By: Steve Patterson
Submitted: 2010-09-11 00:20:52 | Word Count: 719
The Institute of International Education (IIE) is a world leader in the international exchange of people and ideas. Its mission is to foster international understanding by opening minds to the world. It does this by assisting college and university students to study abroad; advising institutions of higher education on ways to internationalize their student body, faculty, and curriculum; fostering sustainable development through training programs in energy, the environment, enterprise management, and leadership development; and partnering with corporations, foundations, and governments in developing people's ability to think and work on a global basis.
Program
Sponsors of IIE's more than 250 programs include government departments and agencies in industrialized and developing countries, the World Bank, major philanthropic foundations, public corporations, and individuals. Nearly 4,000 men and women from the United States and 14,000 people from 175 countries study, conduct research, receive practical training, or provide technical assistance through these programs each year. IIE has administered the Fulbright Program on behalf of the U.S. Department of State since its inception in 1946, and, since 1948, has also conducted the annual Open Doors census on international student mobility to and from the United States.
IIE's programs are managed by professional staff with expertise in fields such as higher education and scholarship administration, energy and the environment, business and public administration, human rights, economic development, and the arts. The institute's program staff serve in four departments:
[ advertisement ]
Exchange Programs and Regional Services. This department manages the U.S. and Foreign Fulbright Student Programs and the International Visitor Program, both funded by the U.S. Department of State, as well as other privately funded academic and professional exchange programs. With 140 staff in New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, Denver, Houston, and San Francisco, this department conducts extensive outreach to local communities throughout the United States.
Center for Global Development (CGD). The CGD administers capacity-building programs serving participants from developing countries. CGD professional exchange programs have allowed participants to gain industry expertise and learn leadership and technical skills in national energy and environmental program implementation, health care, and civil society development. With a staff of more than 100 people in sixteen countries, CGD is IIE's primary mechanism for initiating multisector development assistance contracts worldwide.
Educational and Corporate Services. This department administers scholarship programs and leadership development and skills training programs for midcareer professionals. Educational Services staff also conduct policy and statistical research on international academic mobility and provide educational advising and testing services in the institute's international offices. The department has 100 staff members in nine offices around the world.
Council for the International Exchange of Scholars (CIES). CIES was founded in 1947 to administer the Fulbright Scholar Program and has grown to house other international scholarly exchange initiatives. In 1997 CIES became a department of IIE, based in Washington D.C. More than 1,600 U.S. academics and international scholars are served by CIES programs annually. The day-to-day work of the department is carried out by more than forty-five program officers and staff.
Organizational Structure
IIE has a staff of more than 475 professionals and relies on the services of more than 6,000 volunteers who serve on regional advisory boards, scholarship screening and selection panels, and program committees. In addition to its headquarters in New York City, IIE has offices in Chicago, Denver, Houston, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. International offices are located in Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, and Vietnam.
Staff members in U.S. offices administer IIE-related programs, mobilize community support for international exchange, provide information and counseling to individuals and institutions, and maintain contact with grantees and the institutions they attend.
Personnel in the international offices assist students and scholars wishing to study or conduct research in the United States; administer U.S. admissions tests for international applicants; report on educational systems, institutions, and developments; cooperate with other private and government agencies abroad to facilitate international exchange; and provide technical assistance and training in selected development fields. The institute is governed by an international board of trustees composed of corporate executives, diplomats, college and university presidents, and artistic and civic leaders.
IIE disburses more than $150 million annually on programs and services. Most funds provide direct support to sponsored students and professionals. These funds also materially assist the universities and research and training institutions at which IIE grantees study and work.
