There has never been as much attention paid to study abroad and the instruction of foreign languages as there is now, says the head of a national consortium on international education.
Balancing that good news is the realization that this attention doesn't always translate into national educational policy, and when it is the funds aren't always there to support it, said Miriam A. Kazanjian of the Coalition for International Education.
Kazanjian spoke Nov. 20 at a meeting of the Atlantic Coast Conference International Academic Collaborative (ACCIAC), the inter-institutional academic collaborative among the 12 universities in the ACC.
She was the keynote speaker at a daylong conference focusing on the ACC institutions' efforts in study abroad, foreign language instruction and international studies programs. More than 100 educators in these fields attended the meeting at the Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club.
Kazanjian said after 9/11 there was strong political recognition of the need for better understanding of foreign cultures. Much of the interest came from the military and national security sectors, she said, but support also came from other sources as well, particularly people interested in economic development.
Yet this support for international education hasn't completely translated into more support for higher education, she said, or for Title VI, the part of the 1958 federal National Defense Education Act that supports many international education programs such as international study centers and international fellowships.
"Not all of these ideas are getting follow-through from Congress," Kazanjian said. "In addition, many supporters are focused on K-12. That is seen as the weakest part in international education. Over the years, while support for Title VI has been strong, funding at the K-12 level has been flat."
There also have been political obstacles, she said. Some politicians have attacked support for international study centers, particularly those that focus on the Middle East, for being "anti-American."
Kazanjian said she believed the transfer of congressional power to Democrats would ensure continued support for international education. She noted that several new committee chairs, such as Sen. Ted Kennedy (D.-Mass.), and Rep. George Miller (D -- Calif.), have traditionally been supportive of education.
But she was cautious whether Congress would provide significant increases for international programs. "Congress is going to be very cognizant of the country's fiscal situation," she said. "International education will be a priority, but they are going to balance priorities against fiscal realities."
During the daylong conference, educators from ACC schools shared ideas and information on international education programs. The meeting was organized by the office of Gilbert Merkx, Duke's vice provost for international affairs.
The ACCIAC was founded in 1999 to promote academic collaboration among the athletic competitors. The group emphasizes international and global issues, especially study abroad and international research.
One of its initiatives is a faculty development grant in which an interdisciplinary group of researchers from ACC schools participate in an international joint research trip. This past summer, the program involved a research project on water resources in major watersheds in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. Duke's Curtis Richardson participated in the project.
Next summer, the initiative is sponsoring ACC faculty on a research mission on reconciliation and reconstruction issues in Uganda, Rwanda and South Africa. In addition, the ACCIAC is currently accepting research proposals for summer 2008.
For more information about the ACCIAC, go to the organization's website here.