The University of Evansville has received one of this year’s Institute for International Education (IIE) Andrew Heiskell Awards for Innovation in International Education. UE received its award in the Higher Education in Emergencies category for its Scholars for Syria initiative. The awards were presented during the IIE Summit held in New York City from February 17-19.
The Higher Education in Emergencies award is given in recognition of successful approaches and strategies for supporting students and scholars who have been displaced from their home country due to violence, political persecution, or other emergent circumstances. UE has provided scholarships for 25 displaced Syrian students since 2016 and engages the larger community in dialogue around the Syrian crisis to change perceptions about the region.
“This is such an enormous validation for everyone at the University of Evansville who has worked tirelessly to welcome so many displaced students,” said Wesley Milner, executive director of international programs. “While the students have received a superlative education, the campus community has been the real beneficiary. Our international students enrich the entire Evansville region both in and out of the classroom and help us to achieve greater understanding and a global perspective.”
The IIE Andrew Heiskell Awards honor outstanding international education initiatives conducted by universities and colleges from among the 1,300 member institutions of the IIE Network. As a premier international organization celebrating its 100th anniversary, IIE is known for administering the Fulbright Student and Scholar Programs, Open Doors annual survey of international educational exchange, the Gilman Scholarships, Humphrey Fellowships, and Boren Scholarships for Critical Regions.
“To thrive in the global economy, students need access to international experiences during their college career,” said Clare Overmann, head of IIE’s Higher Education Initiatives. “We congratulate this year’s Heiskell Award winners for their outstanding success in providing new and innovative international education opportunities to their students.”
Since 2002, IIE has given the awards to ground-breaking institutions pursuing the most innovative and impactful models for internationalization of campuses, study abroad, and international partnership programs with these ultimate goals:
• To foster innovative ideas that will help international education professionals create and sustain new opportunities for students and faculty
• To bring international education to the forefront of education policy
• To stimulate public awareness of the benefits of study abroad and international educational exchange
