The Institute of International Education (IIE) has selected Central College for the 2013 Brazil initiative of their International Academic Partnership Program (IAPP). The college will participate in a year-long series of training activities to learn how to implement and sustain partnerships with institutions in Brazil. The program will culminate with a study tour to Brazil in spring 2013 to meet with potential partner campuses.
“The opportunity to explore potential partnerships with educational institutions in Brazil aligns well with Central’s strategic initiative to expand education abroad opportunities in key areas of the world,” said Lyn Isaacson, associate dean for global education. “Not only is Brazil rich in cultural and environmental diversity, but it is hard to ignore Brazil’s growing influence regionally and globally as a consequence of its rapid economic, political and social transformation.”
Participating in IAPP will allow Central to explore a range of educational settings in Brazil in order to identify the best fit between institutions and the types of partnerships that would be of mutual benefit. Options might include student exchanges, short or long-term enrollment options, internships, service-learning, field-based work or other experiential learning options and opportunities for faculty to develop and share expertise. Thirteen other U.S. colleges and universities were also selected, including Arizona State University, California State University – Long Beach, Webster University and Western Michigan University. This group will benefit from the experiences of a previous delegation of high-level officials representing 18 U.S. institutions that met with potential partner campuses in April to learn about Brazilian higher education.
IIE’s President and CEO Allan E. Goodman said, “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.”
These partnership programs offer timely resources for campuses in both countries to explore areas of academic cooperation, including exchanging students and scholars and collaborating on research projects and degree programs. Earlier this year, the White House and the State Department issued statements on the importance of educational cooperation between the U.S. and Brazil.
IIE is a world leader in the international exchange of people and ideas. An independent, not-for-profit organization founded in 1919, the institute has a 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 launched the International Academic Partnership Program in 2009 to help colleges develop the partnership aspects of their strategic plans for internationalization, and IIE has led delegations to China and India in the past few years.