This summer, 500 Africans studied business, leadership and public management on American campuses as part of a new State Department program.  The Obama administration has hailed the effort, which is part of the larger Young African Leaders Initiative, as a fresh take on public diplomacy.

This year, the state may miss its quota of international students who come to study various undergraduate courses under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarship scheme.  According to ICCR officials in Delhi, Bangalore University (BU) is to be blamed for this.

India has provided 74 scholarships in Indian institutions of learning to Maldivian students who wish to pursue their studies in India, the Indian High Commission said in a statement Monday.  "India attaches the highest importance to its relations with the Maldives and is committed to cooperating with the Maldives in its developmental efforts," the statement read.

Both the number and growth of Chinese students at American universities is one of the more startling phenomena in higher education. A welcome one, too: study abroad would seem to promise a future where U.S.-China relations might be characterized by greater firsthand knowledge of American culture among the Chinese. By generating greater understanding, their experience in the U.S. should also expand their sense of common interests, brightening prospects for cooperation between the world’s main powers.

The absence of a federal ministry of education and the largely circumscribed role of the federal government in education in both the United States and Canada result in international education policy falling between the cracks of federal (foreign-international affairs) and state-provincial (higher education) responsibility. The two jurisdictions thus provide an interesting comparative context to examine factors shaping the federal role in international education and consequently its influence on higher education.

From students and interns to researchers and teachers, throughout the Western Hemisphere the opportunity to live in each other’s countries, learn each other’s languages, study together, and share knowledge is essential to our connected economies and our relationships. This is the premise of President Obama’s 100,000 Strong in the Americas initiative that aims to increase educational exchanges between the United States and Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada. 

A group of 12 Zambians and Zimbabweans will be in the United States as part of the Business and Entrepreneurship Exchange Programme. They were selected from a competitive pool with over 300 applications received from interested entrepreneurs. Their placements are in the states of North Carolina and Colorado. In addition, eight American participants will be selected to participate in a two-week reciprocal program to Zambia and Zimbabwe in early 2015.