1. Engaging US Universities and Colleges in International Education and Development

2. About IREX
IREX is a global development and education organization striving for a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world where individuals reach their full potential, governments serve their people, and communities thrive.
We support individuals and institutions to create change in their own communities and to create person-to-person bridges between nations.
Our decades of on-the-ground experience help us create greater impact, practical recommendations, and lasting partnerships.
With an annual portfolio of $80 million and 400 staff worldwide, IREX works with partners in more than 100 countries in four areas essential to progress: cultivating leaders, empowering youth, strengthening institutions, and increasing access to quality education and information.
Our cross-sectoral work with youth at all levels of society features holistic approaches to strengthen youth employability and engagement.
Education supports economic development, social reform, and civic participation within a society and provides the foundation for tomorrow’s leaders. IREX works with individuals, institutions, and governments to expand access to and improve the quality of education worldwide. IREX designs programs and provides consulting to support lifelong learning starting at the primary and secondary levels, continuing through higher education, and including continuing professional training.
IREX partners with US higher education institutions across the United States to support international undergraduate students, master teachers, young professionals in executive leadership development, university administration and capacity development, scholars, and researchers.

3. Supporting Global Leaders
We cultivate leaders who strive to better themselves and more effectively serve others. We enhance their leadership skills and expand their networks, strengthening their ability to make a difference in their communities.
We support leaders who are women and girls, men and boys, ethnic and racial minorities, persons with disabilities, people of all sexual orientations, and people from both rural and urban areas.

4. Undergraduate Leaders
Supporting diverse, underserved students
Developing youth key competencies: leadership, self-presentation, confidence and soft skills
Addressing the gap between education and employment
Meeting the needs of youth from Pakistan & Tunisia

5. Hosting Undergraduate Leaders
We partner with 4-year and 2-year undergraduate institutions across the United States
Host institutions support academic success, community and cultural engagement, leadership and professional development of students
Applications available online now through February 26, 2018 at Send questions to:

6. Global UGRAD – Pakistan
One semester of non-degree academic study
Community engagement through community service activities
Sharing Pakistani culture through Country Presentations
Leadership Development Framework focused on developing the capacity of youth leaders

7. Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Programs
Tunisia Undergraduate Exchange Program (Tunisia UGRAD): one year of non-degree, undergraduate academic study at a four year institution
Tunisia Community College Scholarship Program (TCCSP): one year certificate program of study at a community college
All participants complete service learning hours, country presentations, internships, & a skills-building component.

8. Program Provisions Program provides:
Airfare
Medical coverage
Incidentals allowance
Partial tuition and mandatory fees
Room and board
Limited allowance for books
J-1 Visa Sponsorship
Host institution provides: student support services + cost-share

9. Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders
Designed to build and sustain a network of young Sub-Saharan leaders, strengthen ties between Sub- Saharan Africa and the United States, and prepare Fellows for future leadership opportunities in Africa
The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship program of President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), empowers young leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa through academic coursework, leadership training, and networking opportunities.  The Fellowship provides these outstanding young leaders with the opportunity to hone their skills at a U.S. institution of higher education, with support for professional development after they return home.
The Fellows, who are between the ages of 25 and 35, have established records of accomplishment in promoting innovation and positive change in their organizations, institutions, communities, and countries. In 2014 and 2015, 500 Fellows representing all 49 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa participated in the program each year. Because of the high demand for and success of the program, the Fellowship will double in 2016 to include 1,000 Fellows. These young leaders represent the diversity of Africa including equal numbers of women and men, individuals with disabilities, and people from both urban and rural areas.
Program is designed to strategically build and sustain a network of young Sub-Saharan leaders, strengthen ties between Sub-Saharan Africa and the United States, and prepare Fellows for future leadership opportunities in Africa

10. Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders
U.S. Based Activities
6-week Academic and Leadership Institute
Business & Entrepreneurship
Civic Leadership
Public Management
Specialized Institute on Energy
Presidential Summit in D.C.
Optional 6-Week U.S.-Based Internship
Africa-Based Activities
Mentorships
Internships
Regional Advisory Boards
Regional Summits
Regional Leadership Centers
U.S. Based Fellowship Activities
Academic and Leadership Institutes
Each Mandela Washington Fellow takes part in a six-week academic and leadership institute at a U.S. university or college in one of three tracks: Business and Entrepreneurship, Civic Leadership, or Public Management. New in 2016 will be a specialized Institute on Energy. As the majority of Fellows have not previously spent significant time in the United States before their Institute, the Fellowship is forging new relationships between Africans and Americans, both at the host colleges and in the surrounding communities.
Presidential Summit
Following the academic residency of the Fellowship, the Fellows visit Washington, DC, for a Presidential Summit featuring a Town Hall with President Obama. During this multi-day event, Fellows take part in networking and panel discussions with U.S. leaders from the public, private, and non-profit sectors.
Professional Development Experience
Up to one hundred competitively-selected Fellows remain in the United States after the Presidential Summit to participate in individually tailored six-week professional development experiences. These Fellows are placed with U.S. non-governmental organizations, private companies, and government agencies that relate to their professional interests and goals.
Africa-BASED Fellowship Activities
Upon returning to their home countries, Fellows continue to build the skills they have developed during their time in the United States through support from U.S. embassies, four Regional Leadership Centers, the YALI Network, and customized programming from USAID and affiliated partners. Through these experiences, Mandela Washington Fellows have access to ongoing professional development opportunities, mentoring, networking and training, and seed funding to support their ideas, businesses, and organizations.

11. Academic and Leadership Institutes
University partners are selected to host 25 Fellows on-campus in mid-June through July for a non-credit, non- degree, executive leadership training program.
Intensive institute includes linkages between academic sessions, site visits, professional networking opportunities, community service and organized cultural activities to maximize learning and cultural exchange.
In collaboration with the U.S. Department of State, IREX works closely with university partners selected to host a Mandela Washington Fellowship Academic and Leadership Institute in one of the identified themes: Business & Entrepreneurship, Civic Leadership, Public Management, or Energy. Each Institute hosts 25 Fellows on-campus in mid-June through July for a non-credit, non-degree, executive leadership training program.
The intensive institute model includes linkages between academic sessions, site visits, professional networking opportunities, community service and organized cultural activities to maximize learning and cultural exchange.
By engaging and volunteering with community service organizations in the area, Fellows immerse themselves within the broader university community and build links between the university, the community, and Africa at large. Whether they are mentoring local youth or assisting area food pantries in preparing for distributions, Mandela Washington Fellows are eager to engage and give back to their adopted community.
Benefits to the host university’s campus and community are numerous and long-lasting. As cultural ambassadors of their countries, Fellows bring diversity and new perspectives, and are eager to make meaningful connections with Americans. As one 2015 Host Institute shared “Students and faculty have a better understanding of cultural differences between African nations along with the challenges and opportunities that exist between each country. They have also established new friendships and bridged new partnerships that will last a lifetime.”
University partners which have been selected for 2016 will be announced by the Department of State in February and posted on the IREX website. It is anticipated information regarding the selection of university partners for the 2017 Mandela Washington Fellowship program will be posted on the IREX website in late summer 2016.
For questions, please contact Sarah Boeving, Senior Program Officer, at
For updates on the Fellowship, please follow us on social media at Facebook.com/MandelaWashingtonFellowship and Twitter.com/WashFellowship. You can also get updates on our website at yali.state.gov/washington-fellowship.

12. Education
Education supports economic development, social reform, and civic participation. It provides the foundation for tomorrow’s leaders.
We work with individuals, institutions, and governments around the world to improve the quality of teaching and learning, inside and outside the classroom. We work with teachers and administrators, from school through university and professional training.

13. International Teacher Programs
Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program (Fulbright TEA)
Brings international teachers to the United States for a six- week program that offers academic seminars for professional development at a host university.
Participants observe classrooms and share their expertise with teachers and students at the host university and at local secondary schools
Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program for International Teachers (Fulbright DAI)
Brings international primary and secondary teachers to the United States for a semester- long program
Pursue individual or group projects, take courses for professional development at a host university, observe, and share their expertise with US colleagues.

14. U.S. Teacher Programming
Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program (Fulbright TGC)
Year-long professional development opportunity for U.S. elementary, middle, and high school teachers to develop skills for preparing students for a competitive global economy.
Equips teachers to bring an international perspective to their schools through targeted training, experience abroad, and global collaboration.

15. IREX Higher Education Development
Strengthen curricula to match current needs and standards
Enhance and update teaching methods and technology
Improve student employability through campus-based workforce development
Bridge the gap between industry and academia
Build management capacity of higher ed administrators
Help universities progress toward global academic standards
Create sustainable connections to the global academic community
The types of higher ed dev work that IREX does with higher ed institutions
IREX projects in higher-education development strengthen management structures and develop national, needs-based scholar programs because an effective higher-education structure allows for higher economic development and prepares leaders in all professional sectors.
IREX supports sustainable higher education institutional reform by building partnerships between institutions in the developing world and the U.S. in order to strengthen a global community of universities to catalyze social, political, and economic development.
Around the globe IREX trains faculty and administrators to strengthen university curricula and to enhance and update teaching methods and technology.
Through IREX’s curriculum development activities, faculty become better equipped to review and revise curriculum in order to respond to labor market demands as well as to model internationally recognized accreditation standards.
IREX’s targeted technology trainings enable faculty and administrators to implement innovative, practical strategies in their home universities, such as online course delivery, open educational resources, and hybrid courses.
IREX’s career services, builds university institutional capacity to establish and operate career centers and partners academia with industry in order to strengthen student career readiness.
IREX works cross-sectorally, liaising with the Ministries of Higher Education, Labor, and Planning to support universities to better prepare students to enter the workforce and to facilitate dialogue between industry and academia. IREX also organized Business Advisory Meetings, which build connections between academia and private sector supporting workforce development, addressing graduate employment challenges, and conducting surveys or industry needs and trends.
Through management skills training and hands-on experience at a U.S. public university, IREX equips university administrators in Africa, Eastern Europe, Eurasia, and the Middle East with the skills to become effective change agents at their home institutions. With a particular focus on research management, IREX aims to develop the next generation of research administrators, enabling participants to build their universities into leading research institutions among their peers.
IREX higher ed programs are ongoing in select countries in Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Africa, and the Middle East: Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Ghana, Kenya, Moldova, Nigeria, South Africa, Ukraine, Morocco and Iraq.

16. Building Higher Ed Partnerships
Provide technical input to assist partner university develop capacity
Jointly develop and implement small grants
Host a mid- or senior-level university administrator
Access tools to support institutions, administrations, and faculty
How IREX partners with institutions to support the type of higher ed work that we do
IREX administers small grants to Iraqi universities that provide U.S. universities with an opportunity to support creative ideas that build and foster sustainable relationships in priority areas in Iraqi higher education. Grants are aimed at providing seed funding for U.S. and Iraq partners to develop longer term partnerships, foster sustainable collaboration in priority areas and expand the impact on Iraqi campuses while addressing needs within the local community.
The U.S. partner institutions will work with the Iraqi partner to jointly develop and implement a small grant. U.S. partners will provide technical input to assist Iraqi partners to develop capacity in the selected area. The small grants are nimble enough to allow collaborators to identify key areas of mutual interest. IREX developed a range of tools, including a minimum requested standards and best practices framework , cost guidelines, and faculty selection application, to guide partnering universities in the design and implementation of their project.
IREX brings a cohort of University Administration Support Program management fellows to the U.S., who will be placed at host universities. IREX invites U.S. public universities to host a mid- or senior-level university administrator from Eurasia and Africa to collaborate with counterparts at your university and analyze U.S. models and administrative culture firsthand. This year participants will build a Research Administration Comparison Study that will outline key aspects of the U.S. model or research administration in a particular area (eg, technology transfer, research ethics, establishing an office of sponsored research, etc), which will guide them and their colleagues in implementing sustainable reform at their home institution. IREX asks the host university to provide a workspace, assist IREX in finding housing for the fellow, as well as identify a host advisor in the research management department who would be able to serve as a mentor and assist them in connecting with people and resources at the university.
[Hosting a UASP fellow brings a variety of benefits to U.S. universities:
-Institutions receive free publicity through IREX & the fellow
-Fellows contribute to campus and staff diversity
-Hosting fellows promote collaboration and development of sustainable partnerships between administrators, their U.S. counterparts and their universities
-IREX sponsors fellows’ visas, provides financial support, and monitors and supports fellows’ progress
-As this program is fully funded by the Carnegie Corporation, there is no cost share for host universities. In addition, IREX provides an honorarium to the host university.]
IREX has developed a full range of tools to support university administrators and faculty in developing their higher education institutions. All tools are deigned to be globally relevant and sensitive to the contexts of higher education institutions in developing countries. The toolkits offer both a conceptual framework and practical, hands-on tools.
-Higher Education Institution Capacity Assessment Tool (HEICAT): assists senior leaders at higher education institutions in developing countries to conduct a comprehensive institutional capacity assessment. The tool assesses key areas such as material and human resources, research capacity, knowledge sharing and management, industry engagement, etc. The HEICAT facilitates conversation, examines assessment indicators, and helps stakeholders prioritize goals.
-Career Center Toolkit: improves student workforce preparedness by training university administrators in topics such as experiential learning and internships, relationships with industry partners, crafting a vision and mission, and creating a sustainable workplan.
-Student Innovation and Design Project Toolkit: enables academic departments to design industry-focused capstone courses that will culminate in public events showcasing student innovation and creativity. This toolkit covers a range of themes including: hands-on learning and experiential education models, fostering student innovation and research, and engaging industry to develop solutions to research needs.
-IREX’s Moodle Platform: builds the capacity of university administrators through tailor-made workshops on topics including developing a research proposal, curriculum development, quality assurance in higher education, leadership development, and additional customizable sessions.
Please check out irex.org for more information about our higher education development projects and see me after if you are interested in learning more about hosting a university administrator fellow or about accessing our higher ed tools for your partner universities.

17. All programs in this presentation are programs of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State.