How can we standardize international education research, data & definitions globally to increase collaboration, analysis and understanding?

Just a question I have been pondering for a long time.  What are your thoughts on this?

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.

IHEC Blog Call for Regular/Frequent/Guest Contributors

This post is a call for regular, frequent and guest contributors to International Higher Education Consulting Blog. As International Higher Education Consulting Blog is growing in popularity the demands for the upkeep are competing with family, my professional job and my dissertation obligations so I’ve decided to post this call for contributors. I’ve had several guest contributors in the past and these posts are sometimes the most popular posts for the week or even for the month.

I’m looking for colleagues in the international education and public/citizen diplomacy fields who are interested in highlighting new developments in the field(s) or who are interested in generating discussion/debate on topics that fit within the focus of International Higher Education Consulting Blog. Those who understand and appreciate the value of new media are especially sought after. Guest contributors to International Higher Education Consulting Blog receive no compensation for their submissions.

Following is the current description of International Higher Education Consulting Blog that is currently posted on the blog:

International Higher Education Consulting Blog provides timely news and informational pieces that are of interest to both the international education and public diplomacy[i] communities. From time to time, International Higher Education Consulting Blog will post thought provoking pieces to challenge readers and to encourage comments and professional dialogue.

This post is not a call for contributors whose posts would not relate to the focus of International Higher Education Consulting Blog. I reserve full right to not accept any requests to contribute to International Higher Education Consulting Blog as well as the right to decline any submissions.

If you are interested in becoming a regular, frequent or guest contributor to International Higher Education Consulting Blog I want to hear from you about your ideas about the types of posts you would be interested in preparing as well as the frequency of your contributions. Please e-mail me at international.ed.consulting@gmail.com

Thank you in advance.

David Comp
Editor & Publisher of International Higher Education Consulting Blog

[i] Please refer to this previous International Higher Education Consulting Blog post for clarification on public diplomacy talk on this blog: http://ihec-djc.blogspot.com/2009/09/point-of-clarification-on-public.html

Universitas 21 Announce Joint Ph.D. Program

Universitas 21 has announced that fourteen member institutions have established a joint Ph.D. program. The Memorandum of Understanding signed in May 2009 by Vice-Chancellors and Presidents from the universities of Auckland, Birmingham, British Columbia, Delhi, Dublin (University College), Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hong Kong, Korea, McGill, Melbourne, Nottingham, Queensland and Virginia:

“enables doctoral students to embark on joint degrees which will considerably enhance their research and employment opportunities on an international scale. Unlike a number of other joint programmes, this MoU gives an over-arching framework for universities to create tailor-made programmes of study for each student, taking individual research needs into account and enabling collaboration with another of the network’s universities.”

This is certainly an interesting collaboration in higher education and one to watch!

Universitas 21 is an international network of 21 leading research-intensive universities in thirteen countries. You can learn more about Universitas 21 here.