Fulbright International Education Administrator (IEA) Seminars: Which One is Right for You?

I learned so much about the student experience, higher education, and the employment process in Japan, and I became much more familiar with Japanese culture in general – the insight I gained has already been useful on the job this year. In addition to meeting all the generous and enlightening Japanese educators/administrators, one of the unexpected highlights of the program for me was getting to know the other U.S. participants – we bonded quickly and have stayed in touch regularly.

- Sarah Langston, University of South Carolina 2012 Japan IEA participant.

The Fulbright International Education Administrator (IEA) Seminars are designed for U.S. higher education administrators who are interested in spending an intensive two or three week period in one of six countries: India, Japan, Korea, Germany, France or the United Kingdom. Each seminar offers participants an in-depth look at the higher education system, culture and society of the host country and provides an invigorating opportunity for networking with international and U.S. colleagues. All seminar participants gain a new perspective on the need to internationalize U.S. campuses and insight into how it can be done. But which seminar is right for you? There are some differences in program goals to consider, depending on the strategic needs of your institution, as well as varying qualification information.

Participants in India’s IEA seminar will spend two weeks in March in New Delhi and other major cities, attending meetings with representatives of Indian universities, private-sector agencies and organizations and government agencies. The seminar aims to achieve a balance of topical discussions, knowledge sharing, experiential excursions and exposure to societal and cultural facets of India. Applicants must be international education administrators or senior-level university administrators with substantial responsibility for enhancing the international dimension of their institutions and who wish to expand opportunities for international collaborations through faculty exchanges, collaborative research projects or pursuit of innovative curricular design.

Administrators exploring the Japanese higher education landscape for two weeks in June will participate in briefings, campus visits, appointments with government officials, cultural activities and meetings with Japanese international education professionals in Tokyo and other cities. Preference is given to those who indicate an institutional interest in increasing the number of Japanese students on their campus. Applicants must be international education administrators or senior-level university administrators with substantial (at least 25 percent) responsibility for enhancing the international dimension of their institutions.

Korea IEA seminar participants will spend a week in June in Seoul and a week visiting institutions outside of Seoul. They will attend meetings with representatives from Korean universities, private sector agencies and organizations and government agencies. This program is not a vehicle for initiating or developing a U.S. institution's linkage programs, for student recruitment or for establishment of branch campuses. Applicants must be international education administrators or senior-level university administrators with substantial (at least 60 percent of their time) responsibility for enhancing the international dimension of their institutions.

In October, administrators have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with Germany's higher education system. During the first week in Berlin, participants are provided with an introduction through briefings, government appointments, campus visits and cultural events. During the second week, participants are divided into small groups, traveling to other German cities. Applicants working in career services, alumni affairs and development and fundraising are welcome to apply, along with those working in international exchanges.

Senior level administrators (deans, vice presidents, provosts and presidents) wishing to spend two weeks in October in Paris, Bordeaux and Strasbourg are invited to apply to the France IEA seminar, designed to familiarize participants with France's higher education and research system. The program consists of briefings, campus visits, appointments with government officials, networking and cultural activities and meetings with French international education professionals.

For three weeks in August, administrators will explore the higher education system in the United Kingdom through briefings, campus visits, appointments with government officials, cultural activities and meetings with British international education professionals. U.S. and U.K. administrators will have interactive sessions to share best practices in both directions across the Atlantic. Applicants should be full-time international education administrators or senior-level university administrators. Applicants with particular expertise in student advising, student services, student recruitment and admissions are encouraged to apply. All IEA participants return to their home institutions empowered with an enhanced ability to build partnerships, encourage study abroad participation and support international students.

Each program can have varying qualification information, so applicants should read the award description carefully. All programs have intensive, pre-arranged itineraries, but in most cases, return travel can be arranged to allow for personal meetings or travel in-country. All awards include economy round-trip travel, travel within the country, lodging and a lump sum supplement for incidentals. The application deadlines and more information about each program can be found at www.cies.org/IEA.

If you have further questions, please contact Alexandra Squitieri at asquitieri@iie.org.