Chatham University Among Six U.S. Institutions Selected to Develop Study Abroad Programs with Indonesia

Pittsburgh's Chatham University is among six U.S. institutions selected to develop study abroad programs with Indonesia through the Institute of International Education’s Center for International Partnerships in Higher Education, it was announced today.

The IIE is launching the U.S. Indonesia Partnership Program for Study Abroad Capacity to help advance Indonesian higher education institutions’ capacity to provide high-quality study abroad programs for U.S. undergraduates. USIPP, a two-year initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, will bring together six U.S. institutions with six Indonesian institutions to develop new, innovative study abroad opportunities for U.S. undergraduates in Indonesia and ultimately help Indonesian universities better prepare to host American students.

In addition to Chatham, the participating U.S. institutions are Lehigh University, Miami Dade College, Texas A&M University, University of Michigan, and University of Washington. Through IIE’s Center for International Partnerships in Higher Education and in collaboration with IIE’s Jakarta-based affiliate, the Indonesian International Education Foundation, the program will build a foundation for expanding academic partnerships between other U.S. and Indonesian institutions, enabling faculty and students at home and host campuses to deepen mutual understanding and broaden the ongoing exchange of individuals and ideas between the U.S. and Indonesia.

Over the two-year period, USIPP will work to develop and pilot six new study abroad programs for students from the United States. The initiative will interview the participating students and university administrators for feedback to identify lessons learned and next steps, so that institutions can provide high quality study abroad programs and prepare to host more international students in Indonesia. A final written report will serve as a hands-on tool for international education practitioners.

USIPP main goals are to help Indonesian institutions evaluate and improve their international capacity; identify both general and country-specific best practices in preparing for and building study abroad capacity, and disseminate these resources to the wider higher education community; deepen the academic engagement of faculty and institutions in the U.S. and Indonesia; and thus increase the number of U.S. undergraduate students studying abroad for credit in Indonesia.

According to IIE’s annual Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, also supported by ECA, more than 7,000 students from Indonesia were enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities during the past several academic years, while less than 100 U.S. students studied abroad in Indonesia in academic year 2007/08 (the most recent year for which data is available).

"Strengthening the relationship between the U.S. and Indonesia through higher education is a critical goal for both countries, and it is an honor for IIE, in collaboration with IIEF, to facilitate constructive partnerships between institutions in the U.S. and Indonesia," says IIE President and CEO Allan Goodman. "The Institute has made a long term commitment, along with ECA, to deepening this relationship and looks forward to having an effective, sustained impact."

The Institute of International Education, a private not-for-profit organization founded in 1919, is a world leader in the international exchange of people and ideas. IIE designs and implements over 200 programs of study and training for students, educators, young professionals and trainees from all sectors with funding from government and private sources. These programs include the Fulbright Student and Scholar programs, the Gilman International Scholarship Program, and the Humphrey Fellowships, administered for the Department of State, as well as corporate and foundation training and scholarship programs. IIE also conducts policy research, provides advice and counseling on international educational opportunities abroad, and provides emergency support to students and scholars in danger. The Institute of International Education has a network of 18 international offices worldwide and more than 1,000 college and university members.