Following a productive and educational
visit to Japan, the U.S. delegation of university
presidents, led by Secretary of Education
Margaret Spellings and Assistant Secretary
of State Dina Powell, traveled to the Republic
of Korea. They continued to highlight the
U.S. as a higher education destination for
Korean students, offering a diverse range
of opportunities at thousands of colleges
and universities throughout the United States.
The delegation leaders also stressed the
need to encourage U.S. students to study
in Korea. Throughout the visit both Secretary
Spellings and Assistant Secretary Powell
underlined the importance of President Bush’s
National Security Language Initiative, as
Korean is one of seven critical languages
as part of this initiative.
While in Seoul, the delegation met with
students, university administrators, government
officials and business leaders, underscoring
the desire of the U.S. to strengthen relationships
between U.S. and Korean colleges and universities
and increase student and faculty educational
exchanges.
Secretary Spelling announced during their
trip that Korea had the largest percentage
increase in students studying abroad last
year, as well as the number of F-1 visas
offered to students living in Korea. In
fact, Korea is the third-leading country
of origin for students studying abroad in
the U.S. and over the last year, the number
of F-1 visas issued increased by almost
21 percent.
Deputy Prime Minister Kim Shin-Il hosted
Secretary Spellings and Assistant Secretary
Powell for a meeting to discuss enhanced
efforts by both the U.S. and Korean governments
to foster more international education opportunities
for students. The Secretary praised Korea
for launching a new initiative, Vision 2010,
aimed at achieving this goal for increased
educational collaborations between Korea
and other nations.
The delegation participated in an event
with students at Sungkyunkwan University
in Seoul, one of the world’s oldest
and most vibrant universities with a rich
history and tradition. The Secretary expressed
to the students that the doors of the U.S.
are open to those seeking educational opportunities
abroad. Dr. Karen Holbrook, president of
The Ohio State University, invited students
to participate in new and diverse educational
opportunities and welcomed students to explore
the opportunities U.S. colleges and universities
have to offer.
While engaging with alumni of U.S. Government-sponsored
exchange programs such as Fulbright and
the International Visitors Leadership Program
during a roundtable discussion, Assistant
Secretary Powell urged them to encourage
Korean young people to pursue similar opportunities
and invited their input on how the U.S.
can encourage more students to study in
America.
Assistant Secretary Powell and the university
presidents also engaged in a country-wide
real-time online interactive forum sponsored
by Café USA, a unique outreach tool
of the U.S. Embassy. They answered a variety
of questions on topics ranging from affordability
of U.S. college tuition to Visa application
procedures.
U.S. Ambassador to Korea Alexander Vershbow
hosted a reception for the delegation, along
with over 250 local government, business
and education leaders. During the event,
Secretary Spellings emphasized that the
U.S. must continue to encourage more students
to study in America and send more of our
students abroad. She also highlighted the
relationship between the U.S. and Korea
and our strong tradition of university partnerships
and educational exchanges. The U.S. has
long been a destination for Korea students,
and the delegation emphasized their desire
to continue that cooperation in the 21st
century.
The delegation also participated in a luncheon
event with over 150 members of the American
Chamber of Commerce in Seoul to highlight
the role of U.S. and Korean business communities
to help foster opportunities in higher education
through their investment and support.
Following their stop in Korea, the delegation
will conclude their journey with a three-day
visit to China.
*This is a PDF file and requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.
|
