Last modified: Tuesday, October 31, 2006
IU President joins U.S. Education Secretary On outreach trip to Japan, Korea and China
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 31, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University President Adam W. Herbert announced today (Oct. 31) that he has accepted the invitation of Education Secretary Margaret Spellings to join a select delegation of U.S. college and university presidents who will travel with her next week to Japan, Korea and China.
The trip is jointly sponsored by the United States Departments of State and Education. It is the first official delegation of U.S. college and university presidents to be assembled for an overseas mission to promote the value of this country's higher education institutions.
Herbert will be one of 12 college and university presidents accompanying Spellings to serve, in her words, as "ambassadors for U.S. higher education as a whole, rather than representing their individual institutions."
The delegation is scheduled to meet with senior government, university and business leaders and with the press during stops in Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing. The trip will be led by Secretary Spellings and Assistant Secretary of State Dina Habib Powell.
"I am very proud that Indiana University will be part of the first delegation chosen for this important mission," Herbert said. "It provides a unique opportunity to discuss American higher education and to build relationships with senior government officials, as well as higher education and business leaders, in this significant part of the world. We will explore opportunities for expanded collaboration and affirm that the United States welcomes and values international students. We also will describe the benefits associated with pursing higher educational opportunities in America's outstanding colleges and universities."
The decision to send high-profile delegations overseas to promote America's higher education institutions was announced in January by U.S. Under Secretary of State Karen Hughes at the University Presidents' Summit on International Education in Washington, D.C. Each delegation will be led by a senior U.S. Government official.
Herbert has become nationally recognized as a leader in promoting opportunities for foreign students to study in the United States. He was a featured speaker during the University Presidents' Summit. In addition, at the invitation of Senator Dick Lugar, two years ago he testified before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the difficulties foreign students were encountering in securing visas for study in the U.S.
Some of the reforms urged by Herbert have since been implemented, enabling growing numbers of international students to enroll in U.S. institutions of higher learning.
At IU's eight campuses this fall, there are 1,027 students from South Korea, 583 from China and 208 from Japan.
"I am especially pleased to visit Korea, China and Japan personally. These are countries that the largest share of IU's international students call home." Herbert said. "Serving as a member of this delegation provides an opportunity to strengthen ties with these nations and with our local alumni who are such enthusiastic ambassadors for Indiana University and U.S. higher education as a whole."
