The U.S. Department of State and the New Zealand government agency Education New Zealand announce a new partnership in support of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program.

The new partnership was announced on May 30, 2017 during the opening session of the NAFSA Annual Conference in Los Angeles. NAFSA is the world’s largest association dedicated to international education and exchange, and its annual conference is an important event for higher education institutions, stakeholders and governments from over 110 countries.

“The Gilman – Education New Zealand partnership is an affirmation of the strong cooperation between our two nations.  Through this partnership, American students who otherwise would likely not study or intern abroad will now have a deeper understanding of the global economy and global challenges that we face together. People-to-people interactions between Americans and New Zealanders promote cooperation with one of our closest allies.” said Acting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Mark Taplin.

The Gilman scholarship has enabled over 24,000 economically disadvantaged American students to study or intern abroad, benefitting Americans from diverse backgrounds and institutions. Of the nearly 3,000 American undergraduate students supported in this exchange program each year, almost half are the first in their families to attend college.

New Zealand Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Paul Goldsmith welcomed the partnership, which will see Education New Zealand commit to providing $50,000 over the next two years, to support Gilman Scholars to study and/or intern for academic credit in New Zealand. This funding will be matched by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA).

ECA is dedicated to fostering mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries to promote friendly and peaceful relations. ECA accomplishes its mission through people-to-people exchanges, including educational exchanges, providing opportunities for over 50,000 individuals annually to participate.

More information can be found at www.GilmanScholarship.org.

On May 4, 2017 the U.S. Department of State honored a group of extraordinary young leaders with the Emerging Young Leaders Award. These inspiring youth from around the world will be recognized for their tenacity and courage to promote conflict resolution and prevent violence in their communities. Among other achievements, this year’s group has been instrumental in reducing crime, expanding civic engagement, improving education, and promoting interfaith dialogue within their communities.

After participating in advanced leadership training and meetings with U.S. government officials and non-governmental organizations, the honorees will travel to Austin, Texas. While in Austin, the group will participate in professional meetings and engage with their American counterparts. The young leaders will reconvene in Washington, D.C. to share project plans and explore future collaboration. Then, their program will continue in their home communities with mentoring and support through a virtual exchange.

Congratulations to this year’s award recipients!  

The 2017 Awardees:

Naomi Bugre – Malta

Chamathya Fernando – Sri Lanka

Raj Kumar – Pakistan

Quyên Lưu – Vietnam

Amel Mohandi – Algeria

Jahongir Olimov – Tajikistan

Noé Petitjean – Belgium

Moisés Salazar Vila – Peru

Hanna Tams – Jerusalem

Learn more about the program at https://exchanges.state.gov/eyl. You can also follow the conversation online with #EYLeaders and @ECAatState. Interested media should contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at eca-press@state.gov.

On April 17, the U.S. Department of State will host more than 100 international law enforcement, security, judicial, and NGO officials for the third annual Towards a More Safe and Secure World initiative. Participants of this annual International Visitor Leadership Program initiative spend three weeks cooperating with their U.S. counterparts to find solutions to shared global security responsibilities. They will discuss and examine mutual threats related to terrorism, border security, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, cyber security, and trafficking in persons. 

The program begins with a daylong plenary in Washington, D.C., where the security and law enforcement experts will discuss the closer international cooperation needed to address key global security issues with top public and private sector security experts. Participants will then travel to small and mid-sized U.S. cities for programming with federal, regional, and local law enforcement officers and public officials. Discussions will provide an understanding of public safety and security concerns and the nature of cooperation among law enforcement entities. The program will conclude in New York City at an annual Global Security Conference sponsored by the Department of State and the FBI’s New York Field Office. 

Follow along on social media with #GlobalSecurity and #IVLP.

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