IIE Mission

 

An independent, nonprofit organization, the Institute is a resource for educators and institutions worldwide. Our goals are:

Who Participates in IIE Programs?

IIE manages over 250 programs. Sponsors include the:

 

IIE History

 

IIE was established in 1919, in the aftermath of World War I, by Nicholas Murray Butler, President of Columbia University, Elihu Root, former Secretary of State, and Stephen Duggan, Sr., Professor of Political Science at the College of the City of New York and IIE's first President. They believed that there could be no lasting peace without greater understanding between nations—and that international educational exchange formed the strongest basis for fostering such understanding.

The Institute was created to act as a catalyst for educational exchange. It met a real need for a central point of contact and source of information both for U.S. higher education and for foreign nations interested in establishing educational relations with the United States.

Twenties:

IIE began organized student exchanges with several European governments—some of which endure to this days—as well as faculty and teacher exchanges. IIE President Stephen Duggan persuaded the government to create nonimmigrant student visas, bypassing post-war quotas set in the Immigration Act of 1921. The Institute published the first reference guides to international study and created a climate for international education on campus with the establishment of a network of International Relations clubs.

Thirties:

The Institute established the Emergency Committee to Aid Displaced German Scholars, an important activity which eventually aided such distinguished individuals as Martin Buber, Paul Tillich and Jacques Maritain. Edward R. Murrow began his career as IIE's Assistant Director at this time, helping to find lectureships for these refugee scholars. IIE also assisted those fleeing from Spanish and Italian fascism. Expanding its activities outside Europe, IIE opened the first exchanges with the Soviet Union and Latin America.

Fourties:

With programs designed to counter the Axis propaganda threat, IIE began its cooperation with the predecessor agencies of the U.S. Department of State through large-scale Latin American exchanges. After the Second World War, the Institute was instrumental in establishing what it now NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the professional association of those who work for international education on campus. IIE also arranged for more than 4,000 U.S. students to study and work on reconstruction projects at devastated European universities.

In 1946, the Institute began its administration of the graduate student component of the Fulbright Program— IIE's largest program, still active today.

Fifties:

IIE became increasingly involved with assisting the developing world, managing programs concerned with public administration, food research, family planning, and other development-related fields for the countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The Institute aided Hungarian refugee students, arranging scholarships for more than 700 freedom fighters to study in the U.S.

The flow of foreign students to the United States nearly doubled during this decade, and IIE established its U.S. office network to serve the large number of students under its supervision and to promote international education in the community and on campus. IIE began producing on an annual basis statistical data on the foreign student population in the U.S. The Fulbright Program expanded greatly.

Sixties:

The Institute established overseas offices in Asia, Africa, and Latin America to meet growing needs for information about U.S. higher education. Donor-supported Educational Services were likewise expanded to meet the increasing demand for information on international education. IIE continued to expand its fellowship services in support of human resource development in developing countries, in the belief that education is an important key to the development process.

Seventies:

IIE undertook administration of the Venezuelan Government's "Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho" Scholarship Program which assisted nearly 4,000 promising young Venezuelans, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, to study in the United States in fields related to national development. IIE also assumed responsibility for a portion of the USIA International Visitor Program. IIE began administering the ITT International Fellowship Program, which for 17 years was an exemplary model of corporate involvement in international educational exchange.

In 1978–79, IIE joined with the White House and USIA in planning the innovative Hubert H. Humphrey North-South Fellowships, which brings mid-career professionals in public service fields from developing countries and East Central Europe to the U.S. for a year of academic study and practical professional experience. The end of the decade also saw the beginnings of the South African Education Program, designed to prepare black South Africans for a post-apartheid future.

Eighties:

The South African Education Program continued to develop—a unique cooperative effort of U.S. foundations, corporations, universities, and USAID that provides opportunities for black South Africans to study in the United States.

The Institute began managing short-term, hands-on professional development projects and internships—largely through the administration of projects for USAIDs—and further extended its reach into Africa and Southeast Asia opening offices in Jakarta, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Cairo. Innovative programs in journalism and human rights were added to the IIE roster. Taking advantage of improving relations with Communist governments, IIE developed the U.S.-U.S.S.R. Student Exchange Program in cooperation with the Soviet State Committee for Public Education and extended its educational advising services in the People's Republic of China.

The International Education Information Center was opened at New York headquarters. Enrichment programs designed to introduce foreign students to American society and culture were developed. IIE also expanded its services for scientific and technical development, establishing the Department of Science and Technology, which currently manages USAID's worldwide Energy Training Project.

Marking a significant commitment on the Institute's part to strengthening services in support of international cultural exchange, IIE merged with Arts International, Inc.(AI), bringing together IIE's worldwide outreach and program management experience with AI's information resources and assistance provided to arts professionals.

Today:

IIE celebrates 85 years of excellence in educating future leaders from the United States and around the world. IIE is initiating programs for leaders, managers, professors, and students in formerly Communist countries to learn about market economics and democratic institutions. IIE is also developing collaborative programs with Japan and Southeast Asia to deepen mutual understanding and address issues of common concern, and developing new models for educational exchange within North America. Worldwide, IIE is working with policy makers and scientists to address the immensely complex task of solving environmental problems.

© Copyright Institute of International Education

Home