Secretary Blinken Celebrates International Education Week 2022

 

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Celebrates International Education Week 2020 #IEW2020

 

Yale Richmond, 1924-2020

I'm a huge fan of Yale Richmond's work and his scholarship!  His book "Cultural Exchange and the Cold War: Raising the Iron Curtain" (2003) is what led to my interest in and scholarship on public diplomacy!

His obituary highlights his life's work in the State Department and his leadership and commitment to international educational and cultural exchanges which you can read at https://legcy.co/3bFffaP.

Great to see Heather Nauert, current acting Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs and Spokesperson for the United States Department of State, highlighting international exchanges and The Fulbright Program and stating we need more students from Mexico studying in the United States!

Great meeting w Mexican U/S of Education & students from @statedept exchange programs, incl @FulbrightPrgrm Impressive work btw US & Mex! We need more students from #mexico studying in US! pic.twitter.com/NStqKqlcSd

— Heather Nauert (@statedeptspox) October 19, 2018

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry Delivers a Video Message for the 75th Anniversary of Exchange Programs

Secretary of State John Kerry's remarks on 100,000 Strong in the Americas at the Department of State (January 17, 2014)

Full text and photos from the event are also available.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on the Impact that Violence in the United States has on Prospective International Students

Secretary of State John Kerry Highlights International Exchange Programs During his First Official Speech

In his first official speech at the University of Virginia on Wednesday, February 20th, Secretary of State John Kerry highlighted international exchanges and stated:

We value education, promoting programs like the Fulbright exchanges managed by the Department of State. They enable the most talented citizens to share their devotion to diplomacy and peace, their hopes, their friendships, and the belief that all of the Earth’s sons and daughters ought to have the opportunity to lift themselves up. Today these exchanges bring hundreds of thousands of students to America from other countries, and vice versa. In the last year alone, more than 10,000 citizens of foreign countries participated in the State Department’s academic, youth, professional and cultural exchange programs right here in Virginia. Virginians also studied abroad through State Department programs. Senator Fulbright, at whose hearings I had the privilege of testifying as a young veteran returning from Vietnam, he knew that the value of sharing our proudest values bore fruit in the long run, in the future. He said, “Having people who understand your thought,” he said, “is much greater security than another submarine.”

You can view his entire speech below and read the full text of his talk on the State Department website.

What Does John Kerry's Confirmation as U.S. Secretary of State mean for International Educational and Cultural Exchange?

Confirmed with a 94 to 3 vote, John Kerry will be sworn into office as the next Secretary of State of the United States on Friday, February 1, 2013.

Secretary Clinton was a strong advocate for international educational and cultural exchanges.  It will be interesting to see how he will lead (or not) in this area.

What are your thoughts?

For me, I feel he will be a champion of international education.

On February 1, 2001 (12 years to the day of his scheduled swearing in ceremnony) Senator Kerry introduced S.Con.Res.7 - Concurrent resolution expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should establish an international education policy to further national security, foreign policy, and economic competitiveness, promote mutual understanding and cooperation among nations, and for other purposes.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton remarks at launch of the 100,000 Strong Foundation

Text of her remarks available on the State Department website.

Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs enhances website and digital outreach

C-SPAN’s Washington Journal TV Highlights the State Department Role in International Education

Assistant Secretary of State Ann Stock and IIE president Allan Goodman were the guests on a live call in segment [46+ minutes in length] on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal TV and radio broadcast, taking questions from callers across America.

 

Budget Debate Advances on Hill for FY12 - NAFSA Highlights Key Priorities for International Education

In the midst of the debt ceiling negotiations here in the United States, the FY 12 budget debate is also heating up, and there is a lot at stake for higher education and international education. We've already seen the United States Department of Education cancel the Fulbright-Hays international research programs (if you are a U.S. citizen and would like to electronically sign a petition to Save Fulbright-Hays Programs you can do so here) due to budget cuts.  The Department of Education also cancelled the Title VI American Overseas Research Centers (AORC) program (and you can electronically sign a petition to Restore Funding to American Overseas Research Centers here) due to the same budget cuts.  And, just last week The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted to to eliminate The East-West Center.  According to the Chronicle, the legislation "would repeal a 1960 law that established the East-West Center, which allows American scholars, students, journalists, and government and business leaders to study, train, and conduct research with their counterparts from Asia and the Pacific. The nonprofit organization receives $21-million from the federal government and $10-million more from corporations, foundations, and other governments."


NAFSA: Association of International Educators is reporting today that CEO Marlene Johnson sent letters last week to key members of the House Appropriations Committee requesting their support in funding international activities in the Departments of State, Education and Commerce for FY 2012.  You can read Marlene Johnson's letters here.  NAFSA has also highlighted key international education priorities as the FY 2012 budget is debated in Washington, D.C. which you can read here.  If you haven't yet joined NAFSA's Connecting Our World at http://www.connectingourworld.org/ I strongly encourage you to do so and you can be a voice for international education.  There is more to Connecting Our World than just joining.  You must take action when necessary and NAFSA makes it so easy it will literally take 20 seconds of your day to let your elected officials in Washington know the importance of international education programming to the United States.


All of this really shouldn't be a surprise.  Back on October 28, 2010 I reported here on IHEC Blog that then Republican Senate Candidate for Pennsylvania Pat Toomey (now Senator Pat Toomey) had twice spoken on national media outlets as the November election neared about cutting funding and consolidating federal international educational exchange programs and funding (you can watch his interviews here).  We have still not fully recovered from one of the worst financial crises in the history of the United States and, to be sure, we need to make budget cuts across the board (including to international education programming) but it is critical that your voice be heard because you can imagine how Mr. Toomey will vote (and there are many more of his colleagues out there that feel the same about international education programs).


Across the Atlantic our friends over in Europe think a bit different about international exchange programs and according to EurActive.com "Europe's most celebrated student exchange programme is set to win a 71% funding increase under European Commission plans for the 2014-2020 budget, with education and training schemes now all regrouped under the Erasmus brand.  The education sector won the biggest percentage increase under the EU's long-term budget and is set to leap 71%, from €8.76 billion to €15.2 billion, for the period 2014-2020 under proposals submitted last week."


Photo credit:  Images_of_Money

Video Message to Students Planning to Study in the United States this Year by David Donahue, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services

Text of Mr. Donahue available here.

New "Smart Traveler" iPhone App by The U.S. Department of State

The United States Department of State has launched a new iPhone app called "Smart Traveler".  Following is the description of the app on the iTunes app store:  


"Smart Traveler, the official State Department app for U.S. travelers, invites you to see the world with easy access to frequently updated official country information, travel alerts, travel warnings, maps, U.S. embassy locations, and more.  With Smart Traveler, you can create personal itineraries, add notes, and organize your trips.  Smart Traveler also provides access to the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).  Free STEP enrollment enables the State Department to better assist you in emergencies such as natural disasters, unrest in foreign countries, or lost/stolen passports overseas.  During your travels, STEP can help your family and friends reach you in an emergency.  Smart Traveler also provides quick access to the Department's Consular Affairs Facebook and Twitter pages.  And for a bit of fun, you can shake your iPhone to information on a random country!"

You can learn more and download the app here.  This new app will not only be helpful to individual travelers but could be a very beneficial and helpful tool to study/education abroad administrators in dealing with a crisis abroad.

Judith McHale remarks at the The Exchange 2.0 Summit this morning

Following are the remarks by Judith A. McHale, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, at The Exchange 2.0 Summit hosted by the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C.: 




You can also read Secretary McHale's remarks here.

Celebration of the first year of the Consultation on People-to-People Exchange

This week the United States Department of State celebrated the achievements during the first year of the Consultation on People-to-People Exchange between the United States and China.  I wanted to post a bit about this this week but given my family move to a new house and no internet connection at home that has proved difficult.  I did want to post about the various videos and transcripts available for you to link to when you have some free time.


Video "Secretary Clinton Celebrates Achievements of U.S.-China Consultation on People-to-People Exchange" on DipNote.  Text of Secretary Clinton's remarks are available here.  (I'm trying to find a way to embed the video here in this post and will do so if I find a way)


Fact sheet on the U.S.-China CPE Cooperation on the 100,000 Strong Initiative





For me, what is really awesome about this video is that one of the Fulbright alumni featured in the video is a someone I advised on the Fulbright here at The University of Chicago (1:03 & 1:43 minute marks)!

Calling all Illinois Constituents! Follow-up the Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchange meeting with Sen. Kirk's Chicago office with a letter in support of exchanges!

I was invited to visit Senator Mark Kirk’s (R-IL) Chicago office last week as part of a small group of Illinois constituents to discuss the importance of Department of State exchange programs.  This meeting was coordinated by the Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchange in an effort to discuss the importance of these State Department programs with new members of the Senate State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee (which funds State Department exchange programs).  My part of the discussion with Senator Kirk’s Director of Constituent Services focused on the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.

The Alliance and the group who participated in the meeting are working to spread the word on this effort and request that Illinois constituents send letters to Senator Kirk as well as to Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) in support of international education and in particular State Department exchange programs.  The Alliance has already prepared an electronic letter which you can access here for you and all you need to do is enter your name and home address and your letter will be automatically sent to Senators Kirk and Durbin.

Many thanks in advance for your assistance with this important issue!


Photo credit:  studentofrhythm

Watch live today as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton launches "100 Women Initiative: Empowering Women and Girls Through International Exchanges"

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will launch the “100 Women Initiative: Empowering Women and Girls through International Exchanges” today (Monday, March 7) at approximately 1:45 p.m. Watch live on http://www.state.gov/.

Following the Secretary’s remarks, Counselor and Chief of Staff Cheryl Mills and Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer will participate in a conversation with the “100 Women” moderated by Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs Ann Stock.

Citation: March 4, 2011 U.S. State Department press release.

Photo credit: U.S. State Department

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: