NAFSA's "Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalisation" has gone to eight US universities and colleges which excel at integrating international education at their campuses. Colorado State University, Green River Community College and Fairfield University were among the winners.
The White House and Senate are reaching common ground on the issue of post-study work rights for foreign students. A week after his second inauguration, US President Barack Obama outlined plans to fast-track green cards for skilled science graduates of US universities, with a bipartisan group of senators unveiling similar proposals days earlier.
Former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan is to open this year’s NAFSA: Association of International Educators’ Annual Conference and Expo in St Louis, USA. The conference, May 26-31, should welcome more than 8,000 international educators.
Chinese admissions at US private high schools have climbed dramatically over the last five years, reaching 23,795 last year according to federal figures – up from 4,500 in 2008. The surge is good news for schools which have seen enrolments fall but some warn the influx may affect diversity at US universities.
The US House of Representatives last week voted to make 55,000 more green cards available to foreign students graduating in the USA with advanced science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees. But opponents, including NAFSA, believe it will not pass the Senate.
NAFSA, Association of International Educators in the USA, has unveiled a new President, Fanta Aw, who will take over the position from January 2013. Ms Aw currently works at American University in Washington, DC, focusing on international student services.
The GoAbroad Innovation Awards recognised creativity in America's international education industry at last week's NAFSA conference. Winners included EF, SIT Graduate Institute and SIT Study Abroad, and UC Davis.
Almost 1,000 letters were written to President Obama at NAFSA last week. The association used its annual US mega-conference focusing on international education to push for delegates to back its calls for US immigration reform and big-name plenary speakers helped drive home the message.
