Register Now for NAFSA’s Higher Education Partnership Fair

REGISTER NOW for NAFSA’s Higher Education Partnership Fair. Spaces are being snatched up; they are only available on a first-come-first-serve basis. See the message below and the attached flyer for additional information.

Higher Education Partnership Fair
At the 2011 NAFSA Annual Conference
May 29-June 3, 2011
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
(REGISTER NOW!!—SPACE IS LIMITED)

In cooperation with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), NAFSA: Association of International Educators will introduce a new feature at its annual conference in 2011, a Higher Education Partnership Fair, on Tuesday, May 31 from 1:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.  The goal of the fair is to bring U.S. – and non-U.S.-based international education leaders together to learn about possibilities for developing institutional partnerships. This initiative is in response to the high value that non-U.S. institutions place on finding potential U.S. partner institutions at the conference.

We encourage U.S. community colleges to take part in this fair and display information about your programs and your interest in forming partnerships with overseas institutions. Anticipated attendance at the conference is 8,000 international educators from 100 countries.

Benefits of Participating

*   International attendees who make up about 35% of the conference audience (more than 2,500 attendees and exhibitors) report that meeting current and potential partners is one of their top three reasons for attending the NAFSA Annual Conference.
*   This dedicated time early in the conference will spotlight U.S. universities and colleges allowing international attendees the opportunity to quickly focus attention on developing new partnerships and linkages.
*   Presenting will allow you to increase your institution’s visibility with the international education community.
*   By holding the fair on the first day of the Expo you and your colleagues will have all week to continue discussions with potential partners started at the Fair.
*   Your institution can “test the waters” to see what it’s like to exhibit at the NAFSA conference.

How to Take Advantage of this Opportunity
Accredited U.S. colleges and universities are invited to participate in the fair, which will be limited to 100 displays, offered on a first come, first served basis.  A fee of $399 will be charged to the U.S. institutions that participate, but no fee will be charged to the conference audience entering the fair.  Campus leaders who staff their display will also be required to register for the NAFSA conference.

The registration form for the fair is available on the NAFSA Web site at www.nafsa.org/ac11partnershipfair<http://www.nafsa.org/ac11partnershipfair>.

Preparing for Your Participation
Once your registration and payment have been received and confirmed, NAFSA will send specific guidance regarding display materials and content to institutions to make it easy for attendees at the fair to identify the programs of each participating U.S. institution and engage in meaningful discussion of potential partnerships.

NAFSA will also develop specific marketing to non-U.S. conference attendees to encourage their attendance at the fair as a means of exploring institutional partnerships.

Exhibiting Week Long at the International Education Expo
The fair differs from the week-long opportunity to exhibit, as it has a specific limited time frame and will be announced as a special opportunity to promote linkages. If your institution plans to exhibit throughout the conference in the International Education Expo, you may reserve space at the fair as a bonus, with no extra fee. For information about exhibiting, visit www.nafsa.org/ac11exhibiting<http://www.nafsa.org/xxxx>.  U.S. universities and colleges exhibiting week long for the first time at a NAFSA conference are offered a special introductory rate.  Reservations are accepted on a first come, first served basis, and the hall is expected to sell out in early spring. For more information about exhibiting at the International Education Expo, contact Cara Stann, caras@nafsa.org<mailto:caras@nafsa.org>, or 202.737.3699, x2603.

For More Information
Please contact Kirsten Treadwell, NAFSA’s Conference Coordinator, if you would like to discuss this invitation to participate in the Higher Education Partnership Fair:  kirstent@nafsa.org<mailto:kirstent@nafsa.org> or 202.737.3699, x2554.

Illinois Community College Students to Spend Semester in China

Twenty-three students and two instructors are ready to embark Feb. 24 on the College of Lake County’s third semester-abroad program in China.

Like their counterparts in the 2008 and 2009 programs, the 2011 students have enrolled in Xi’an International University (XAIU) classes with other Chinese and international students. XAIU is a private institution in China with a student population of more than 40,000, according to Dr. Li-hua Yu, a CLC sociology professor, native of China and interim manager of Center for International Education.

Tim Murphy, a CLC political science instructor, is leading this year’s group and will teach an international relations course, in English, at XAIU.

This year’s students, who range in age from 19 to 45, include ten students who attend six other Illinois or Wisconsin colleges. These students are eligible to participate through the Illinois Consortium for International Studies Program. Based at Heartland Community College in Normal, Ill. the consortium of two- and four-year colleges is sponsoring the 2011 program. The 2008 and 2009 programs were made possible by an international education grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Alek Uransel, a CLC sophomore and business major from Libertyville, said he’s excited about the opportunity to travel outside the U.S for the first time.

“As a business major, it’s important for me to understand how China works and how they do business,” said Uransel, whose 16-credit course load will include Chinese language, Chinese history and macroeconomics. “When I graduate and look for a job in a multinational corporation, this experience will definitely set me apart from other candidates because I’ll have a solid grip on the language and a personal experience with Chinese culture. I think it’s really awesome that CLC is offering this program. You don’t hear of many other schools offering study abroad programs in China.”

For more information about CLC’s East Asian Studies opportunities, contact Dr. Yu at (847) 543-2741 or via e-mail at lyu@clcillinois.edu. More information is also available online at www.clcillinois.edu/info/asia.

Chile Opens First American-Style Community College in Latin America

By Laura French, Santiago Times

CHILE HAS OPENED Latin America’s first community college, Community College de Santiago, currently in its first semester.

Many are hoping that the model will expand to other Latin American countries. The US’s Agency for International Development is using grants and exchange programs to help encourage new schools providing technical education and lower-level university courses.

The community college model varies among countries.  The Chilean community college is following the US’s archetype and requires two years of course work to get a certificate, diploma or associate degree.

Community colleges thrive around the world in countries like Canada, the U.K., Malaysia, Australia and the Philippines.  The US has 1,157 community colleges, which account for approximately 46 percent of enrolment in higher education. Community colleges are also the main mode of continuing education in the country.

Sergio Quezada, the manager of the Santiago Community College, explained that his college was created to help Chile compete in the world.  “To strengthen the economic and social development of Chile, technical professionals need to be trained to the highest level with the skills required to function in the international labor market,” he said.

The college’s website explains that, “The Community College allows social mobility and contributes to national development training of technicians so they are capable of adapting to technological changes. In addition, the Community College, through remedial courses, allows students to attain the skills necessary to directly enter a professional career.”

A partnership with the Community College of LaGuardia, New York, was established, which helped to the Chilean college to get started.  Like American community colleges, this school takes has a transfer option for continuing studies after completing a degree or certification.

The college is located in the center of Santiago and boasts computer, physics, construction, and hydraulics laboratories, a learning center, and sports complexes. Students of all ages are welcome.