and past job from a recent SECUSS-L post by Laura Rumbley, Deputy Director of ACA and I am reposting with her permission.  While I am not a member and have not attended an ACA conference (not yet anyway!) I have been a fan of what they have been doing in the field and have been following their work for many, many years.

The ACA 2011 Annual Conference will convene 22-24 May 2011 in Vienna, Austria. This event will present an outstanding roster of speakers providing unparalleled insight into the conference’s highly compelling theme: “The excellence imperative. World-class aspirations and real-world needs”.

FEATURED SPEAKERS (among others):

*  Jamil Salmi (coordinator of tertiary education for the World Bank)
*  Hans de Wit (Professor of Internationalisation and Special Senior Policy Advisor International at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam, University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands)
*  Eva Egron-Polak (Secretary General of the International Association of Universities)
*  Helga Nowotny (President of the European Research Council)
*  Ellen Hazelkorn (Vice President Research and Enterprise, and Dean of the Graduate Research School, Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland)

DESCRIPTION:  Recent years have witnessed the emergence of a new paradigm: that of the world-class university.  The paradigm is closely linked to the parallel emergence of international institutional rankings and league tables, which rely heavily on criteria almost exclusively related to research, mostly in the ‘hard’ sciences.  But higher education institutions around the world differ immensely in mission and activity focus, and only some of them are truly research-led. Teaching-focused universities and colleges, the vast majority of higher education institutions, almost by definition fail to qualify as “world-class” in this sense, because they aspire to other forms of excellence than those measured by international rankings.

This conference will explore the question of what makes an excellent university or college. In doing so, it will consider not only the research function of higher education, but also its educational role – teaching and learning – and manifold OTHER functions and missions, such as higher education’s role in maintaining and building civil society, in addressing today’s global challenges, and in international cooperation, amongst others. In other words, it is intended to seek to identify different forms of excellence, geared to different aspirations.

TARGET AUDIENCE:  ACA seminars typically attract university leaders, and program and department directors, as well as a smaller number of higher education scholars, researchers, policymakers and graduate students interested in international higher education issues.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  The full program, list of speakers, and registration details can be consulted via the conference website here.  Specific enquires may be directed to info@aca-secretariat.be

ABOUT ACA:  ACA is a think tank-like organization focused on international higher education issues mostly, although not exclusively, in Europe. We also serve as a membership organization, currently with some 18 institutional members, all national-level agencies active in internationalization policy spheres and programming. The British Council, DAAD, Nuffic, CampusFrance, Universidad.es figure among our members, and IIE in the US is an associate member. ACA also produces a monthly newsletter (“ACA Newsletter – Education Europe”) and an occasional book series, the ACA Papers on International Cooperation in Education. In terms of events, in addition to the annual conference, ACA organizes a European Policy Seminar (EPS) series every year, typically comprised of four one-day events in Brussels. Our next EPS event will be held on 18 March 2011, under the title “Brazil, India, Russia, China. Key points on the European higher education compass?”

Two Last Minute International Education Professional Development Activities Today Should Your Location and Schedule Allow

Church Clock, St. Andrew's Wootton

1. Live NAFSA Collegial Conversation - Optimizing Your Use of Social Media [in International Education].  Julie Schwietert Collazo from the Matador Network and Jeramy Johnson from API (Academic Programs International) will lead this exciting live discussion on effective and efficient uses of social media in international education.

The discussion will focus on the uses of Twitter and Facebook, today's most popular social media tools. Join the conversation here and ask your questions about how best to use social media within the ever-changing field of international education.

Date: Wednesday February 9, 2011

Time: 2:00PM EST

and

2.  US Cuba People to People Partnership: A Conference Sponsored by the Columbia

University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and the Center for International Policy (CIP)

Wednesday, 9 February 2011, 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Room 1512, SIPA, 420 West 118th St, New York, NY 10027

TOPICS

- What is a Treasury Department “general license” for academic programs in Cuba, and what institutions will qualify for one?

 -  How is a U.S. academic program arranged in Cuba.

- The requirement that courses must be given for “academic credit”, what does it mean?

- The permitted roles in U.S. academic programs in Cuba of adjunct faculty and students from other colleges and universities.

- Permitted expenditures in Cuba by U.S. universities and colleges.

- Record-keeping and other compliance issues arising from the U.S. embargo on Cuba.

-  “People-to-people” travel. What does it mean and what organizations are qualified to sponsor and organize such travel?

- How will an organization apply for a people-to-people license and what supporting certifications and documentation will be useful? And what itineraries are likely to be acceptable under the new rules.

- Per diem limits on expenditures per traveler, and what can and cannot be purchased in Cuba to bring back into the U.S.

- Securing Cuban approvals for proposed educational programs and obtaining necessary visas.

- Booking accommodations in Cuba and making other on-the-ground arrangements there, the role of licensed U.S. Travel Service Providers (TSPs).

       

More information about this conference available US Cuba People to People Partnership blog here.

Photo credit: D H Wright

Your Thoughts on the Groupon Super Bowl Commercial

While the Super Bowl was on in my house I did not catch the Groupon advertisement about Tibet.  The commercial has caused much controversy and has been covered on numerous news outlets and by people on Twitter.  What are your thoughts on the commercial (embedded below)?

Publish Post

Irv Comp and the 1944 NFL Championship Highlights Packers 14 - Giants 7

This post has nothing to do with international education and on a few occasions I post on other topics (although this IHEC Blog post is historical in nature).  Tonight the Green Bay Packers won Super Bowl XVL and the Comp Family is happy.  To be honest, I've stopped following and caring about football since the arrival of my children and my graduate studies.  This, most likely, will be my only post related to the NFL and/or the Green Bay Packers.

Irv Comp is back row 5th from left

The following video is a highlight video from the 1944 NFL Championship Game.  In the video you can see my grandfather, Irv Comp, throw several passes and get a mention of his pass to Don Hutson.  In the game, Irv threw the winning touchdown to Ted Fritch and they show it.  During the Super Bowl game tonight I went to YouTube to see if there was any video and sure enough there was!



Now that the NFC Championship Game against the Bears and the Super Bowl against the Steelers (the only two games I watched this year) are done I can refocus attention on my dissertation.

Syracuse University Study Abroad Student Evacuated from Egypt to Turkey Interviewed on MSNBC via Skype

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

From Monday, January 31st (previously posted to IHEC Blog's Facebook page) Univ. of Chicago student in Cairo on a Boren Scholarship was interviewed at the Cairo airport and describes the situation at: http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2011/01/31/cairo-airport

IHEC Blog Turns Four Years Old Today!

In late 2006 and early 2007 I started thinking about starting a blog and I wasn't really sure where to begin.  On February 4, 2007 I decided to sit down after my two children went to sleep (I've added a third child since) and start IHEC Blog.  I didn't know what to expect and I didn't know where it would go.  

My first IHEC Blog post was entitled "Initiatives in 2006 to Increase Student Diversity in Education Abroad".  Since then I have posted on many different topics, changed the look and feel of IHEC Blog and learned how to add photos and embed videos along the way.  Most recently, IHEC Blog began to be syndicated on the GoAbroad.com. Blog.  It's been a great ride!

Since starting IHEC Blog I have found myself on a variety of other new media spaces which you can link to below:  

• IHEC Blog Facebook Page
• IHEC Blog's Bookstore
• IHEC Blog's YouTube Channel
• International Education Blogs & News
• International Higher Education Consulting

• David Comp on Twitter
• David Comp's Shared Items via Google Reader

• David Comp on LinkedIn
• David Comp on Scribd
• David Comp on Academia.edu

I hope you find IHEC Blog to be a useful resource and I welcome any and all feedback!

Happy 20th Anniversary to the Love of my Life!

Today marks the 20th anniversary that my wife Ana and I have been a couple!  On February 1, 1991 we solidified our relationship with a very late night/early morning kiss on a street corner in Valladolid, Spain where were were both study abroad through the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (our undergraduate institution).  This coming June we will celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary but it was in Spain 1991 while studying abroad when it all began. In the beginning of our study abroad program we actually were not very fond of each other but that didn't last long...Ah, the outcomes of studying abroad!


In her youth, Ana was an exchange student in Comayaguya, Honduras and I was spending my first summer as an exchange student in Rosehheim Germany (I went twice in high school) and she studied abroad in Toulon, France for a semester a year before her semester abroad in Valladolid where we met.


The above photo was taken during our honeymoon (June 1995) as we backpacked through Spain and ended in Paris.  The location in the photo is Plaza España in Sevilla.  


I came across this song by Justin Bieber and it's a great song for the day! 




Photo credit:  http://davidcomp.wordpress.com/