With a civil war raging in their home country that has already killed thousands of civilians, 31 Yemeni high school exchange students are “trapped by uncertainty” as their U.S.
On several occasions during the sixth U.S.-China Consultation on People-to-People Exchange (CPE) in Washington this week, the U.S. and Chinese governments underlined the importance of, and their continued commitment to, people-to-people exchanges between their two countries.
Secretary of State John Kerry, during the joint opening session on Tuesday, stressed the benefits of “fully reciprocal and unfettered” contacts between the citizens of the U.S. and China:
In a blog post on her Route J-1 blog, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Robin Lerner remembers and pays tribute to the Irish J-1 students who tragically lost their lives, and those who were injured, in a balcony collapse in Berkeley, CA, earlier this week.
In Lerner’s words:
“Appropriate words are hard to conjure at these times; we can only share in the sadness and loss.”
EducationUSA has launched a new website to reach and inform a broader audience of prospective international students about opportunities to study in the U.S., The Pie News reports.
At the Summit of the Americas last week, Secretary of State John Kerry stressed the importance of educational exchanges in economic development:
“… [E]ducation more so than ever before, is the ladder of opportunity for people all across the planet… It is why President Obama launched 100,000 Strong in the Americas.”
The U.S. Department of State announced that it will launch a study abroad branch to increase diversity among study abroad participants, build partnerships with foreign governments, and promote opportunities in non-traditional destinations, The Pie News reports.
Evan Ryan, the Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, noted the State Department’s desire to increase diversity in study abroad participation and efforts in building partnerships: