Statement of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold
On International Education Week
Mr. FEINGOLD: Mr. President, in honor of the seventh annual International
Education Week (November 13 – 17, 2006), I would like to talk
about the importance that international education and exchange programs
play in establishing closer relations between the United States and
the world.
The United States government has a proud tradition of supporting international
education and exchange programs, and we must continue that tradition.
Why? First of all, international education is necessary for our children
to remain competitive in the increasingly global economy. Second, exchange
programs also attract future leaders from abroad, exposing them to the
opportunities and freedoms afforded by our democratic system. Third,
international education and exchange programs expand horizons and change
the lives of the participants for the better. Finally, international
education builds bridges between communities and improves understanding
of cultures different from our own—something that has perhaps
never been as important as it is today.
International Education Week will be observed in all 50 states and
in over 100 countries I encourage my colleagues to take a moment during
International Education Week to acknowledge the work the citizens of
their states are doing to ensure the successful future of the United
States through the promotion of international education.
In Wisconsin, schools like Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton,
Northcentral Technical College in Wausau, and the University of Wisconsin
system, to name a few, will hold events recognizing the importance of
international education in higher education. Community organizations
will be recognizing the week as well; the International Institute of
Wisconsin will be hosting a Community Summit on Citizen Diplomacy to
discuss the important role citizen diplomacy – including international
education - plays in today’s world. I am proud that these, and
many other Wisconsin institutions and organizations, are working to
recognize the important role of international education and exchanges.
I am a strong supporter of international education and exchange programming.
On April 12, 2005, I introduced Senate Resolution 104, the “People-to-People
Engagement in World Affairs” resolution. My resolution recognized
the importance of international programs and exchanges and called on
Americans to strive to become more engaged in international affairs
and more aware of peoples and developments outside the United States
– including studying abroad. I have also cosponsored resolutions
making 2005 the Year of Foreign Language Study and 2006 as the Year
of Study Abroad.
I would like to take a moment to lay out in more detail the reasons
international education is so important.
First and foremost, we need to be preparing our children to compete
in a global economy. Because the United States is increasingly connected
to foreign economies, international education and exchanges are critical
for the United States workforce to remain competitive – especially
to fulfill the increased need for foreign language proficiency. We cannot
compete globally if we are unable to promote and sell our goods and
services, and we will hinder ourselves if we do not provide opportunities
for American students to learn foreign languages or about other cultures
and societies.
In 2006, a University of Wisconsin - Platteville alum, triple majoring
in Criminal Justice, Spanish, and Biology, participated on a study-abroad
program in Merida, Venezuela. During her studies in Merida, she was
able to hone her Spanish language skills and take a specialized course
in law. She now works in Wisconsin as a correctional officer and is
called upon regularly to assist with translation services. This student
– like many others who study abroad – honed her foreign
language proficiency through her international education experience
and is directly applying the skills she obtained overseas in her employment.
She is a greater asset to her employer because she can provide translation
services. International education and exchange programs are crucial
components for the United States and must continued to be supported
in order to maintain a healthy economy.
International education advances the United States’ global economic
interests and has been shown to give students an advantage over their
peers in the United States who have not been exposed to international
experiences. Most students realize this fact. The Department of State
has noted that 88% of American college students believe international
education will give them a competitive advantage in the workplace.
While international education and exchange programs improve America’s
competitiveness globally, they also attract current and future leaders
from other countries to the United States. According to the Department
of State, more than 565,000 international students from over 200 countries
study in the U.S. each year - some of whom will return home to become
leaders of their countries. The more they know about the United States
and the more connections they have with American citizens, the better.
Emmanuel Sanon of Haiti was a recent participant in the Northcentral
Technical College’s CASS (Cooperative Association of States for
Scholarships) program. CASS is a USAID funded scholarship program for
students from countries in the Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico
to study at a two year college in the United States with hopes of gaining
technical and leadership skills in order to return home to become agents
for change in their countries.
Bonnie Bissonette, Director of International Education at Northcentral
Technical College, wrote me about Emmanuel’s experience and said:
Emmanuel studied Electromechanical Technology and Leadership at Northcentral
Technical College in Wausau from 2003-2005 and returned home to Haiti
with high hopes for his future. Since returning home, he has had 5
contractual jobs with the U.N. in Haiti and is looking to start a
tech school for the youth of his community. He has already started
to provide some computer and English language training. Wisconsin
has taken a lead role in educating the economically disadvantaged
youth of our close neighbors to the south so that they can improve
the standard of living and slow the tide of economic emmigration.
Fox Valley Technical College and NTC are two of only 13 community
colleges in the United States that host this highly successful program.
Emmanuel’s experience is only one of several success stories
I could share about the useful skills exchange students gain while studying
in the United States which are later used to improve the lives of others
in their home countries.
Which brings me to my next point – international education and
exchange programs expand horizons and change lives by exposing the participants
and programmers to new ways of thinking and living. Those who study
abroad are forced to live outside of their comfort zones and as a result
they learn a vast amount about themselves and other cultures. They often
return home as different people with greater awareness and appreciation
for others.
A University of Wisconsin -Whitewater professor wrote to me recently
and said:
For about ten years now, I have been the coordinator of a student
exchange between UW-Whitewater and Arnhem Business School in the Netherlands.
My students change dramatically during their experience. They even
‘look’ different when they return. At first they are tentative
and worried, and by the time they leave, they are truly citizens of
the world….Working as a coordinator is one of the most rewarding
things I do as a professor.
This example drives home the fact that in Wisconsin, and also across
the United States, students who choose to engage in international education
and exchange opportunities are truly changed forever.
The deeper understanding of other cultures is a two-way street and is
vital to enhancing the image of the United States abroad and our national
security. Citizen-to-citizen exchanges improve perceptions of the United
States: a 2006 study published by the Pew Research Center found that
“publics around the world continue to have a more positive opinion
of the American people than they do of the United States. In seven of
the 14 foreign countries surveyed, at least half of respondents have
a favorable impression of Americans; in contrast, four countries give
the U.S. positive marks.”
Through their international experiences, exchange participants are
able to demonstrate American values, listen to different viewpoints
and speak about the similarities they share with populations around
the world. Increasing international understanding of America will improve
the image of the United States – and an improved perception of
the United States will serve to also improve our national security.
International education and exchange programs also have great potential
to create beneficial relationships between communities on opposite sides
of the world. These relationships can lead to increased opportunities
for commerce and development for everyone.
Let me give you an example. For the first time this year, the University
of Wisconsin - Green Bay was awarded a Department of State grant to
take college students to Jordan to study for two weeks. The program,
called “Journey to Jordan,” gave students the opportunity
to spend 6 weeks in Jordan learning Arabic, living with host families,
volunteering at civil service organizations, and learning firsthand
about Jordanian culture. These students returned with exposure to another
language and a greater understanding of another culture.
Just as important, however, is that the program itself built a bridge
between Jordan in the United States. Earlier this month, the Vice President
of the University of Jordan, along with members of the North American
Jordanian Association (NAJA) and the American MidEast Leadership Network,
traveled to the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay, at their own expense,
to discuss future partnership opportunities.
These individuals chose to travel to the United States because they
want to maintain a relationship with the University of Wisconsin - Green
Bay. This is a wonderful connection between universities and countries
that I hope will continue to grow.
I commend those who work every day to promote international education
and exchange programs, but we need to work even harder to engage more
Americans in international education and exchange programs. To start,
we should be following the lead of those who have begun this process.
The University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh has a Global Education certificate
program that educates teachers on how to introduce global perspectives
in the classroom. Wisconsin’s own State Superintendent, Elizabeth
Burmaster, has worked to encourage K-12 schools to introduce students
to global perspectives in the classroom at an earlier age.
But we can do more. I was a strong supporter of the creation of the
Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program, an
independent commission created in 2004 for the purpose of recommending
a program to greatly expand the opportunity for students at institutions
of higher education in the United States to study abroad, with special
emphasis on studying in developing countries. One of my colleagues –
Senator Durbin – has taken the first step in working to implement
the Commission’s published recommendations by introducing the
Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Act (S. 3744).
The purpose of S. 3744 is to encourage at least 1,000,000 undergraduate
students in the United States to participate in study abroad programs
academic credit within 10 years, including students in technical and
scientific fields of study. The program also seeks to ensure that an
increasing portion of study abroad takes place in nontraditional destinations,
with substantial increases in developing countries.
The bill would specifically authorize the Secretary of State to establish
an Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Program to facilitate undergraduate
study abroad for academic credit through the creation of undergraduate
fellowships and grants to institutions of higher education to reform
academic programs and institutional policies that inhibit participation
by students in study abroad.
Senator Durbin’s bill – along with other international
education and exchange legislative initiatives – is an important
step to one day having all American students engaged in some type of
international education or exchange program and we need to continue
to take the necessary steps to provide our children every opportunity
to learn about new cultures and to speak a second, or even third, language.
As we recognize and celebrate International Education Week I call on
all Americans to take a few minutes to learn something new this week
about another culture and I encourage all Americans to recognize and
support international education and exchange throughout the year.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
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