One of 18 U.S. colleges and universities chosen by the Institute of International Education for the 2012 Brazil initiative.
UMass Dartmouth is one of 18 U.S. colleges and universities chosen by the Institute of International Education for the 2012 Brazil initiative of IIE's International Academic Partnership Program (IAPP). Over the next year, IIE will lead a series of training activities to help each institution implement and sustain partnerships with institutions in Brazil, culminating with a study tour to Brazil in spring 2012 to meet with potential partner campuses.
"This is a tremendous honor for UMass Dartmouth to be selected for this prestigious program and speaks to our commitment to develop a truly global teaching, learning and discovery opportunities for our students," said UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Jean F. MacCormack.
Brazil has recently gained significant international attention in the global higher education community, due in no small part to the tremendous growth of the higher education sector and the Government's substantial support of higher education as a priority for national development. Earlier this year, President Dilma Rousseff committed to sending 75,000 Brazilian students abroad over the next four years through its Science Without Borders Program, a scholarship program for Brazilian students focusing on the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) to study at the world's best universities. President Rousseff has also set a goal for the private sector to contribute an additional 25,000 fellowships to the program.
"At a time when Brazil's economy is expanding rapidly, and Brazil and the United States are forging unprecedented ties in trade, energy and scientific development, we look to higher education as another area where our two countries should seek much stronger cooperation," said IIE's President and CEO Allan E. Goodman.
UMass Dartmouth was selected, along with the following U.S. campuses, to participate in the program: Baruch College, CUNY; Brandeis University; Brookdale Community College; Chatham University; California State University, Fullerton; Daemen College; East Tennessee State University; Illinois State University; Monroe Community College; Monterey Institute of International Studies; Queens College, CUNY; Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey; Stevens Institute of Technology; University of Massachusetts Amherst; University of South Florida; University of Toledo; and Washington State University.
An IIE review panel chose these U.S. colleges and universities based on successful applications that outlined their strong interest in building ties with institutions in Brazil and their need for the assistance that IAPP provides. The program provides strategic guidance on building effective and sustainable partnerships with the expectation that outcomes will vary from institution to institution. Partnership activities may include joint programs, student exchanges or faculty linkages for collaborative research and teaching.
Each institution has made a commitment to form a campus-wide task force to work on prospective partnerships, conduct an institution-wide inventory of activities pertaining to Brazil and develop a strategic plan focused on partnership with Brazil. Each school will also work with a mentor from the IAPP Brazil Advisory Board members who can offer high-level input on its partnership strategy.
"Higher education is an important area of collaboration between the United States and Brazil because of its impact on the critical issues that we face today and leaders of tomorrow," said IIE President Allan E. Goodman. "The partnership program will strengthen the educational ties between Brazil and the United States, and pave the way for students from both countries to gain critical global competencies."
IIE's Center for International Partnerships in Higher Education manages the International Academic Partnership Program, which was established in 2009 with an initial two-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE). In awarding the grant, FIPSE intended to help jumpstart an academic partnership program in higher education between the U.S. and other countries that would grow into a self-sustaining program.
The launch of the 2012 IAPP Brazil initiative represents the partnership program's expansion into a new region. Since 2009, two cohorts of U.S. institutions each have focused on building partnerships with institutions in India, and one on linkages with China. IAPP Brazil will continue to build on the success of previous years, harnessing lessons learned, and leveraging IIE's expertise in international higher education.
In academic year 2009/10, more than 8,700 Brazilian students were studying in the United States, making Brazil the fourteenth leading place of origin for international students in the United States, according to the Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, published annually by IIE with support from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Open Doors 2010 reports that Brazil hosted over 2,700 U.S. study abroad students in 2008/09, a 2% increase from the previous year. While Brazil sends the most students from Latin America to the U.S. after Mexico, it ranks sixth as a destination U.S. students studying abroad in Latin America.
Institute of International Education
The Institute of International Education is a world leader in the international exchange of people and ideas. An independent, not-for-profit organization founded in 1919, IIE has network of 18 offices worldwide and over 1,000 member institutions. IIE designs and implements programs of study and training for students, educators, young professionals and trainees from all sectors with funding from government agencies, foundations, and corporations. IIE also conducts policy research and program evaluations, and provides advising and counseling on international education and opportunities abroad.