The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural affairs is to host the fifth annual EducationUSA Forum in Washington, D.C. this month; with aims of increasing the number of international students in U.S. higher education and encouraging more American students to study abroad.
Between June 23rd and 25th, over 550 representatives from U.S. colleges and universities will meet with Department of State officials and over 60 EducationUSA educational experts and country advisers from across the globe.
The EducationUSA Forum offers information and practical approaches to aid U.S. educational institutions increase their numbers of international students. It further provides a catalyst for schools, universities and colleges to connect with prospective students and subsequently help them tailor their study abroad journeys.
Various workshop sessions are offered, covering topics such as traditional and virtual recruiting methods, including recruiting students with disabilities or special educational requirements and LGBT recruitment.
Presidential initiatives will also be covered in thematic sessions, focusing on particular schemes such as such as 100,000 Strong in the Americas, the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI).
Other topics include raising the awareness of foreign government scholarship programs – and making these accessible to American students, leveraging massive open online courses (MOOCs), and increasing the number of U.S. students studying abroad.
EducationUSA is a network of hundreds of advising centers supported by the U.S. Department of State, located in 171 countries around the world. EducationUSA advisers provide millions of international students with invaluable information about how to apply to U.S. colleges and universities each year. Their staff also work with U.S. higher education professionals to promote international student recruitment and U.S. study abroad, and ensure students and universities are aware of their opportunities in this field.
