"Sustainable Global Commitments in International Education" the latest issue of The Review of Global Studies Literature now available

The Review of Global Studies Literature, initiated in 2010, is a review of recent books and professional publications relevant to the multiple sets of interests in international education. The publication is a project of NAFSA’s Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship (TLS) Knowledge Community. It is a valuable resource for researchers, graduate students and practitioners in all areas of international education. The latest issue published this month, with the theme "Sustainable Global Commitments in International Education," is available via the NAFSA TLS Research/Scholarship network resource library here.

The editors are now looking for reviewers for the next issue. A Call for Reviewers is available at the main page here. (look for the downloadable PDF on the right hand side). The deadline for submissions will be July 30, 2012.

Many, many thanks to Emily Gorlewski, Rebecca Hovey, Bryan McAllister-Grande for all of their hard work as co-editors on The Review of Global Studies Literature!

Photo credit:  Lin Pernille Photography

Study Abroad or Vacation?

As I searched Twitter for the daily "Study Abroad Tweet of the Day" that I post to IHEC Blog's Facebook page I came across the following tweet:

 "I LEAVE FOR COSTA RICA TODAY. SEE YOU IN 10TH DAYS! #PLANES #NERVOUS #ANXIOUS #STUDYABROAD #VACATION"

Based on the words I assume that this person is going on a "study abroad" program for 10 days and in her tweet she includes both #studyabroad and #vacation.

What are your thoughts on this?  Are 10 days in Costa Rica where one earns academic credit considered study abroad or a vacation?

I've posted about short-term study abroad before:

Study abroad related tweet of the day: "A two week study abroad can barely be considered an international experience in a university program..." [interesting that my first study abroad tweet of the day touched on this exact topic]

The Study Abroad Credential

How short can a study abroad program be?

Photo credits: manalahmadkhan and marinakvillatoro

Twitter Action from the 2012 NAFSA Annual Conference in Houston

Recent Developments in the Sciences here in the U.S. Impacting International Study, Research and Collaboration

On May 11th, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the expansion to the list of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) designated degree programs for eligible international students for an Optional Practical Training (OPT) extension.  NAFSA: Association of International Educators has long advocated for this and released a press statement yesterday welcoming this new DHS action.  NAFSA Executive Director and CEO Marlene Johnson currently serves on the Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council (HSAAC).

Today, leaders from the inaugural Global Summit on Merit Review that was hosted by the National Science Foundation (NSF) released a set of merit review principles and established a Global Research Council.  According to the NSF press release on the Global Summit on Merit Review, "Heads of research councils from about 50 countries participated in the summit and joined the Global Research Council.  The merit review principles crafted by the summit leaders include expert assessment, transparency, impartiality, appropriateness, confidentiality, and integrity and ethical consideration.  NSF hosted members from G20/OECD (Organization for Equal Cooperation and Development) countries, which are typically most research intensive, and countries with emerging scientific enterprises, including those involved with the State Department Science Envoys program. The merit review process, as practiced by NSF and other leading funding agencies, is recognized as an essential tool for evaluating scientific research.  In releasing a set of common principles, the Summit participants identified best practices and standards that will cultivate multinational research cooperation among countries and across continents.

Photo credit:  Horia Varlan

A Theory on Student Compatibility with a Host Family While Studying Abroad

I came up with the following "theory on student comparability with a host family while studying abroad" and posted it to my Scribd page a few years ago.  It should be noted that this theory is really in it's infancy stage [a sketch really] and I've not done further testing/research on it.  Perhaps after my dissertation I'll dig it up and mess with it but for now it is just out there for critique.  What are your thoughts?

A Theory on Students Compatibility With a Host Family While Studying Abroad by Comp, 2008

ACTION ALERT: Write Congress now in support of funding for exchanges in FY13!

The following IHEC Blog post is simply a copy and paste job of an Action Alert from the Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchange.  Nearly 480 letters have been signed and submitted as of 4:00pm CST on Friday, May 4.  @AllianceExchnge is reporting via Twitter that the House Appropriations will mark up next Wednesday, May 10th so please consider taking action!  I wrote my representatives!

The House Appropriations State-Foreign Operations Subcommittee (which funds State Department exchange programs) will consider funding for FY 2013 as early as next week, with the Senate subcommittee to follow soon after. While the Senate has proposed nearly level funding for international affairs programs, the House is threatening to cut them by 9.4 per cent.

We need to generate as many letters from constituents as possible, asking your members of Congress to support level funding for Department of State exchange programs at $598.8 million in FY 13.

Please take a minute and write your Representative and Senators via this link. You can send the letter as is, or better yet, add specific examples that demonstrate the impact of exchanges in your community:

Also, please forward this action alert to your colleagues, field reps, local coordinators, host families, board members, etc.

While every letter counts, reaching out to members on the State-Foreign Operations Appropriations subcommittees is particularly important. These members are:

HOUSE

Republicans 
Chair: Kay Granger (TX)
Jerry Lewis (CA)
Frank Wolf (VA)
Tom Cole (OK)
Mario Diaz-Balart (FL)
Charles Dent (PA)
Steve Austria (OH)

Democrats
Ranking Member: Nita Lowey (NY)
Jesse Jackson, Jr. (IL)
Adam Schiff (CA)
Steven Rothman (NJ)

SENATE

Democrats 
Chair: Patrick Leahy (VT)
Daniel Inouye (HI)
Tom Harkin (IA)
Barbara Mikulski (MD)
Richard Durbin (IL)
Mary Landrieu (LA)
Frank Lautenberg (NJ)
Sherrod Brown (OH)

Republicans
Ranking Member: Lindsey Graham (SC)
Mitch McConnell (KY)
Mark Kirk (IL)
Roy Blunt (MO)
Dan Coats (IN)
Ron Johnson (WI)
John Hoeven (ND)

Many thanks for taking action and raising your voice in support of international exchange!

Photo credit:  studentofrythm

International Research and Review: Journal of Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars

In this IHEC Blog post I thought I would inform readers that the Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars has started publishing their journal again in the form of International Research and Review: Journal of Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars.  If you have not heard of Phi Beta Delta before you can learn more via their website and, if you are on a university or college campus, consider forming your own institutional chapter (currently in eight countries)!  I think IHEC Blog readers will find Phi Beta Delta to be a great organization and something worthy of considering!

Led by the efforts of Michael Smithee, Director of Publications and Editor, International Research and Review aims to provide “a forum for scholars and educators to engage in a  multi-disciplinary exchange of ideas, to address topics of mutual concern, and to advocate for policies that enhance the international dimension of higher education. Articles should focus on studies and systematic analyses that employ qualitative, quantitative, a mixture of both methods, and theoretical methodologies from an international scope. Both pedagogical and andragogical perspectives in teaching and learning are welcome.”  International Research and Review will be web based and is being indexed by EBSCO, which means it will be available in academic and other libraries.  It is anticipated that one to two issues will be published yearly. Thus, please consider this a call for papers.

IHEC Blog readers familiar with Phi Beta Delta may recall that they previously published the journal International Review which was interrupted in 2003 due to the cost of printing and dissemination.  Phi Beta Delta has scanned and loaded all of the articles from each of the twelve volumes of International Review, 1990-2002, on their website!  

The Phi Beta Delta Headquarters Office moved to the campus of California State University San Bernardino and is now under the leadership of Executive Director, Dr. Rueyling Chuang.

How Long Between Posts Should a Blog be Listed on International Education Blogs & News?

I've been wanting to edit and enhance my International Education Blogs & News site for some time.  I came up with the idea for this site on my flight home from the Forum on Education Abroad conference in Portland in 2009 and while a few modifications have been made over the years these have been limited.

One of my first tasks is to clean up the blog feed and to remove those blogs listed that are no longer contributing to the discussion in the field.  So, I created a brief poll below to elicit feedback from IHEC Blog readers (and hopefully International Education Blogs & News visitors) on how long do you think a blog can be inactive to be included on International Education Blogs & News.  As I look through the various international education blogs feeding to International Education Blogs & News there are several that have not posted in many months.  There are some that are great blogs but are not too active and some that are clearly dead and need to be removed.  My question is "How Long Between Posts Should a Blog be  International Education Blogs & News?  Please take a moment to vote below.  Thanks in advance!

How Long Between Posts Should a Blog be Listed on International Education Blogs and News?
	One Month
	Two Months
	Three Months
	Four Months
	Five or more Months
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