Press Room
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ursula Oaks, 202.737.3699 ext. 2553
For Release: Jul 22, 2005
Successful Public Diplomacy Strategy Must Include Central Role for Educational, Cultural Exchanges
Today NAFSA: Association of International Educators released the following statement:
As the U.S. Senate holds the confirmation hearing of Karen Hughes today for the key State Department post of undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, repairing America’s image abroad and the challenges of the global war for hearts and minds continue to be issues of critical importance to the country. Amid questions about libraries, America’s "brand," and broadcasting stations abroad, the debate about the future of U.S. public diplomacy must include serious consideration of what new strategic direction will be needed to achieve what is at the core of this critical mission: to establish strong, meaningful ties between the American people and the rest of the world. There is no better or more proven tool for this important task than educational, professional, and cultural exchanges.
Since World War II, generations of foreign policy leaders have acknowledged the central importance of educational and cultural exchanges to winning friends for the United States. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice noted this week that such exchanges are "the way that we get the face of America to others and that we get others to know us." Recent commission reports, including that of the 9/11 Commission, have emphasized the need to include educational and cultural exchanges as an integral component of a strategy to win the war on terrorism. Given this widespread consensus about the importance of international education, it is striking that the United States lacks a policy for using this essential tool to advance our interests. In the current policy vacuum, our government continues to enact policies that have the unintended effect of stifling exchanges between our people and the rest of the world. In the absence of strong policy leadership, the United States also lacks the means to effectively respond to another urgent national need: to ensure that our citizens are globally educated.
What is needed is a policy that promotes the internationalization of learning in the broadest sense, including supporting the learning of foreign languages and knowledge of other cultures by Americans, promoting study abroad by U.S. students, encouraging students from other countries to study in the United States, facilitating the exchange of scholars and of citizens at all levels of society, and enhancing the educational infrastructure through which we produce international competence and research.
The president’s nomination of Karen Hughes reflects his commitment to making public diplomacy a top priority for his administration. In this role, she will have a unique opportunity to establish a policy direction that will ensure the future of U.S. leadership, competitiveness, and security. A national policy on international education is long overdue and will be essential to a successful public diplomacy strategy.
As the U.S. Senate holds the confirmation hearing of Karen Hughes today for the key State Department post of undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, repairing America’s image abroad and the challenges of the global war for hearts and minds continue to be issues of critical importance to the country. Amid questions about libraries, America’s "brand," and broadcasting stations abroad, the debate about the future of U.S. public diplomacy must include serious consideration of what new strategic direction will be needed to achieve what is at the core of this critical mission: to establish strong, meaningful ties between the American people and the rest of the world. There is no better or more proven tool for this important task than educational, professional, and cultural exchanges.
Since World War II, generations of foreign policy leaders have acknowledged the central importance of educational and cultural exchanges to winning friends for the United States. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice noted this week that such exchanges are "the way that we get the face of America to others and that we get others to know us." Recent commission reports, including that of the 9/11 Commission, have emphasized the need to include educational and cultural exchanges as an integral component of a strategy to win the war on terrorism. Given this widespread consensus about the importance of international education, it is striking that the United States lacks a policy for using this essential tool to advance our interests. In the current policy vacuum, our government continues to enact policies that have the unintended effect of stifling exchanges between our people and the rest of the world. In the absence of strong policy leadership, the United States also lacks the means to effectively respond to another urgent national need: to ensure that our citizens are globally educated.
What is needed is a policy that promotes the internationalization of learning in the broadest sense, including supporting the learning of foreign languages and knowledge of other cultures by Americans, promoting study abroad by U.S. students, encouraging students from other countries to study in the United States, facilitating the exchange of scholars and of citizens at all levels of society, and enhancing the educational infrastructure through which we produce international competence and research.
The president’s nomination of Karen Hughes reflects his commitment to making public diplomacy a top priority for his administration. In this role, she will have a unique opportunity to establish a policy direction that will ensure the future of U.S. leadership, competitiveness, and security. A national policy on international education is long overdue and will be essential to a successful public diplomacy strategy.
