America is Open for Opportunity – International Education Week

Nov 18, 2022

Stakeholders have many reasons to celebrate International Education Week in 2022 – with some saying that cultural exchange is the closest we’ll get to having superpowers.

Held between November 14-18, IEW is a joint initiative by the US Department of State and the Department of Education which aims to “promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and to attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences”.

“This IEW, and every day, America is open for opportunity,” said US secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona, referring to this year’s theme, ‘Open for Opportunity’.

Cardona said he is “proud” to reaffirm a “shared commitment to ensure students succeed in today’s interconnected world, learning about and appreciating diverse languages, experiences and viewpoints enriches our lives”.

International exchanges also enable students to build global competencies while deepening social, emotional, critical thinking and collaboration skills, he added.

“I often say that being multilingual and multicultural are superpowers. These are assets that make our kids and make our country even stronger,” said Cardona. International exchanges are a big part of developing global and cultural competencies for US students who study abroad and for communities here in the US who welcome international students to their schools and their homes.”

Antony J Blinken, US Secretary of State, shared his own experience of studying abroad as a teenager. It helped him to see his own country through others’ eyes – a perspective he carries to this day, he said.

“When international students and scholars come to the US and when Americans study abroad, they bring their talents, perspectives and cultures to their new communities,” he said.

He added that international students can advance research and knowledge, sparking innovation and forging long-lasting bonds which span borders.

Such collective efforts are vital to tackle global challenges, from combating climate change and pandemics, to broadening economic opportunity and championing human rights, said Blinken

Source: Pie News