The Collective Public Policy Voice of the Exchange Community

Senators Durbin and Wicker Re-introduce the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act

by | Sep 28, 2016 | Congressional News, Federal Register, Policy Monitor Weekly Digest, Study Abroad

U.S. Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) re-introduced the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act, a bipartisan legislation that would expand opportunities for students at U.S. colleges and universities to obtain study abroad experiences through the U.S. Department of Education.

House Resolution Recognizes Dept. of Ed Fulbright-Hays Programs

by | Sep 27, 2016 | Congressional News, Federal Register, Public Diplomacy, Study Abroad

Commemorating the 55th anniversary of the Department of Education’s Fulbright-Hays Programs, a congressional resolution introduced in the House of Representatives last week recognizes the value of these international research and training programs in promoting mutual understanding and global learning. The Fulbright-Hays Programs were created through the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act, or Fulbright-Hays Act, signed into law by President John F. Kennedy on September 21, 1961.

U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy Releases 2016 Report

by | Sep 20, 2016 | Department of State News, Federal Register, Policy Monitor Weekly Digest, Public Diplomacy

The U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy (USACPD) today released its 2016 Comprehensive Annual Report on Public Diplomacy and International Broadcasting Actives, detailing roughly $1.8 billion in programs worldwide. The report offers analysis, research and evaluation, policy recommendations, regional overviews, and country-specific spotlights for a host of public diplomacy and international broadcasting programs, including Department of State exchanges.

NAFSA Calls on Administration to Provide Higher Ed to Refugees

by | Sep 20, 2016 | Barack Obama, Federal Register, John Kerry, Policy Monitor Weekly Digest, Public Diplomacy

Applauding the administration’s recent announcement to resettle 110,000 refugees in the U.S. next year, NAFSA: Association of International Educators urges the administration to ensure refugees who seek higher education opportunities have a path to do so.

In a letter to President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry, Marlene Johnson, Executive Director and CEO of NAFSA states:

U.S. Department of State Partners with Airbnb to Support Study Abroad

by | Sep 13, 2016 | Department of State News, Exchange Visitor Program, Federal Register, John Kerry, Policy Monitor Weekly Digest, Public Diplomacy, Study Abroad

Secretary of State John Kerry and Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky announced a new partnership to support the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program by helping send more students to study abroad. In remarks delivered yesterday at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Secretary Kerry highlighted the importance of public-private partnerships to help increase global interconnectedness and mutual understanding: