Alliance

Alliance for International Education and Cultural Exchange

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“The millions of people who have studied in the United States over the years constitute a remarkable reservoir of goodwill for our country, perhaps our most underrated foreign policy asset. To educate international students is to have an opportunity to shape the future leaders who will guide the political and economic development of their countries. Such students gain an in-depth exposure to American values and to our successful multicultural democracy, and they take those values back home to support democracy and market economies.”

“If American students are to be able to function effectively in the world into which they will graduate, it must become the routine.not the exception.for them to study abroad in high quality programs. For that to happen, the United States requires a policy to promote global learning.a policy that recognizes that providing Americans with opportunities to acquire the skills, attitudes, and perceptions that allow them to be globally and cross-culturally competent is central to U.S. security and economic interests in the twenty-first century.”

(Joint statement with NAFSA)

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Ayala, Jesus
BA in Political Science and American Studies, minor in Ethnic Studies
University of California, Berkley

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“I chose to study at Complutense University because of the diverse opportunities it offered in both politics and communications. When I enrolled at UC Berkeley I immediately gravitated towards political science. As a first year student my mind was captivated by world politics and the intricacies of global interactions. Yet, I was disappointed with the fact that my university did not offer journalism studies at the undergraduate level and I did not understand the role that journalists play in our society. As in my case, some foreign universities may provide academic opportunities that your home university may not offer. I was first introduced to journalism while in Madrid and in the last few years my passion for Journalism has only grown. My study abroad experience directly shaped my decision to pursue graduate studies in journalism.”

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Ayala, Ofelia
Parent of study abroad student

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“Studying in a new environment has enriched my son’s academic studies. Knowledgeable professors exposed him to new views, while a diverse student body introduced him to different customs. Ultimately, he has been able to mature and become a more responsible and self-reliant individual.”

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Bush, George W.
Former U.S. President
United States

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"I call on schools, teachers, students, parents, and community leaders to promote understanding of our nations and cultures by encouraging our young people to participate in activities that increase their knowledge of and appreciation for global issues, languages, history, geography, literature, and the arts of other countries."

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FitzSimons, Katherine C.
Graduate Student, B.A. Spanish, Journalism
University of Southern California

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"In short, my study abroad experience afforded me the opportunity to learn as much outside of the classroom as in it. There is nothing better than learning something out of a textbook, and then going out and seeing the very thing about which you have been learning. Study abroad enhances your academic experience because you live what you are learning. This type of immersion proves to be one of the best ways to learn, and to forever remember and retain what you have learned."

"I felt as though I was living history. The interactive learning experience of visiting historical and cultural places about which you have studied really helped immerse me in Spanish culture. Just by exploring these historic sites, I felt better educated, and more cultured. I understood and was in-tune with Spanish culture-a culture into which I was trying to assimilate during my months abroad."

"Travel makes up a large part of study abroad, as it opens one up to new places, people and ideas. Travel is the adventure part of study abroad, where what you learn in the classroom comes to life and is put into practice. Travel also requires adaptation and tolerance; one must not only adapt to foreign environments, lifestyles, and customs, but also tolerate those encountered differences and work toward seeing them in a more positive light."

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Goodman, Allan E.
President and CEO
Institute of International Education

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"Academic freedoms are among the most basic of our liberties, and it is important that we remain able to share these freedoms with the rest of the world. Those who come from societies that are less open and democratic gain a tremendous appreciation for the freedom that they experience here, and help us to better appreciate values that are often taken for granted."

(Joint statement with Henry Kaufman)

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“To change this outlook in the successor generation, we need to change what we define as an educated person to include study outside America not as a luxury or an option but as a core requirement. The scholarship programs like the Fulbright, Rhodes, Marshall, and now Gilman, that promote the exchange of people and ideas are thus the leading edge of a paradigm shift that will have an even greater impact in this century than they did in the last. Perhaps more than anything else they hold the key to whether or not the generation of Americans we are now educating will prosper in an age when the most critical success factor for countries as well as companies are people whose minds are open to the world.”

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"Study abroad is no longer a luxury for only a privileged few…It is imperative that U.S. students study overseas as a way to prepare themselves to work and compete in the world market. I commend the many U.S. campuses that are putting international education at the center of their institutional mission. The most critical factor for the success of nations in the new millennium will be a population whose minds are open to the world."

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Kaufman, Henry
Former Chairman of the Board of Trustees
Institute of International Education

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"Academic freedoms are among the most basic of our liberties, and it is important that we remain able to share these freedoms with the rest of the world. Those who come from societies that are less open and democratic gain a tremendous appreciation for the freedom that they experience here, and help us to better appreciate values that are often taken for granted."

(Joint statement with Allan E. Goodman)

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Mossbarger, Miriam
Undergraduate Student, International Relations, minor Graphic Arts
University of Southern California

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One thing about studying in another country is that I was exposed to teaching styles and philosophies that differed, either slightly or dramatically, from what is standard at home – a characteristic which I found to be one of the most refreshing and challenging aspects of the course. After all, the point of study abroad for me was to open my mind to greater possibilities of thought and action than I would have experienced at home. I don’t know how other countries structure their education, but in Wales, and the U.K. in general, there is a lot of emphasis placed on independent learning and self-motivated study. Although it took a bit of getting used to I found that I felt more intellectually uninhibited because I was encouraged to research on my own and read up on subjects and issues that interested me personally.

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NAFSA

Association of International Educators

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“The millions of people who have studied in the United States over the years constitute a remarkable reservoir of goodwill for our country, perhaps our most underrated foreign policy asset. To educate international students is to have an opportunity to shape the future leaders who will guide the political and economic development of their countries. Such students gain an in-depth exposure to American values and to our successful multicultural democracy, and they take those values back home to support democracy and market economies.”

“If American students are to be able to function effectively in the world into which they will graduate, it must become the routine.not the exception.for them to study abroad in high quality programs. For that to happen, the United States requires a policy to promote global learning.a policy that recognizes that providing Americans with opportunities to acquire the skills, attitudes, and perceptions that allow them to be globally and cross-culturally competent is central to U.S. security and economic interests in the twenty-first century.”

(Joint statement with Alliance)

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Paige, Rod
Former U.S. Secretary of Education
Department of Education

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"Participation may take many forms. Schools can recognize students who have achieved high standards in foreign language, world history or geography classes and highlight the contributions of outstanding teachers in those subjects. Teachers can facilitate classroom-to-classroom connections with other countries. The Teacher's Guide to International Collaboration on the Internet, available on the Department's Web site at http://www.ed.gov/Technology/guide/international/, will help you get started. Libraries and museums can feature books, music, and works of art from abroad. Communities can sponsor discussions on international topics and invite visiting professors or exchange students to speak about their countries. High schools, colleges and universities can publicize opportunities for study abroad and exchange."

"Knowledge about the culture and language of our neighbors throughout the world is becoming increasingly important in the daily lives of all Americans. The events surrounding the terrorist attacks of September 11 underscore that point. For our students, international education means learning about the history, geography, literature and arts of other countries, acquiring proficiency in a second language, and understanding complex global issues. It means having opportunities to experience other cultures, whether through study abroad, exposure to diversity in their own communities, or through classroom-to-classroom Internet connections with students in schools in other nations."

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Powell, Colin L.
Former U.S. Secretary of State
Department of State

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"We are proud that the high quality of American colleges and universities attracts students and scholars from around the world. These individuals enrich our communities with their academic abilities and cultural diversity, and they return home with an increased understanding and often a lasting affection for the United States. I can think of no more valuable asset to our country than the friendship of future world leaders who have been educated here."

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Riley, Richard W.
Former U.S. Secretary of Education
Department of Education

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“The United States has been very fortunate to have a large number of foreign exchange students on our college campuses. Almost 500,000 foreign students are currently studying at American colleges and universities.

About half of these students are in graduate education where they make a valuable contribution to this nation's research effort. These students bring at least $9 billion per year to our economy, and they enrich our campuses and communities in non-economic ways, too. They develop lifelong friendships, which benefit both nations in countless ways.

It is clear to me from my conversations with other ministers that other nations see new opportunity in such exchanges and are working very hard to make their exchanges opportunities more attractive, more accessible and less costly.”

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