International Education Week

November 12-16, 2007

 

"One of the goals of FLEX is to teach Americans about the cultures and people of the countries participating in the program - so FLEX students come to the U.S. prepared to make presentations about their home countries and in that sense to serve as "ambassadors" of their countries."

 

 

Mariya from Ukraine(Louisiana Cluster) - 06-07 IEW

 

Facts

(updated 2005)  

  • International Education Week (IEW) was first held in 2000 and is today celebrated in more than 100 countries worldwide. The Departments of State and Education initiated IEW as part of efforts to move ahead on the issue of implementing U.S. international education policy.
  • IEW is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. This joint annual initiative is part of an effort to promote international understanding and build support for international educational exchange, as well as encourage the development of programs that prepare Americans to live and work in a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study in the United States. 
  • Exchanges are critical in developing mutual understanding and respect; building leadership abroad and fostering an appreciation for the United States; and investing in the future relationship between Americans and citizens around the world.
  • International education prepares American citizens to live, work, and compete in the global economy, and promotes tolerance and the reduction of conflict.   
  • Nearly 600,000 international students from more than 200 countries study in the United States
    each year.      
  • International education is also a vital service industry, bringing more than $12 billion into our
    country annually.      
  • 88% of American college students believe international education will give them a competitive advantage in the workplace. 
  • Almost 90% of American college students believe having international students on campus enriches their own learning experience.  
  • The 35,000 students, scholars and other exchange participants that the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs supports are in the vanguard of the hundreds of thousands of students and scholars who come to the U.S. each year and the 160,000 Americans who study abroad.  
  • International cooperation on education contributes to education reform and education solutions for the U.S. and for our partner nations.