[BLANK_AUDIO] We're here with Jared Buto Education USA program officer in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State. And Jared's going to speak with us today about the Education USA network. Jared thanks for being with us today. >> It's my pleasure. Thanks for having me, Erick. >> Jared, just to start out with some of the basics, can you tell us what is Education USA? >> Sure, Education USA, is the State Department supported network of international student advising centers. We operate over 400 centers in more than 170 countries around the world. The goal of Education USA is to promote US colleges and universities as study destinations for international students. And so we represent all regionally and nationally accredited colleges in the US, so that's more than 4,000 institutions across the country. We provide students with accurate, current and comprehensive information about opportunities to study at US colleges and universities. And our aim is to offer them the support and guidance that they need to make informed decisions about their academic careers. Our hope is that we can help international students find their best fit institution. And the, the college or university that meets their academic, financial, social, and cultural needs. >> Jared, when was Education USA established, and why was the network created? >> The US Department of State has supported academic advising for decades. But, the Education USA Network was more formally established under the, the name Education USA and our logo In the early 2000s. Our network has grown significantly over the past decade, and we currently provide advising services to more students in more countries than at any time during the network's existence. The US Department of State views international educational exchange and programs like Education USA that, that bolster international student mobility as central to our nation's foreign policy. We see educational advising as a core public diplomacy tool, that we use to strengthen ties between people in the United States and other parts of the world. What we know is the skills developed through international educational exchange are central to our nation's foreign policy. Those skills help to prepare the next generation of future leaders to find common ground and solve shares, shared challenges. Programs like Education USA are are part of the State Department's long term investment strategy for building a more peaceful, secure and prosperous world. International students value the quality of US higher education and the diversity of the types of institutions in our sector. again, there are more than 4,000 accredited US institutions across the country. And by the same token, those institutions value international students on their campus communities. US institutions are eager to recruit international students as members of their campus communities who will diversify and enrich their classrooms and their communities as well. The US Department of State commissions, a report every year called the Open Doors Report. And this this resource tracks international student mobility, and what we learned from this year's numbers is that in 2012 and 2013, more than 800,000 international students studied in the US. And in, 2011 and 2012, almost 300,000 US students studied abroad. [SOUND] So there are positive trends that we see in, in international student mobility, but there's always more work to be done. We want to see more international students studying int he US and more US students studying abroad. >> So who does Education USA represent? >> Good question, Erick. The Education USA network represents the entire US higher education sector, so that's all accredited institutions in the US. >> Jared, you mentioned that Education USA represents the entire US university community, which is a lot of schools. So, does Education USA connect with individual universities and, and if so, how? >> Education USA is designed to help international students find their best fit college or university. So, we don't match individual students with individual schools. But what we do is support and provide guidance to students in doing the research necessary for them to find their best fit institution. >> Best-fit is an important idea of this course as is the idea of, of doing thorough research. When students are researching individual universities they'll often see the Education USA logo displayed on a university website. What does it mean when a student sees you know, your network's logo on a university website? >> One of the things that a student will know when they see the Education USA logo on a college or university web site, is that that's a nationally or regionally accredited institution in the US. The Education USA network provides a lot of guidance and many services to students, but we also provide services to the US higher education community. And those colleges and universities that are so eager to recruit international students from all around the world. So we have a whole suite of services that we provide for our US colleagues who work in colleges and universities as well. >> And could you touch on a couple of those services, possibly? >> Sure, the Education USA network and our advisers in the field serve as a, as a resource for US college and university recruiters. They can help US hire ed representatives to understand the educational systems in countries where they work. The primary, secondary and and post secondary school systems. They can provide some regional context about the, the needs and particular challenges or opportunities unique to students in the regions that they represent. And we can even provide in-person services to recruiters as they're traveling around the world. They can visit our centers, and and speak with students, sometimes even in an Education USA center around the world. We also host college and university fairs, and we guide recruiters through different regions of the world, and help them meet with students in, in college and university fair venues. >> Fantastic. So you're, you're services, those are services that are for universities, but really it's the students who largely benefit from them as well. >> It's true. Of course our, our college and university fairs wouldn't be very effective if we couldn't bring students there and, and that's what the US higher ed community is really interested in. They want to join our fairs so that we can connect them with students. And they have an opportunity to talk about what it's like to study at their, at their university and how their college or university might meet that student's needs. >> We'll be right back to hear more from Jared Buto from Education USA about the services that the Education USA network can offer you. [BLANK_AUDIO]
