On Friday, May 31, the U.S. Commercial Service (USCS) Global Education Team held a “Best Practices for Study State Consortia Meeting” at the AACRAO facilities in Washington, D.C., the week of NAFSA 2019.
USCS is the export promotion arm of the International Trade Administration (ITA) within the U.S. Department of Commerce. ITA’s mission is to strengthen the competitiveness of U.S. industry, promote trade and investment, and ensure fair trade
through the rigorous enforcement of our trade laws and agreements. ITA also works to enhance the global business environment and helps U.S. organizations compete both at home and abroad. More information on programs and services for the education
sector can be found on export.gov/industry/education.
As part of the meeting, the USCS Global Education Team laid the foundation for USCS to put forward an ITA U.S. International Education Initiative to further assist the industry in developing a strategy to compete globally.
The ITA U.S. International Education Initiative includes three pillars:
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Development of infrastructure within ITA to convene industry stakeholders and USG on the topic of U.S. International Education
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Development by the private sector and state and local government stakeholders of a national Study State Consortium
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Development of U.S. International Education Committees at CS Posts overseas
ITA has worked diligently to encourage the creation of a network of educational state consortia from across the United States, now representing over 35 states. These organizations support international student recruitment efforts and highlight states
as study destinations by coordinating and pooling their own resources and collaborating with partners locally, such as the economic development and travel and tourism offices.
ITA will continue to: 1. provide export promotion support to the study state consortia to strengthen their role and outreach at the state, regional, national and international level; 2. assist with strengthening and replicating best practices for study-state-level
endeavors across the United States and abroad.
Topics discussed included, Best Practices for Starting a Study State Consortia, Best Practices for Established Study State Consortia, and Alternative Sources of Funding Beyond Dues.
AACRAO is pleased to support the efforts of the USCS in promoting the U.S. as a study destination for international students.