The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) is a
non-profit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
promoting
international education
International education refers to a dynamic concept that involves a journey or movement of people, minds, or ideas across political and cultural frontiers. It is facilitated by the globalization phenomenon, which increasingly erases the constrai ...
and exchange. It was founded in 1947 and is based in the United States. The organization is headquartered in
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metropol ...
.
Programs
CIEE operates over 175 study abroad programs in over 40 countries and teaching programs in
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
, China, Spain, and
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
. Summer seminars in 29 countries are available. As the largest sponsor of J-1 visa programs, CIEE organizes seasonal work experiences in the United States for approximately 45,000 university students each year through its Work & Travel USA program. It also organizes high school exchange programs for students in the United States as well as more than 30 countries around the world.
CIEE also maintains a membership community, the CIEE Academic Consortium. Academic institutions join the consortium in order to affiliate with CIEE's mission, to support CIEE's advocacy efforts in Washington and other world capitals, and to have a policy voice in CIEE's educational programs and activities. As such, CIEE Members are part of a worldwide network of colleges and universities.
Among others, CIEE established the Council Study Centre at
Vietnam National University, which receives about 50 students from various countries learning Vietnamese language and other sciences, and Study Center in
Khon Kaen
Khon Kaen ( th, ขอนแก่น, ) is one of the four major cities of Isan, Thailand, also known as the "big four of Isan", the others being Udon Thani, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Ubon Ratchathani. It is the capital of Khon Kaen province and ...
,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
.
History
One of the major goals after World War II was to develop international understanding and establish trust between nations. The development of student and teacher travel was considered the most effective tool to achieve that goal. As Senator J. William Fulbright said, “Educational exchange can turn nations into people, contributing as no other form of communication can to the humanizing of international relations” (Fulbright, 1994). In the United States, a number of organizations and religious groups became immediately interested in re-establishing various types of educational exchange programs that had
been suspended in 1939 at the beginning of the war.
There was a strong political rationale for the U.S. government to support student travel abroad programs. Students were seen as “ambassadors” of their own country who would represent the best national interests of the American society abroad and promote international understanding. At the same time, development of student travel abroad for educational and cultural purposes preserved a strong academic interest resulting from broadening the horizons of the younger generation and educating them through exchanges for cross-cultural and international competence.
In 1946, the international situation and the shortage of ships in trans-Atlantic service did not permit such travel, but in 1947 many organizations endeavored to send exchange students abroad to conferences, work camps, and study seminars. It was recognized that special provisions would need to be made for U.S. student groups going to Europe during the summer seasons and that only joint efforts could be undertaken in order to pursue this
goal.
Prior to May 1947, representatives of a number of educational agencies had been negotiating with the U.S. Department of State about the possibility of utilizing troop transports for the re-establishment of educational travel and exchange programs during the summer of 1947. In April 1947, at the request of the Department of State, the Maritime Commission agreed to assign two C-4 Troop ships to be used for sending U.S. students on exchange programs to Europe that summer. The United States Lines and the Moore-McCormick Line were asked to serve as general agents for these vessels (although
at a later date the Moore-McCormick Line was dropped and the United States Lines took full responsibility for the operation of the vessels).
The Department of State was given the responsibility for determining which organizations and which students would be permitted to travel abroad on these ships. On October 21, 1948, 45 U.S., Western European, and international organizations (including UNESCO, U.S. Office of Education, World Federation of Education Associations, U.S. National Student Association, National Student YMCA, and YMCA) met to discuss the Student Ship Project.
A group of leaders from the organizations most directly concerned secured government action to set aside special student ships, and formed themselves into an Executive Committee which would allocate space and administer the shipboard orientation programs. That effort gave way to the future Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), the leading and oldest U.S. non-governmental organization in the field of international education and student study abroad.
In 1967, CIEE started the first academic exchange between the United States and the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
. It was situated at
Leningrad University
Saint Petersburg State University (SPBU; russian: Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет) is a public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in 1724 by a decree of Peter the G ...
.
Graduates of the program include
Michael McFaul
Michael Anthony McFaul (born October 1, 1963) is an American academic and diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014. McFaul is currently the Ken Olivier and Angela Nomellini Professor in International Studi ...
, the
United States Ambassador to Russia
The ambassador of the United States of America to the Russian Federation is the ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary from the United States of America to the Russian Federation. Since September 4, 2022, Elizabeth Rood is serving as the ...
from 2012 to 2014.
In April 2016, CIEE and
The University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
Graduate School for Education Center for Minority Serving Institutions announced a joint $100,000 scholarship and three-year partnership to increase study abroad opportunities for students of color.
CIEE Alumni Global Network
The CIEE Alumni Global Network is a group of more than 350,000 alumni from all CIEE programs, living and working in over 176 countries around the world. This includes past participants of CIEE Study Abroad, Teach Abroad, Work and Travel USA,
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange
The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX, German name: ''Parlamentarisches Patenschafts-Programm'' or ''PPP'') is a youth student exchange program founded in 1983. The program, which is jointly sponsored by the United States Congress and the G ...
, High School Abroad,
Baltic-American Freedom Foundation
The Baltic-American Freedom Foundation is a non-profit foundation focused on programs of education and exchange centering on economic growth and democratic values. Endowed by proceeds from the Baltic-American Enterprise Fund, a U.S. Government-ini ...
, and more.
The CIEE Alumni Global Network has many notable alumni, including U.S. ambassadors and leaders in international exchange.
References
External links
CIEE Home PageCIEE Alumni Global NetworkInformation about CIEE abroad program in Spain
{{Authority control
Organizations established in 1947
Educational organizations based in the United States
Charities based in Maine
Organizations based in Portland, Maine
1947 establishments in New York (state)