Date: Wed, 4 Jan 2006 22:01:01 -0500
From: "U.S. Dept of State List Manager" <Listmgr@...>
Subject: Bush To Open International Education Summit at State Department

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Find the most current info at http://usinfo.state.gov/af/
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Bush To Open International Education Summit at State Department

(University presidents to focus on attracting foreign students to United
States) (700)
By Anthony Kujawa, Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- President Bush on January 5 will open the U.S. University
Presidents Summit on International Education, a two-day forum designed to
invigorate partnerships to strengthen international education.

The summit will focus on how to attract foreign students and scholars to
study in the United States, as well as how to encourage more U.S. students
to study in other countries.

The January 5-6 summit will be hosted by U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and
organized by the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs (ECA). Organizers hope it will initiate a dialogue with leaders of
U.S. higher education on the need for government and nongovernmental
officials to work collaboratively toward a national vision for the future
of U.S. higher education.

"Through this Summit, Secretary Rice and Secretary Spellings and their
respective Departments want to reach out to college and university
presidents to reinforce a common interest in attracting foreign students
and scholars to U.S. institutions," Under Secretary of State for Public
Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes said in a December 28, 2005,
announcement on the summit. "Of equal importance is seeking investment in
educating globally competitive U.S. students to work in fields of
international interest."

Summit participants will represent all 50 states, the District of
Columbia and Puerto Rico, and will include leading public and private
research institutions, as well as community colleges, historically black
institutions, Hispanic-serving institutions, religiously affiliated
institutions and women's colleges, the announcement said.

Participants plan to discuss marketing of U.S. higher education programs
abroad, reaching out to underserved populations, understanding visa and
regulatory processes, cooperating to meet exchange priorities and
utilizing fully the international education resources of community
colleges.

U.S. HAS “ENDURING COMMITMENT” TO SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGE

The United States has an "enduring commitment" to support international
educational exchange and is working to encourage a resurgence of
international students and to dispel perceptions that it does not welcome
foreign students, officials say. (See related article
(http://usinfo.state.gov/gi/Archive/2005/Jun/03-48745.html).)

During the 2004-2005 academic year, 565,039 foreign students enrolled in
U.S. higher education institutions, down 1.3 percent from the previous
year's totals, according to the Open Doors 2005, an annual report on
international academic mobility. (See related article
(http://usinfo.state.gov/scv/Archive/2005/Nov/14-84697.html).)

The report also found that a record number of U.S. students studied in
other countries during the 2003-2004 academic year. In 2003-2004, some
191,321 U.S. college students received credit for studying in other
countries, a 9.6 percent increase from the 2002-2003 academic year.

"I am pleased that American students are studying abroad, which signals
their keen interest in learning more about the people and nations beyond
our borders," said ECA Assistant Secretary Dina Powell, in a press release
on the report.

For information on studying in the United States, see ECA’s EducationUSA
(http://www.educationusa.state.gov/) Web site and the State Department
electronic journal, College and University Education
(http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itsv/1105/ijse/ijse1105.htm).

STATE DEPARTMENT SUPPORTS EDUCATION ADVISING CENTERS

EducationUSA offers a menu of types of programs (undergraduate,
graduate, specialized professional study, opportunities for scholars,
short-term study) as well as links to predeparture information, materials
on living in the United States and tips on choosing an educational
institution. The site also includes a link to a find-a-school search
engine.

EducationUSA provides information on standardized tests, the visa
process, admissions, financial aid and links to other U.S. government Web
sites and external resources. The site also includes links to
publications such as the four-part If You Want to Study in the United
States series available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and
Spanish.

The State Department also promotes the United States as a study-abroad
destination and supports a network of more than 450 educational advising
and information centers (http://www.educationusa.state.gov/centers.htm) in
other countries. (See related article
(http://usinfo.state.gov/gi/Archive/2005/Jun/02-382002.html).)

For more information on visa procedures and traveling to the United
States, see www.travel.state.gov (http://www.travel.state.gov/) and the
State Department electronic journal See You in the U.S.A.
(http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itps/0905/ijpe/ijpe0905.htm)

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)
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SOURCE: WF-AFRICA Digest - 3 Jan 2006 to 4 Jan 2006 (#2006-2)