David L. Boren Awards for International Study

The Institute of International Education in cooperation with the Hollings Center for International Dialogue issued a new report that looks at Expanding U.S. Study Abroad in the Arab World. This is the latest issue in IIE's Study Abroad White Paper Series, “Meeting America's Global Education Challenge.” (The report can be downloaded free of charge at: www.iie.org/StudyAbroadCapacity.)

The white paper was released March 19, 2009 by IIE president Allan E. Goodman at the Institute's annual conference on "Best Practices in Internationalizing the Campus."  Dr. Goodman said “Expanding study abroad to the Arab world is a timely and complex issue, and one that is important for educators who wish to prepare their students to succeed and prosper in a global economy and an interconnected world.”

The report found that capacity does exist to host more U.S. students in the region, and that there is great enthusiasm for increased study abroad among both U.S. and Arab-world educators, despite the challenges they face. The white paper contains a thorough discussion of specific challenges and opportunities, including those involved in increasing study abroad in countries and institutions that are currently underrepresented.

The new report recommends actions needed to encourage more U.S. students to study in the Arab world and make it easier for them to take part in programs that currently host few U.S. students. It contains a thoughtful summary of the diverse perspectives of workshop participants on topics such as credit transfer and academic standards, international partnerships, cross-cultural issues, safety and security, resources and marketing capacity of host institutions, and Arabic language study.

The new report, written by Mary Kirk, Christopher Powers (director of the Boren Scholarships and Fellowships), and Robert Gutierrez from IIE, and Amy Hawthorne from the Hollings Center, grew out of a 2008 workshop that IIE and the Hollings Center convened at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco, with support from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. Representatives from 19 Arab-world universities in 11 countries and from study abroad programs and U.S. sending institutions took part. They explored ways to diversify the base of programs across the Arab world and enhance their capacity to host American students. Participants also discussed how to create high-quality programs that promote intercultural learning, build proficiency in the Arabic language, and serve the needs of both Arab and U.S. institutions.