- Open online courses, often referred to as MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), made popular by students interested in online and distance learning, are designed to encourage wide participation and provide equal access to learning for students anywhere in the world with an Internet connection. While some MOOCs have fees, most are free and meant to be accessible. In Azerbaijan, high school students regularly visit the EducationUSA office to learn more about attending college or university in the… Read More
- Despite an evening forecast of rain and chill, the atmosphere on the third floor of the Russian Tea Room in New York City could not have been warmer as friends, old and new, gathered to exchange ideas and listen to keynote speeches from Leo Hindery, Jr., managing partner of InterMedia Partners, and former US Senator Bill Bradley. During a private reception, dinner, and presentations, the evening introduced new ways to form partnerships between private industry and nonprofits like American… Read More
- Learning a Foreign Language a 'Must' in Europe, Not so in AmericaPew Research Center Europeans learn multiple languages before they reach high school while many Americans don't even learn a second language in their lifetime. This Pew Research Center report explores the link between foreign language study requirements in schools and multilingualism of the population. The results probably won't surprise you. Integrating Study Abroad Into School Curriculum and CultureEducation Week Not all… Read More
- The lecture halls are rarely empty at Northwestern University when Dr. Irwin Weil lectures. Well known across campus for his ability to draw large numbers of students to his courses on Russian culture and the evolution of the former Soviet countries, Irwin Weil's life work has been promoting cultural exchange and mutual understanding between the United States and the former Soviet Union. Irwin Weil, the longest-serving member of American Councils' Board of Trustees, recently published his… Read More
- American Councils President Dr. Dan E. Davidson welcomed a delegation from the Kyrgyz Republic this past week. The delegation included representatives from the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic to the US and Canada, along with members of the Kyrgyz Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee. Group discussions focused around the current needs in the Kyrgyz higher education system in addition to American Councils' long history of work in educational development and exchange programs in Kyrgyzstan. The… Read More
- One Reason #WhyHostingMatters: Volunteerism Makes Communities StrongerThe Huffington Post US Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Evan Ryan believes hosting is more than welcoming an international exchange student to your home it's the first step toward strengthening a community. Students from the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) and the American-Serbia and Montenegro Youth Leadership Exchange (A-SMYLE) contributed a combined 4,000 hours of community service across… Read More
- Community and faith-based leaders from around the world came together to share insights on how interfaith relations can encourage peace and mutual understanding at the International Forum on Religion and Peace in Batumi, Georgia. Social Inclusivity in Georgia With the country's history of ethnic conflict in the 1990s, Georgia was a meaningful place to hold the Forum. While ethnic Georgians make up around 84 percent of the population, there are large minority Armenian (5 percent) and… Read More
- "I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." Sona exhaled, as she read aloud that final passage of Robert Frost's famous poem The Road Not Taken. Her nerves started to relax as she realized she had just recited an entire poem in a completely foreign language. Like most Armenian teenagers, reciting works of poetry isn't an everyday activity for Sona but here… Read More
- America's Lacking Language SkillsThe Atlantic Just seven percent of American college students are enrolled in a language course and 95 percent of these enrollments are in European languages like French or German, despite an increasing demand for fluency in non-Western languages. Through alarming statistics and anecdotal evidence, journalist Amelia Friedman describes the current state of decay of language education in the United States. Why Global Competence Matters: It's Not Really a Small… Read More
- American Councils for International Education and the Taiwan Ministry of Education took an important step towards deepening academic cooperation between Taiwan and the United States and promoting economic and social development in both countries. In a formal agreement signed by the Taiwan Ministry of Education's Director General Dr. Ming-Ling Yang and American Councils President Dr. Dan E. Davidson during the NAFSA annual conference, both parties outlined their dedication to preparing the next… Read More
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