Join the EducationUSA Pavilion at the NAFSA Conference in Kansas City

Have you ever been to the Exhibit Hall at National NAFSA conferences and were perhaps a
bit surprised to see that the Germans, Australians, Chinese, British, Brazilians, Spanish, and a host of other countries had massive sections of the hall devoted to their countries and their higher education institutions? 

Have you ever tried to arrange a place to have meetings with current or prospective exchange partner institutions abroad at NAFSA, having to settle at the last minute to meet under letter "C" on the message boards among the throngs of other lost souls looking for the same thing?

Is the country fair just too short of a time to meet our EducationUSA staff, REACs, and advisers?

Is your institution part of a state or regional consortia for international education (like Study Washington, Destination Indiana, or One Big Campus (in the Philadelphia area) that would like to have a space in the exhibit hall?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, EducationUSA has a practical option for you.  At the upcoming NAFSA Annual Conference in Kansas City, for the first time, EducationUSA will have its own pavilion.  We are offering on a first-come, first served basis the opportunity for regionally accredited U.S. colleges and universities as well as established state and regional international education consortia to reserve free of charge,1/2 day slots for table space within our pavilion to have meetings with potential or existing overseas partners, meeting with our advisers, and display your institution's literature.

These two options are available: 

1. reserving a half-day's time in our booth with a table and chairs for your institution/consortia
2. having your literature on display for visitors to the booth to collect.

Please email Marty Bennett, EducationUSA Marketing Coordinator, to the reserve space in our 1st EducationUSA Pavilion.

Keep Coming Back For More...

Since we rolled out our new EducationUSA website less than one month ago, we have seen a dramatic rise in the connections we are making with prospective students and members of the U.S. higher education community. Our Facebook fan page has jumped from under 800 fans to well over 1300 (an increase of over 63%) and the views on our YouTube channel have increased over 90% in that same time period. Additionally, we're averaging over 90,000 hits a day on our new site. We've also recently added our EdUSAtips Twitter feed to our Higher Education home page.


Today, we are announcing a new feature for accredited U.S. colleges and universities, as well professional association representatives. For those of you who have successfully requested a login to the secure section of the Higher Education site, you can now set preferences to inform you of developments (new stories, events, and resources) that involve EducationUSA and that are relevant for the U.S. college and university community. Much like Google Alerts or news digests that you can receive, once you have your login access you may set your "Preferences" to specify how you wish to receive news and updates on EducationUSA-related activities-as they happen, on a daily basis, or as a weekly digest.

In addition to indicating how you wish to receive updates about new content added to the News, Events, and Resources sections, you can also change your password using this Preferences screen. To access resources we make available for the U.S. higher education community, including past copies of the HEI eNews, conference presentations, and more, click on the "Resources" link on the top menu bar.


Please sign up now for your login access to take advantage of this new service!

2010 Campus Host Opportunities Request for Proposals (RFP) Now Available - deadline December 18, 2009

Has your institution ever wanted to host EducationUSA advisers on your campus? Now is your chance. The College Board receives a grant from the U.S. Department of State to conduct various U.S.-based professional development and training programs for our network of EducationUSA advisers. In 2010 there are four different opportunities to host our advisers.

Act now to host EducationUSA advisers in 2010!

The College Board has released the RFP for US institutions to apply to host advisers in the upcoming calendar year. More information and the proposal form itself are now available on our EducationUSA site.

• Option I Spring 2010 USBT Program (April 15-21) – Transportation, housing and meal per diem paid by grant funds; cost-sharing encouraged.


• Option II Fall 2010 USBT Program (October 31 – November 5) – Transportation, housing and meal per diem paid by grant funds; cost-sharing encouraged.


• Option III June 2010 post-NAFSA-conference campus tours (June 5-11, 2010 flexible dates) – Transportation to/from primary tour location covered; housing and meal per diem must be contributed by hosting institution(s) as cost-sharing.


• Option IV 2010 EducationUSA Explore program (August/September 2010) - Transportation covered; grant funds are available to cover some adviser/institution expenses; cost-sharing is encouraged.

Apply now!

New EducationUSA Website Opens New Doors for U.S. Higher Ed

Have you visited the new EducationUSA website yet? If you haven't and are having flashbacks to the old site--don't worry--you won't recognize the new site. To say it's a "complete overhaul" would not go far enough in describing the new site. Check out the video clip below that will introduce you to what's possible for our U.S. Higher Education colleagues.

Top 10 Reasons for U.S. Institutions To Visit the New EducationUSA Site:

10. Secure login access for accredited US institutions and higher education associations to more detailed information from our REACs and advising centers including most popular majors and a breakdown of center visitors (undergrad, grad, ESL/other);

9. Complete list of Scheduled Pre-Departure Orientations conducted by our centers to which institutions can refer their admitted students;

8. A comprehensive list of Higher Education Fairs in which our centers either participate or organize around the world;

7. A downloadable spreadsheet of mailing addresses for all centers, which items they can receive, and the maximum quantity of each item that can be sent to each center;

6. Links to our Social Media outlets on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and this blog;

5. Free advertising for any scholarships or academic program opportunites for international students through our Weekly Update which goes to every advising center;

4. Opportunity to request our new EducationUSA logo (via embed code) and descriptive paragraph for your international admissions website;

3. Sign-up for our Higher Education Institutions eNews;

2. A growing resource archive for U.S. institutions; and

1. Comprehensive information from our 14 REACs (regional educational advising coordinators) on Education Systems, Academic Calendars, Grading Scales, Country Statistics, Recent Trends, and Upcoming Events within their respective regions.

HEI E-News: International Education Week, Special Edition

Excerpts from the latest HEI e-News....

November 2009

Special IEW Edition

Celebrate International Education Week! November 16-20, 2009

International Education Week is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. This joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education promotes programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences in the United States.

Discover how EducationUSA Advisers are celebrating International Education Week and explore ways for your institution to get involved with EducationUSA activities. View the planned events around the world at the International Education Week 2009 website. Thank you for your support of International Education Week.

EducationUSA Launches New Website: Connect with EducationUSA!

EducationUSA debuts a newly redesigned website for students interested in studying in the U.S. and the U.S. higher education community on November 16, 2009. Social media-friendly and engaging sharing features have been added to the website to allow students to find and share information about studying in the U.S. with their friends and family through their favorite social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter and link to the EducationUSA YouTube channel.

The new website will also grant the U.S. higher education community private access to a wide array of resources such as advising center profiles, country educational information, and international student recruitment opportunities. Find more ways to connect with the EducationUSA network at www.educationusa.state.gov.

EducationUSA Dialogue: We want to hear from you!

More than 20 representatives from Washington, DC area higher education institutions and associations attended the first EducationUSA Dialogue held on November 10th at the George C. Marshall Conference Center at the U.S. Department of State. After a welcome from Office Director, Paul Hiemstra, and introductions facilitated by Branch Chief Caryn Danz, Program Officers offered an overview of the services currently provided by the EducationUSA network. The participants then worked in four groups, sharing their insights and ideas about international recruiting and trends in internationalization. Participants also offered suggestions for how EducationUSA might more efficiently or effectively assist the U.S. higher education community. This time for brainstorming concluded with participants needing more time for discussion and looking forward to another meeting or event.

The State Department welcomes your comments, too. If you have a suggestion for us, please email Diane Weisz Young, Program Officer.

Record Numbers of International Students in U.S. Higher Education

The Institute of International Education (IIE) released the highlights of the 2009 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange Monday, November 16 in a briefing at the National Press Club in Washington, DC with Under Secretary of State Judith McHale and Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter. The Open Doors Report is published annually by IIE with support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

International Students in the U.S. Open Doors 2009 reports that the total international student enrollment in U.S. higher education increased by 8% to an all-time high of 671,616 in the 2008/09 academic year. There was an even stronger increase -- of 16% -- in the number of “new” international students, those enrolled for the first time at a U.S. college or university in fall 2008. Open Doors 2009 reports increases in foreign student enrollments from seven of the ten leading places of origin, and 19 of the top 25, with increases of more than 20% from four countries. India remains the leading place of origin for the eighth consecutive year, increasing by 9% to 103,260. Students from China, once again the second leading sender, increased 21% for a total of 98,510.

U.S. Study Abroad

Open Doors 2009 reports that the number of Americans studying abroad increased by 8.5% to 262,416 in the 2007/08 academic year. This latest increase builds on decades of steady growth, with four times as many U.S. students participating in study abroad in 2007/08 than in 1987/88. And students are continuing to go to more diverse destinations.

On the following pages check out the data for the top sending countries from each region based on the 2009 Open Doors Report, plus comments on trends from the Regional Educational Advising Coordinators. For the complete 2009 Open Doors Report, please visit http://opendoors.iienetwork.org.

Get Noticed In the EducationUSA Weekly Update!

Send two paragraphs of content related to scholarships or new programs and reach 400 EducationUSA advising centers in 170 countries. The EducationUSA Weekly Update is

circulated worldwide. Go online to the Higher Education section of our new site to request a login, and then once your login has been approved, submit your new academic program information or scholarships/assistantships that are accessible to international students online to our Weekly Update team.

Host EducationUSA Advisers on your Campus

The following opportunities are available to accredited U.S. higher education institutions and specialized schools to interact with EducationUSA advisers:

• USBT: host 4-5 participants for one week during the Spring and Fall 2011 U.S. Based Training Program for EducationUSA Advisers (USBT) – in mid-April or in October/November (TBD). Multiple clusters of varied institutional types/missions (up to 5 institutions per cluster - must include graduate level); advisers represent different world regions and types of advising centers. Airfare, housing and meals for the advisers are included, along with modest reimbursement for cluster administrative expenses.
• Post-NAFSA campus tours: 3-6 days visiting multiple campuses after the 2010 NAFSA: Association of International Educators conference in Kansas City, MO. Post-NAFSA tours should budget to include local sources for housing, meals and in-state travel.

Full information and a campus Request for Proposal (RFP) will be posted at www.collegeboard.com/international. Please specify your program of interest by e-mail to the College Board.

EducationUSA at Regional NAFSAs this Fall

Each fall, a number of EducationUSA advisers, REACs (Regional Educational Advising Coordinators), and other members of the EducationUSA family span out across the US visiting a number of NAFSA regional conferences. This year is no exception with ten of the eleven regions seeing EducationUSA representation.

NAFSA regional conferences provide the opportunity for over 30 members of our EducationUSA family to interact with international education professionals.

NAFSA Region II Albuquerque, NM

• Ms. Doreen John, Malaysia, Fulbright Commission, Kuala Lumpur
• Mr. Martin Kanjadza, Malawi, U.S. Embassy, Lilongwe
• Ms. Seemi Khosa ,Pakistan, Fulbright Commission, Islamabad
• Ms. Liisi Lembinen ,Estonia, Tartu University, Tartu
• Ms. Carolina Tamara, Colombia, Centro Cultural Colombo Americano, Barranquilla
• Mr. Tim Wright Mexico, REAC Mexico, Central America & the Caribbean

NAFSA Region III Dallas TX

• Mr. Salim Said Al-Badi, Oman, AMIDEAST, Muscat
• Ms. Lucena R. Felipe, Philippines, Mariano Marcos State U., Batac, Ilocos Norte
• Mr. Bradley Gorski, Russia Country Coordinator, American Councils
• Ms. Martha Huaman, Peru, ICPNA, Lima
• Ms. Gunay Masimova, Azerbaijan, Education Information Center, Baku
• Ms. Seena Sunil, India, IAES/USIEF Satellite Center, Ahmedabad

NAFSA Region IV Rochester MN

• Mr. Wes Teter, Hungary, REAC Western and Central Europe

NAFSA Region V Milwaukee WI

• Ms. Diane Weisz Young, Washington DC, State Department, Program Officer for Africa
• Ms. Bernice Affotey, Ghana, U.S. Embassy, Accra
• Ms. Judith Dijks, Suriname, U.S. Embassy, Paramaribo
• Ms. Ariunaa Enkhtur, Mongolia, EARC Ulaanbaatar
• Ms. Amy McGoldrick, Turkey, REAC Turkey, the Balkans and Central Asia
• Mr. Arif Mujaddedi, Afghanistan, U.S. Embassy, Kabul
• Ms. Priyani Shah, Nepal, Fulbright Commission, Kathmandu
• Mr. Marty Bennett, Washington DC, EducationUSA Marketing Coordinator

NAFSA Region VI Cincinnati, OH

• Ms. Nichole Johnson, Washington DC, Director, REAC Services
• Mr. Hamza Dalhatu, Nigeria, EducationUSA adviser
• Mr. Adama Dieng, Senegal, EducationUSA adviser

NAFSA Region VII Knoxville TN

• Ms. Claudia Carrillo, Chile, ICN, Santiago
• Ms. Beth Franklin, Saudi Arabia, U.S. Embassy, Riyadh
• Ms. Lai-mei (Delai) Lee, Taiwan, AIEF-Taipei
• Ms. Clara Priester, South Africa, REAC Southern/Eastern Africa
• Mr. Daniel Ramos, Mexico, Inst. Cult. Mex. Norteamericano, Guadalajara
• Ms. Elena Tatarkova, Kyrgyzstan, Soros Foundation, Bishkek

NAFSA Region VIII Washington DC

• Mr. Marty Bennett, Washington DC, EducationUSA Marketing Coordinator
• Ms. Nichole Johnson, Washington DC, Director, REAC Services
• Ms. Dorothy Mora, Washington DC, State Department, Program Officer for Eurasia

NAFSA Region X & XI Springfield MA

• Mr. Marty Bennett, Washington DC, EducationUSA Marketing Coordinator
• Mr. Hamza Dalhatu, Nigeria, EducationUSA adviser
• Mr. Adama Dieng, Senegal, EducationUSA adviser

NAFSA Region XII San Diego, CA

• Ms. Nichole Johnson, Washington DC, Director, REAC Services

For our friends in the US higher education community we invite you to stop by and pick up a brand new packet of information for institutions to assist you in connecting with EducationUSA as you look for better ways to recruit international students to your campuses.

Happy & safe travels to you all.

Higher Education Institutions E-News Quarterly, September 2009

Mark this date: – November 16, 2009 – Updated EducationUSA website launch



As we move into a more collaborative, interactive online world of information sharing and networking, the mission of EducationUSA to connect U.S. higher education institutions to our advising centers and their students has never been more significant. To that end, at the start of International Education Week 2009, we will be re-launching the EducationUSA.state.gov website. User-friendly interfaces for students, accredited U.S. institutions, and the EducationUSA community as well as comprehensive information on advising centers and host country educational systems will be available on the updated site. Contact Marty Bennett and Gina Anderson, EducationUSA Marketing Coordinators, for details.





EducationUSA at Upcoming Conferences, October-November 2009



NAFSA Regional Conferences offer you the opportunity to meet with EducationUSA advisers and staff in a smaller, more intimate setting than the annual NAFSA national conference. Please make a point to meet our outstanding advisers to learn more about their countries and how you can partner with them.



The following EducationUSA representatives will be participating at the following conferences:



NAFSA Region II Albuquerque, NM

Ms. Doreen John Malaysia Fulbright Commission, Kuala Lumpur

Mr. Martin Kanjadza Malawi U.S. Embassy, Lilongwe

Ms. Seemi Khosa Pakistan Fulbright Commission, Islamabad

Ms. Liisi Lembinen Estonia Tartu University, Tartu

Ms. Carolina Tamara Colombia Centro Cultural Colombo Americano, Barranquilla

Mr. Tim Wright Mexico REAC Mexico, Central America & the Caribbean



NAFSA Region III Dallas TX

Mr. Salim Said Al-Badi Oman AMIDEAST, Muscat

Ms. Lucena R. Felipe Philippines Mariano Marcos State U., Batac, Ilocos Norte

Mr. Bradley Gorski Russia Country Coordinator, American Councils

Ms. Martha Huaman Peru ICPNA, Lima

Ms. Gunay Masimova Azerbaijan Education Information Center, Baku

Ms. Seena Sunil India IAES/USIEF Satellite Center, Ahmedabad



NAFSA Region IV Rochester MN

Mr. Wes Teter Hungary REAC Western and Central Europe



NAFSA Region V Milwaukee WI

Ms. Diane Weisz Young Washington DC State Department, Program Officer for Africa

Ms. Bernice Affotey Ghana U.S. Embassy, Accra

Ms. Judith Dijks Suriname U.S. Embassy, Paramaribo

Ms. Ariunaa Enkhtur Mongolia EARC Ulaanbaatar

Ms. Amy McGoldrick Turkey REAC Turkey, the Balkans and Central Asia

Mr. Arif Mujaddedi Afghanistan U.S. Embassy, Kabul

Ms. Priyani Shah Nepal Fulbright Commission, Kathmandu

Mr. Marty Bennett Washington DC EducationUSA Marketing Coordinator



NAFSA Region VI Lexington KY

Ms. Nichole Johnson Washington DC REAC Coordinator

Mr. Hamza Dalhatu Nigeria EducationUSA adviser

Mr. Adama Dieng Senegal EducationUSA adviser



NAFSA Region VII Knoxville TN

Ms. Claudia Carrillo Chile ICN, Santiago

Ms. Beth Franklin Saudi Arabia U.S. Embassy, Riyadh

Ms. Lai-mei (Delai) Lee Taiwan AIEF, Taipei

Ms. Clara Priester South Africa REAC Southern/Eastern Africa

Mr. Daniel Ramos Mexico Inst. Cult. Mex. Norteamericano, Guadalajara

Ms. Elena Tatarkova Kyrgyzstan Soros Foundation, Bishkek



NAFSA Region VIII Washington DC

Mr. Marty Bennett Washington DC EducationUSA Marketing Coordinator

Ms. Nichole Johnson Washington DC REAC Coordinator

Ms. Dorothy Mora Washington DC State Department, Program Officer for Eurasia



NAFSA Region X & XI Springfield MA

Mr. Marty Bennett Washington DC EducationUSA Marketing Coordinator

Ms. Dorothy Mora Washington DC State Department, Program Officer for Eurasia



NAFSA Region XII San Diego, CA

Ms. Nichole Johnson Washington DC REAC Coordinator



Council of International Schools Forum, Munich Germany

Ms. Rekha Kalle India REAC India

Ms. Amy Beausoleil China Country Coordinator, Beijing, China

Mr. Marty Bennett Washington DC EducationUSA Marketing Coordinator





International Education Week, November 16-20, 2009



First held in 2000, International Education Week is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. This joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education promotes programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences in the United States. The International Education Week 2009 website (iew.state.gov) includes promotional materials, interactive quizzes, and opportunities to post and view planned events around the world. In addition, the IEW Facebook page and group have been updated (www.facebook.com/internationaleducationweek). New this year, IEW also has a presence on ExchangesConnect (connect.state.gov). You can find a links to all our pages on the IEW 2009 website. We encourage all individuals and institutions interested in international education and exchange activities, including EducationUSA centers, schools, colleges and universities, embassies, international organizations, businesses, associations, and community organizations to participate in celebrating IEW 2009. If you have any questions or comments regarding IEW, please send them to feedback@state.gov. Thank you for your support of International Education Week.





EducationUSA Weekly Update



Another free benefit of partnering with EducationUSA is Weekly Update. This weekly email newsletter goes to all advisers in our network (in 170 countries). If your institution has scholarships that are available for international students and/or if you have new academic programs that may be of particular interest to an overseas audience, you can send an email with those details (a short paragraph with weblinks and email addresses for further information) to educationusa@state.gov. If there is a short video that describes these new programs or scholarships, we can embed those in the Weekly Update as well. We distribute the Weekly Update to all 450+ EducationUSA Advisers, many of whom forward it to their student contacts each week.





Financial Aid Awarded to International Students



The REAC for West and Central Africa has published the fifth edition of the EducationUSA Undergraduate Financial Aid Table, listing 886 four-year colleges and universities that are known to have awarded $10,000 or more in need- or merit-based funding to international students, including 352 that award more than $20,000. Students in EducationUSA centers around the world use this table as a guide in their selection of schools. If your institution awards more than $10,000 to individuals from outside the United States, please send your information to Nancy Keteku for inclusion in the next edition of the table.





EducationUSA Searchable Database Now Available Online



For those who attended the NAFSA Country Fair, you likely received a flash drive containing a searchable database of over 150 countries in which EducationUSA is represented. These country profiles contain contact information for all of our advising centers (with adviser email addresses) as well as the services each center provides for accredited U.S. institutions, some important statistical data on each country including the grading scales for both secondary and university education, and best times for visits to the country. Please email Marty Bennett, EducationUSA Marketing Coordinator, for more information about the online version of this database.





AFRICA



Scholarship Awards in Africa



EducationUSA Advisors worked harder than ever this year to help their students compete for admission with funding where needed. We are exceedingly proud to announce that students who use EducationUSA centers in Sub-Saharan Africa were awarded $16.5 million from U.S. colleges and universities this year. About 70% of these awards went to undergraduates, with the remainder going to graduate students. To those who made these awards possible, we send our thanks in hundreds of African languages.





MBA Tours in Africa



MBA Admissions representatives join forces to identify the next generation of African business talent: In late August, admissions officers from five leading U.S. MBA programs held information sessions, visited universities, and put on workshops for prospective MBAs in Lagos, Nigeria; Accra, Ghana; and Johannesburg, South Africa. The leading business schools most eager to enroll African students were: Tuck School of Business (Dartmouth College); Darden School of Business (University of Virginia); Wharton School of Business (University of Pennsylvania); Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University); and Chicago-Booth School of Business (University of Chicago). Following this sterling example, Columbia University’s School of Business has announced an African tour in late October. Traveling together in small groups with coordination from EducationUSA Advising Centers and local alumni has proved a highly successful and cost-effective way of meeting high quality students in Africa.





Council of International Schools (CIS) Africa Tour Returns in Late Fall



The CIS annual Africa tour will travel to ten cities in eight African countries in late October-early November. Admissions representatives from eight U.S. and four Canadian undergraduate institutions will visit Accra, Ghana; Lagos, Nigeria; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Nairobi and Mombasa, Kenya; Lusaka, Zambia; Harare, Zimbabwe; Johannesburg and Durban, South Africa. Other undergraduate admissions officers visiting Africa this fall include Vassar College, Tufts University, Harvard College, Yale College, University of Pennsylvania, and Bryant University. Again, coordination through EducationUSA Advising Centers is the secret of success for these visits.





Nigeria College Fairs in October



EducationUSA Advising Centers in Nigeria will hold their 12th annual College Fairs in early October – Lagos on October 6-7 and Abuja on October 8 - attracting thousands of Nigerian students and teachers to this very popular event.





Educational Advising Enhancements in Africa



Eighteen EducationUSA Advising Centers have received a total of $93,000 in funding under the Assist African Advising program, to implement projects in their centers ranging from equipment upgrades to outreach campaigns to English language teaching programs, all designed to enhance African students’ ability to gain admission to colleges and universities in the United States.





EAST ASIA/PACIFIC





Australia



EducationUSA advisers in Australia will conduct graduate information sessions in Cairns and Townsville on October 6 and 7. The programs will be hosted by James Cook University.



An international student U.S. pre-departure orientation will be held in Brisbane on October 8. The program will be hosted by Griffith University and is being supported by Queensland Education and Training International (QETI). The EducationUSA center at the U.S. Consulate General in Sydney will also host a Pre Departure Orientation on October 22.



For information on these and other events in Australia, contact Helen Reidy.





Indonesia: EducationUSA Reconnect-Plus admissions delegation to Indonesia

Application deadline: OCTOBER 7, 2009



Take advantage of a new opportunity for U.S. institutions to participate in U.S. Department of State-funded delegation to Indonesia during November 30-December 13 to visit EducationUSA advising centers and Indonesian secondary schools and universities. Participants will deliver information sessions and workshops for students, families and educators across Indonesia to explain the U.S. higher education admission process, academic programs and exchange initiatives. For the program description and application form please e-mail educationUSA@collegeboard.org to join this effort to increase US-Indonesian student mobility (must have experience with EducationUSA advising, preferably as campus host).





Japan



The Fulbright Japan EducationUSA center will conduct several Public Sessions in November, 2009 on a variety of topics, including:

- Graduate Admission in the U.S. (Nov.4)

- How my study abroad experience shaped my career (Nov.17)

- Liberal Arts Undergraduate Education in the U.S. (Nov.18).

EIS also welcomes individuals (or groups) to give presentations on specific topics regarding higher education in the U.S. For more information, please visit them online at www.fulbright.jp/eng/study/usservice.html

Korea



Fulbright Korea would like to announce the Association of Boarding Schools Fair scheduled for Tuesday, October 27 from 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM at the COEX InterContinental Hotel. For more information on this and other events, visit them online at www.fulbright.or.kr/en/usec/studyfairs.php



Taiwan



The Fulbright Taiwan EducationUSA advising center will host a public information session on U.S. Graduate Admissions on November 19, 2009. The session will be presented by Kristin Williams, Ed.D, Assistant Vice President for Graduate and Special Enrollment Management at The George Washington University. For more information on this and other upcoming events, please contact Mrs. Judy Chow.





EUROPE/EURASIA





1st Annual Volunteer College Fair in Ankara, Turkey, Oct. 6, at the Turkish-American Association in AnkaraAny alumna/us of a U.S. university is invited to participate in this fair and to share information about his/her alma mater with local high school students. It is not too late to sign up. If you have an alumna/alumnus of your college in Ankara, please encourage him/her to sign up to represent your university at this event. Participation is free. To register for this event, please contact EducationUSA advisor, Aylin Dewan.





EducationUSA Triennial Workshop in Prague, Czech Republic from March 21-25, 2010



Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to participate in the Europe/Eurasia Regional EducationUSA Triennial Workshop “From Reykjavik to Vladivostok” sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. The workshop will take place in Prague, Czech Republic from March 21-25th, 2010.

110 EducationUSA advisers representing over 40 countries in Europe and Eurasia will be attending this workshop. U.S. exhibitors will be able to promote their institutions during the student fair and sessions. A call for session proposals will be posted online and distributed in the coming weeks.

Contact EducationUSA Europe to receive more information and to join the mailing list: educationusa@iie.eu

Follow the EducationUSA EUR workshop on Facebook: www.facebook.com/educationUSA (Find the Triennial Workshop under events.)







Launch of the Croatian-American Foundation for Education and Training



The Institute for the Development of Education (IDE) in Croatia, a member of the EducationUSA network, is proud to announce the launch of the Croatian-American Foundation for Education and Training. The Foundation will provide masters-level graduate scholarships for highly qualified Croatian citizens who wish to study at U.S. universities. The Foundation is the product of a joint initiative between IDE as the founder and the U.S. Embassy in Zagreb and it will be governed in partnership with representatives of the Croatian government, the Croatian academic community and members of the American and Croatian business communities.



IDE looks forward to establishing linkages with specific graduate programs at U.S. universities in the near future and welcomes any partnership proposals related to the Foundation. For further information about IDE and contact details, please visit the web page: www.iro.hr.



Ana BudinFoundation Director, Zagreb, CroatiaT: +385 1 4555 151 / +385 1 4817 aabudin@haz.iro.hr / www.haz.iro.hr





Are you coming to the CIS Forum in Munich? Stop-by in Prague



Are you going to participate at the Council of International Schools (CIS) Forum that takes place in Munich, Germany, through November 16 – 17, 2009? You may consider an extension of your stay in Central Europe, visiting Prague, the beautiful capital of the Czech Republic, and celebrating International Education Week with prospective Czech students in the Advising Center of the Czech Fulbright Commission. If you are interested in this recruitment opportunity, please contact the Educational Advisor Jakub Tesar (tesar@fulbright.cz +420 222 718 452) and discuss your options in Prague.



Futurália 2010 - Educational Fair in Lisbon, Portugal: Your first stop in Europe!



The Fulbright Commission in Portugal and EducationUSA invite you to participate in the new EducationUSA Pavilion at the 2010 edition of Futurália – Youth, Education and Employment, an Educational Fair that will take place in March 10-13th. Participants: high school and university students; young graduates; teachers; parents; and education and learning experts. Futurália is expected to host 35,000 people in a major educational fair in Portugal.

Mark it on your calendar!

More information:Fulbright Commission – Portugal Phone: 351 217 611 130 Email: studyusa@ccla.pt

Best regards,

Ricardo Sequeira, Fulbright Information Center, Lisbon





Fulbright Center in Amsterdam – Outreach tour in the Netherlands



This fall the Fulbright Center in Amsterdam organizes an outreach tour throughout The Netherlands. We will organize 9 events and visit 8 cities during the months of September, October and November. The seminars will highlight undergraduate education in the U.S. and promote our Campus Scholarship Program. This program offers excellent Dutch high school graduates the opportunity to study in the U.S. for a year or a full degree. If U.S. institutions are interested in having Dutch students on campus, please contact the educational advisers of the Fulbright Center, Fabienne van den Bor (fvandenbor@fulbright.nl) or Erik van den Berg (e.vandenberg@fulbright.nl), for more information about student outreach opportunities.

Opportunities Arising in Slovenia



The EducationUSA center in Ljubljana was established in March, 2008. Its presence enables HEIs in the USA to be informed and use opportunities for promotion of programs in Slovenia and the region. In next few months, various fairs will take place in Slovenia. First will be the 10th Student Arena from October 13-15th. 20,000 people attended the event last year, primarily high school and undergraduate students, and it aimed to promote various opportunities for young people in the areas of education and learning, career and employment, science, sport and leisure. It will be followed by the 7th “Kariera” career fair on November 25th and 26th, visited last year by 14,000 young career-oriented people interested in employment or postgraduate education (MBA and other). In the beginning of 2010, on January 29th and 30th, a fair called “Informativa'10”, the largest education event in Slovenia, will take place. Each of the three fairs is organized by different organizers, but all offer free admission to students. HEI can participate for a fee as exhibitor, through lectures or advertisements. There are great opportunities to present your programs to specific target groups in Slovenia so we invite you to participate.



The EducationUSA center in Ljubljana will be present at two, if not all three, events to promote education in the USA. If you need more information on how to get involved please visit the above stated web sites or get in touch with us at EducationUSA@sklad-kadri.si. You can also contact us if you will not be able to attend but would like to be promoted through the EducationUSA center.





The Swedish SACO Fair: November 25th, 2009



The SACO fair in Malmö attracts about 6,000 students (mainly high school seniors). To make a bigger impact this year, EducationUSA @ Malmö Borgarskola is setting up a "Study in the USA- Island" where we will bring together as many U.S. institutions as possible. This will of course reduce the cost for you substantially. You will not have to pay any sign-up fee and the booth cost is reduced for you to approx. 500USD. If you are interested in participating (either yourself or alumni) contact us before October 23rd.

Andreas LejonEducationUSA Adviser and TeacherEducationUSA at Malmö Borgarskola andreas.lejon@pub.malmo.se +46-40-34 70 20





New EducationUSA advising centers in Ukraine and Georgia



We are very pleased to announce the opening of three new advising centers in Eurasia, serving regional populations of Ukraine and Georgia.



The Center for Promotion of International Education “Osvita”

Simferopol, Ukraine

Ms. Nelly Malii, Adviser, eacosvita@pop.cris.net



EducationUSA Advising Center, Crimean Engineering Pedagogical University

Simferopol, Ukraine

Nataliya Krasnobaya, Adviser, curly_nata@mail.ru

Center for International Education

Akhaltsikhe, Georgia

Tinatin Vardidze, Adviser, tvrosy@gmail.com

2009 – 2010 Education Fairs in Eurasia



If you have recruiters or alumni in the region, we would love to involve them in Education Fairs, and advisers can even distribute materials on behalf of your school if no representative can attend. Please contact the local EducationUSA advisers indicated for each fair for more information on how to get involved.



October 4, 2009

Rostov-na-Donu, Russia

Contact: Mr. Bradley Gorski, russiacoordinator@gmail.com

October 5-6, 2009

Kyiv, Ukraine

Contact: Ms. Victoria Mikhailenko, ieac@americancouncilskyiv.org.ua



October 7, 2009

St. Petersburg, Russia

Contact: Mr. Bradley Gorski, russiacoordinator@gmail.com

October 8, 2009

Moscow, Russia

Contact: Mr. Bradley Gorski, russiacoordinator@gmail.com

October 9, 2009

Tbilisi, Georgia

Contact: Ms. Tea Kuchukhidze, Kuchukhidze@state.gov

October 10, 2009

Baku, Azerbaijan

Contact: Ms. Bahar Haji-Zada, bhaji-zada@beic.az



October 23, 2009

Yerevan, Armenia

Contact: Ms. Gayane Grigorian, gayane@americancouncils.am



November 12-14, 2009

Moscow, Russia

Contact: Mr. Bradley Gorski, russiacoordinator@gmail.com

February 19-20, 2010

Yekaterinburg, Russia

Contact: Mr. Bradley Gorski, russiacoordinator@gmail.com

Funding Opportunities for study in the U.S. for students from Eurasia



Governments and local foundations in Eurasia are increasingly recognizing the value of an international education, and several new scholarship programs have been introduced in the region for study in the US. If you have interested students and applicants from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Tatarstan (in the Russian Federation) and Ukraine, please encourage them to contact their local EducationUSA advising center for more information these funding opportunities.



Azerbaijan



Azerbaijani Government Scholarship Program - scholarships for graduate studies at a select number of U.S. institutions. Funded by the Government of Azerbaijan. www.edu.gov.az



State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic Scholarship Program (SOCAR) –scholarships providing full funding to master’s degree students from Azerbaijan interested in pursuing a career in the oil and gas industry. www.socar.az/12-snews-view-en.html



Georgia



Democracy and Reform Fund – scholarships to master’s students in the fields of business, law, engineering, social sciences, humanities and medicine. Scholarships can cover full expenses, but preference is given to those who receive partial scholarships from universities. Funded by the Government of Georgia.



Russian Federation



Tatarstan Higher Education Fellowship Program – one-year fellowships for up to 50 undergraduate and graduate students to study at a U.S. university in the fields of agriculture, architecture (undergraduate only), arts & culture, business administration, chemistry, computer science/IT, economics, education, engineering, environmental management, journalism, physics, public health, social work, sociology, and urban planning. Funded by the Government of Tatarstan, a region within the Russian Federation, and administered by American Councils for International Education. http://www.americancouncils.org/program/3e/THEF/

Ukraine



WorldWideStudies – grants to cover university tuition and fees, study materials and health insurance (up to $50,000) for masters programs in the fields of agriculture, environmental studies/ecology, law (LLM) and public administration. Funded by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation. worldwidestudies.org/en



Belarus, Russian Federation and Ukraine



Opportunity – provides support to talented international students of limited financial means who cannot afford the expenses of applying to accredited U.S. higher education institutions for degree-granting programs (undergraduate and graduate). May cover up-front expenses including, but not limited to: standardized testing fees; application fees and international postage; translations and certifications of academic transcripts; visa and SEVIS fees; transportation to the U.S. for enrollment; settling-in allowance for initial costs of living in the US. Information and applications available from EducationUSA advising centers. Funded by the U.S. Department of State. educationUSA.state.gov





MIDDLE EAST and NORTH AFRICA



Tours in the region



· The Linden tour will travel to six Middle Eastern countries from October 13-25th. The group will visit Dubai, UAE; Muscat, Oman; Doha, Qatar; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Kuwait City, Kuwait; Amman, Jordan. www.lindentours.com

· The USEG tour will travel to nine cities in seven Middle Eastern countries from October 27th through November 11th. U.S. university representatives will visit Beirut, Lebanon; Amman, Jordan; Aqaba, Jordan; Manama, Bahrain; Dammam, Saudi Arabia; Doha, Qatar; Kuwait City, Kuwait; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and Dubai, UAE.

· EducationUSA Advising Centers in Cairo and Alexandria hold their annual College Fair in mid October, attracting hundreds of Egyptian students and teachers to this very popular event.





Competitive College Club students headed to the United States this fall



EducationUSA Advisors worked harder than ever this year to help their students compete for admission with funding where needed. Nine Competitive College Club students and 6 Opportunity Grant students are in the U.S. Thank you to all of the universities who believed in our students!



The Competitive College Club works with exceptionally bright students- both students who do and do not need financial assistance. CCC is open to students in grades 9-12 who are in the top 10 percent of their class. Students come to bi-monthly meetings, participate in community service projects and go through an intensive advising process with EducationUSA trained advisors. The club is free and also open to athletes and musicians looking to study in the US. Any schools with competitive scholarship programs who would like to do a video conference with the CCC students are invited to contact the REAC, Kristen Cammarata reackmc@gmail.com





Information on Iraqi Scholarships



Message from the Higher Committee for Education Development in Iraq (HCED)



Dear Colleagues,



I am pleased to inform you that the Iraq Education Initiative is well on its way to becoming a reality. We have opened our new offices in Baghdad, staff has begun work, and applications are flooding in. We already have well over 3,000 applications in hand. Our website is up and running at: www.hcediraq.org



The first 150 scholarships will be allocated automatically to the top 100 high school graduates across Iraq and to the top 50 technical college graduates. We hope to award an additional 400-500 scholarships this year for both graduate and undergraduate study in the United States and in the UK.



While we are off to a slower start than we had hoped, we will work hard to ensure that as many students as possible begin their programs this fall. Quite a few universities have indicated to us great flexibility with regard to arrival dates, since nearly all students will enroll in intensive English courses at first.



For those interested in becoming members of the American Universities Iraq Consortium, the Academy for Educational Development (AED) is coordinating registration on their website at www.cap.aed.org



We are looking for university partners who:



• provide ESL either on or near their campuses (or have an arrangement that will pipeline students into their academic programs),

• can issue DS-2019s from the start so that students travel on J visas only,

• ideally, offer provisional admissions and accept international students without the SAT requirement.



In addition, consortium members will:



- Assign an admissions liaison to serve as point contact for the HCED and coordinate the admissions process for all academic degree programs at the institution.

- Accelerate the admissions process for Iraqi students, including providing provisional admissions to Iraqi students who meet pre-determined admissions requirements.



We will place the first cohort of students with as many of the founding members of the consortium as possible, but actual placements will depend on majors, places and degree levels available and the needs of the program this year.



We anticipate a much larger program next year and will welcome participation from as many accredited programs and higher education institutions as possible.



Please stay tuned for further developments.



Best regards,



Zuhair Humadi, PhD

Executive Director

Higher Committee for Education Development in Iraq (HCED)





SOUTH and CENTRAL ASIA



Afghanistan: Kabul EducationUSA Advising Center (KEAC) Forms First Competitive College Club



Recently, the EducationUSA advising center in Kabul formed a student group which principally focuses on admission applications and standardized tests. The advising center invited about 60 students to join the club, but the club ended up with 18 committed students. The goal ultimately is to provide assistance to those who are interested in pursuing their college education in the United States. This initiative gives a remarkable opportunity to prepare the students for higher education in the United States. To encourage students and offer them even more of an incentive to pursue their academic goals, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul paid for the TOEFL test fees for the club participants. The EducationUSA advisor in Kabul meets with the club members on a regular basis to monitor their progress and challenges.





India: EducationUSA invites participation in International Education Week celebrations



EducationUSA, Kolkata, India will be organizing “Study America Fest” during International Education Week from November 16-18, 2009. The fest will comprise group sessions on U.S. admissions and applications procedures, individual counseling by EducationUSA staff, and student visa sessions by Consular staff. U.S. universities and colleges are invited to participate in this event. If you are visiting India and would be willing to conduct a special session on applications or any other related topic, please contact Sudarshan Saha. You may also send us posters, promotional materials, literature and other takeaways which will be freely distributed. Around 300-400 students participate in this event each year. "America Quiz" will also be conducted by the Public Affairs Office and American Library as part of the celebrations.





Kazakhstan



2009 International Education Fair, Aktobe, Kazakhstan, Oct. 28-29, 2009

Kazakhstan is a rapidly developing economy, with a population of 15 million people, located south of Russia and north-west of China. Over 16 years of independence, Kazakhstan has secured a leading position in terms of economic growth among all 15 former Soviet republics. Educating the next generation of Kazakhstani youth has been one of the key priorities of the Kazakh government since the country became independent in 1991. The “Bolashak” Presidential Scholarship Program (approx. 1,000 scholarship holders every year) and the policy of trilingualism (promotion of Kazakh, Russian and English) are making Kazakhstan a favorable place to market your educational services and attract brilliant students with solid high school and university background.Who are we? The AKEAC (Aktobe Educational Advising Center) is a member of the worldwide network of U.S. State Department-affiliated EducationUSA advising centers. AKEAC personnel are highly qualified professionals in the sphere of overseas education and are NAFSA: Association of International Educators members. We help people find a way for professional and academic improvement and provide a variety of services and products related to education overseas and English language studies. Our target group is Kazakhstanis of various ages from Aktobe Region and Western Kazakhstan. We use our knowledge and experience in administering educational services and in educational advising and provide up-to-date information and expertise. For more information, please visit www.akeac.org

Who attends?

• High school students aged 15-17

• College and university students aged 18-21

• Teachers, practitioners, scholars, and researchers

Why attend?

• Explore a new market

• Directly recruit new students

• Establish long-term business partnership

If you are on the Bolashak list, you will meet potential Bolashak recipients who may choose your institution (learn more about Bolashak at www.edu-cip.kz). For more information, please contact info@akeac.org.





10th Annual International Education Fair, October 24, 12pm-5pm, Almaty, Kazakhstan



The fair will be held at the Hyatt hotel and hosted by the Educational Advising Center BILIM-Central Asia. The fair offers great opportunities for colleges and universities, international educational agencies, foreign embassies, and other participating organizations to recruit talented students from Kazakhstan. It is not too late to register. For more information, please contact Gulnaz Issakhanova. More information is also available on Bilim's website: www.bilim.kz.





Kyrgyzstan: Request for US University Videos



The EducationUSA center in Naryn, Kyrgyzstan (the Naryn Educational Advising Center) requests DVDs from U.S. universities. Visitors to the Naryn EducationUSA center enjoy watching videos of U.S. campuses at the center. The videos are also useful during outreach events and the annual education fair. The videos should be sent in either DVD or CD format. If you have a video of your campus that you would like to send to Naryn, please contact Nazira Kaseeva by email at naryn.edu.center@gmail.com for the center mailing address.





Pakistan: USEFP Education Fair October 2009



The United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) will hold a college fair on its premises in Islamabad on October 17, 2009. This is part of our ongoing effort to give U.S. universities a ‘face’ in Pakistan even though admission officials rarely visit this country. USEFP has requested universities and colleges to request one or more of their alumni in Pakistan to come to the USEFP and represent their alma maters. This event is meant to attract Pakistani students to meet the ‘face’ of U.S. universities and to enable them to speak face-to-face with a fellow Pakistani who has had personal experience with the institution and life in the United States. Other major college fairs are held in Pakistan each year which include dozens of universities from all over the world, yet not a single one from the U.S. It’s no wonder why Pakistani student numbers have dropped so drastically. USEFP held this education fair last year, and it was very well received. U.S. alumni in Pakistan need only commit about four hours to represent their institutions on October 17th! There is no charge for participation.





WESTERN HEMISPHERE





Western Hemisphere EducationUSA Adviser Training Program – This week in el D.F.



The Western Hemisphere EducationUSA Adviser Training Program is taking place this week, September 28th through October 2nd in Mexico City. This U.S. State Department-sponsored program is bringing together over 100 advisers from the network of EducationUSA advising centers in Latin America and the Caribbean as well as representatives of over 50 U.S. higher education institutions.



Fall 2009 Caribbean College Fairs



The College Fair organizers in the Caribbean are pleased to remind you of the dates for the fall 2009 Caribbean College Fairs, which begins in Aruba on October 16th and ends in the Bahamas on November 20th. To register your institution to participate in one or all of these fairs, please contact the fair organizer in each country. You can find contact information and specific dates by visiting www.educationusa.state.gov Find Your Advising Center > Recruiting Fair Schedule





We are pleased to offer this newsletter as a way to keep accredited higher education institutions informed about what is happening in our network. To register for the Higher Education Institution listserv (email group) please send an email to educationUSA@state.gov along with your name and position, and the name of your college or university.

EducationUSA Advisers Conferences, Workshops & Programs

Later this month over 100 EducationUSA advisers will converge on Mexico City for the Western Hemishphere triennial regional advising conference. Of the many remarkable things about this event is that this year, there will be over 50 US higher education community members in attendance.

Though the event is billed as an Adviser Training Program, as many sessions are geared toward updating advisers' skills and knowledge base, the week-long agenda also includes several opportunities for the US higher education community to present with or to advisers, as well as numerous meals and more social events at which institutional reps and advisers get to know each other. The importance of relationships in the international education world cannot be underestimated, and I won't belabor the point here. What I will say is that in this increasingly competitive global marketplace we find ourselves in, at EducationUSA we recognize that while our advisers work every day with students in the 170 countries we operate, in order for us to be truly successful in our mission, we must also reach out to our US colleagues that are eager to enroll these students.

We are making concerted efforts to encourage US college and university representatives to attend these regional conferences (as well as other events where EducationUSA is represented) now and in the future. In addition to the opportunity to interact with advisers from through Latin America and the Caribbean, we have arranged (through our good friend, Juan Camilo Tamayo at Lynn University, a series of international & national school visits on one day of the conference when advisers will have specific sessions focused on center needs. Mucho gracia, Camilo!

Though the deadline has passed for the upcoming WHA conference, we invite you to save the dates of March 21-25, 2010 in Prague, for the Europe/Eurasia Triennial Workshop where more than 100 advisers will also be present. Additionally in 2010, there will be the African EducationUSA Advisers Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa in September (dates tba).

We hope to see you in the coming months both at home and abroad!

Facebook and EducationUSA: An Update

Facebook is the driving force in social media today. Four or five years ago many thought of this fledgling social network as just a fad, limited to college campuses in the US. Today, the number of users on Facebook worldwide (as of this blog post: over 262 million) would make it the 4th largest country in the world, only 38 million or so behind the US. Keep in mind that 70% of all Facebook users are outside the US. This is where my US international admissions colleagues really have an opportunity to break ground.

While there are certainly a multitude of types of social media (from microblogs, to blogs, to photo/video sharing sites, to newsfeeds, and many more) out there to use, the big dog they are all looking to is Facebook. I've covered some of the other options and avenues to reach out using social media in other past (and future) posts, but today, let's focus on the current state of affairs with regards to the use of Facebook.

At present, 38 countries worldwide have more than 1 million Facebook users:

1. United States 79,808,380
2. United Kingdom 19,042,180
3. Turkey 12,834,260
4. Canada 12,091,440
5. France 11,654,520
6. Italy 10,598,540
7. Indonesia 8,358,660
8. Australia 6,293,200
9. Spain 6,251,860
10. Argentina 5,996,380
11. Colombia 5,934,060
12. Chile 5,178,360
13. Mexico 4,505,500
14. Philippines 4,477,400
15. India 3,959,980
16. Venezuela 3,943,660
17. Germany 3,725,060
18. Malaysia 2,549,180
19. Belgium 2,430,020
20. Sweden 2,397,560
21. Hong Kong 2,192,800
22. Denmark 2,059,480
23. Norway 2,058,300
24. Taiwan 1,950,680
25. South Africa 1,870,900
26. Greece 1,796,400
27. Egypt 1,786,500
28. Israel 1,669,160
29. Switzerland 1,557,480
30. Singapore 1,533,040
31. Brazil 1,439,080
32. Czech Republic 1,298,140
33. Netherlands 1,260,140
34. Finland 1,195,040
35. Peru 1,107,140
36. Thailand 1,077,140
37. Serbia 1,041,840
38. New Zealand 1,030,060

All of these stats can be found on http://www.checkfacebook.com/ which also provides data on the fastest growing countries and a demographic breakdown by age group of each countries population. In almost every country, 50% or more of the Facebook users, are in the 14-24 year old range, i.e. prime college material.

Many domestic admissions offices in the US have been increasingly using social media: YouTube channels, iTunes podcasts, student blogs, and webchats, and also social networks like Facebook to recruit and/or convince to enroll at their respective institutions. But I ask today, how many of you are using these tools explicitly to attract international audiences?

We have realized at EducationUSA that we need to "live" where our student advisees live. And in so many (not all, mind you) countries that place they live most is online, and increasingly online on their mobile phones/devices. Even in some of the most remote countries on earth, mobile phones are must-haves. In fact, in many developing countries families go from no phone at all to having a mobile phone (and no land line).

Specifically as it relates to Facebook, we have made a concerted effort to encourage and train our advising centers to set up and use center profiles, groups and fan pages to reach out not only to their student advisees, but also to help connect those advisees to former students who are now in the US, and probably living on Facebook. We have created an EducationUSA page which we invite you "become a fan." This page serves a multitude of audiences but can connect you with our advisers and their Facebook profiles, groups and fan pages as well.

I invite you to check out the "Info" tab on the Fan page to see a list with hyperlinks to the growing presence of EducationUSA on Facebook--17 center profiles, 22 groups, and 26 fan pages from centers around the world. This list is updated fairly regularly so bookmark the page and come back often.

We encourage our colleagues in international admissions to set up their own Facebook fan pages and/or groups specifcally for international students looking to get connected with your institution. For more ways to connect with our EducationUSA centers as you recruit internationally, please contact me for details.

Six Must Have Links for International Admissions Folks Using Social Media

Let's face it, technology is advancing faster than we can possibly have imagined when we first entered international education as a field. The rise of social media and increasingly mobile social media tools are fundamentally changing the way prospective international students live their lives. These lives are lived online. Are you active where they live? Personally, a large part of my world these days is spent researching social media tools updating US institutions and our EducationUSA advising centers on how some of these can be applied to our common goals to bring/send more international students to the US for higher education.

To help provide my colleagues in higher education with my top 6 must-have links/resources for understanding, tracking some of the key trends and applications of the social media world I submit to you the following:

1. Mashable.com The gold standard for all things social media--many guides on how to use different tools.


2. http://www.checkfacebook.com/ If you're not on Facebook or think it's going away anytime soon, think again--70% of the nearly 270 million users are outside the US. This site will allow you to see the demographics by top country, fastest growing countries on a weekly basis, and individual country age breakdown of users. Great data!


3. DIOSA Communications This company does regular reasonably priced webinars on using social media in higher education, but also has some worthy blog and video posts on the usefulness of these tools.


4. http://www.statmats.com/ These folks do quite a bit of research on use of social media in higher education. They also have a free white paper on "THE FIVE FUNDAMENTAL STEPS
   FOR DEVELOPING A POWERFUL SOCIAL NETWORKING STRATEGY FOR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES."


5. Rachel Reuben -- http://www.doteduguru.com/ -- Rachel is a leader in the higher education field for using social media in marketing and communications. Great resources from following her, very active on Twitter.


6. http://www.nickburcher.com/ Nick is based in the UK, and is on top of examples of how businesses are using various social media tools. Nick occasionally does Facebook demographic updates as well.

Hopefully, by following these few folks/sites (and me!) the murky waters may become a bit clearer, and a path for your institution's approach to using social media in international admissions better defined.

I certainly invite others to make comments and suggestions as to other sites to include as my list is not exhaustive. Happy hunting!

Transitions in Life: Assisting International Students

In each of our lives there have come times when we have all had to up stakes and move to pastures new. Whether that be growing up in different cities around the country (or the world), leaving home for college, or getting that first job after graduation, we've all endured transitions in our lives that can bring with them a range of emotional, physical, and psychological issues. Perhaps no transition where an individual has a choice in the matter is as daunting as moving from one country to another to pursue a dream.

This is the challenge international students face when they commit to studying abroad in the US. As much as international admissions and student services offices try, it is next to impossible to anticipate and understand all the individual circumstances of their new students arriving on campus in the next few weeks. I know from experience, at previous institutions I have worked for, we would send a series of messages to our admitted students starting in April or May through early August. These emails would make our incoming class aware of some of the relevant issues they needed to keep in mind as they prepared to come to our campus. We would send out messages about their visa interview, what to bring/wear, arrival instructions, housing information, orientation schedules, health insurance, weather, student associations on campus, friendship families, and others. These were what we thought were essential elements that would help students prepare for their transition to our campus.

These kind of communications are vital not only to prepare your incoming class for your campus environment, but also to convince these new students that you can and will be well-placed to take care of their needs. All that being said, can all US institutions say that they can anticipate the needs of students from all the various countries they receive students from each year? Probably not. EducationUSA wants to partner with your institution in this process. EducationUSA centers around the world provide pre-departure orientations for their students traveling to the US for studies. These sessions help new students physically, mentally & emotionally prepare themselves for the journey on which they are about to embark. What better way to complement the information you provide to your incoming students, than to refer them to the local EducationUSA center in their city/region for a pre-departure orientation that is specific to the needs of students from that country. The better prepared your students are for what they will face on their long journeys to your campuses and the transitions they need to make, insha'allah, the happier they will be once they arrive.

Good luck to you all in the coming month or so as you await the arrival of your incoming classes. Please, as you move forward with plans for the next recruitment cycle to include EducationUSA as a resource for your prospective students, on the ground in 170 countries. For ways in which you can connect EducationUSA with your prospective students, email me for details. Till next time...

The Value of Relationships and Face-to-Face Interactions

In looking back on the last few months of hyperactivity surrounding EducationUSA, particularly with all our Social Media outreach, I need to pause and reflect on why I love what I do. The people I've met, the relationships I've developed, the places I've been make my "work" a real passion. If you've connected with a guidance counselor, an EducationUSA adviser, a colleague from a partner institution, or even parents and students abroad, don't you want those relationships to grow and thrive? Take this picture for example. Prior to the recent NAFSA Conference in LA, over 150 EducationUSA advisers gathered for a 25th anniversary gala along with US institutional representatives who had hosted these advisers over the course of the last quarter century. These relationships that were formed 2 years, 5, 10, or 20+ years ago have grown stronger over time because they began between two people.

Having been at an institution that before I joined had precious few partner relationships around the world that were healthy and producing regular flows of students. I know how difficult and time consuming these relationships are to develop properly. What I can say, without reservation, that the best form of recruitment is working with your contacts overseas. Whether it be alumni in far flung corners of the world, a guidance counselor at a school whom you met at an OACAC conference, parents of current international students, or EducationUSA advisers in countries where you are looking for help, nothing spreads the good word about your institution better than those who have gotten to know you and/or your college and can speak informatively about the benefits of attending.

Some lucky few institutions, of course, can go a long way internationally on their reputations & rankings, but even the best universities will say it doesn't take long to ruin a good run of form, with a relationship gone south with an important alum, or an unfortunate incident on campus that wasn't handled well. In every case, institutional changes in leadership of international offices up to the presidents' offices make it difficult for even the most gifted and able to maintain all international relationships at their desired levels. What I can say, from 15 years of experience on the university side of international education, my most consistent and fruitful professional relationships have come with individuals in whom I invested time, institutional and personal resources to grow.

In today's fast-paced, high tech world we can often lose sight of what really matters in the long term--the people we meet and touch, the opportunities we make for ourselves, our friends and family, as well as in our work with the relationships we build. The great news here is that keeping up those relationships has become easier with the tools we have at our fingertips. Whether we choose to use them or not to advance our relationships is the question of the day.

Lately, I have seen a disturbing trend in higher education whereby international student enrollments are seen as cash cows. Institutions that set about on a campus internationalization plan who see only dollars signs when they consider expanding international student enrollment flows are missing the point. I won't spend time going on about the lasting & relational benefit of international students' presence on US campuses. I only refer you to the long list of world leaders who were educated in the US--International Students Yesterday, Foreign Leaders Today

We know that post-9/11 the US took a big relational hit globally as to how others viewed our country, in particular how they viewed our government. Of course, we're all aware of how those changes, coupled with the implementation of SEVIS, complicated our lives immeasurably in international education. But what is significant is that we know the way back--it's not easy, and will take time, but it is absolutely essential we take those steps to rebuild. From the top down, the folks in Washington began a long path back to reclaiming our good standing in the world. This administration has made use of technology a key component in the PR battle in which we are all playing a role.


In moving forward with EducationUSA's outreach to our two main audiences -- the US higher education community and prospective international students around the world -- we know we need to become more visible in what we do and where we go. We need to be connecting with more college and university representatives, and creating more opportunities for students abroad to connect with our advising centers, and with our US colleagues. As it relates to US higher education folks--we want to meet you! Please connect with us at upcoming conferences. You can always find these events on our Facebook EducationUSA Fan page. Coming soon, we'll have over a dozen EducationUSA people at OACAC at Chapman University in Orange, CA (July 16-19). We'll also be hosting 3 EducationUSA Regional Advising Conferences in Mexico City (Sept. 28-Oct 2), Prague (March 21-26, 2010), and in Africa (date & location tba in 2010). These regional conferences are where US institutions can get the most bang for their buck--over 100 advisers will be at the Mexico City & Prague conference. IMPORTANT NOTE: Registration for the Western Hemisphere EducationUSA conference in Mexico City closes on July 31. EducationUSA will also have a presence at most all of the regional NAFSA conferences this fall as well.

Please join us at these upcoming events, and of course, when and if you do visit the 170+ countries where EducationUSA has centers, please visit. Here's to seeing each other face-to-face in the coming months.