by Alliance Staff | Dec 6, 2016 | Barack Obama, Exchanges in the Media, Federal Register, Public Diplomacy
President Barack Obama recently issued an executive order granting Non-Competitive Eligibility (NCE) to alumni of three federally-funded Department of State academic exchange programs: the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, and the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program. Non-Competitive Eligibility is a specific hiring mechanism that provides an easier selection path for U.S. government positions.
by Alliance Staff | Dec 6, 2016 | Department of State News, Evan Ryan, Exchange Visitor Program, Federal Register, Public Diplomacy, Visas
A new agreement between Ireland and the United States will add a three-year extension to the Ireland Work and Travel (IWT) program, lengthening the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two governments. According to a press release by the U.S. Embassy Dublin, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Evan Ryan, and Her Excellency, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States Anne Anderson, signed the diplomatic agreement to renew the visa program on December 5. According to the Irish Central, the IWT program has been renewed every two years for two years since its inception in 2008 – the December 5 signing marked the first time an extension was signed for more than two years.
by Alliance Staff | 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.
by Alliance Staff | 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.
by Alliance Staff | 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:
by Alliance Staff | 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:
