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Press Materials
American International Education Foundation (AIEF) Backgrounder
American International Education Foundation
(AIEF) is a non-profit organization that brings together the world's finest students with the U.S. educational system. Since 1992,
AIEF has worked with educators, school representatives, business leaders and government officials worldwide on a range of international student services and exchange programs.
The foundation is dedicated to bridging the information gap between international students and U.S. academic institutions. To achieve this goal,
AIEF provides tools such as the American Education Fairs, educational seminars, school directories, reference guides, scholarships and student counseling programs.
AIEF is headquartered in Los Angeles, and has offices in Washington, D.C., Shanghai and Taipei.
AIEF services have assisted students in more than 60 nations, however, its programs have been particularly strong in China and Taiwan. Since 2001, the foundation has brought the American Education Fairs to Korea. China, Korea and Taiwan represent three of the top five areas sending students to the United States, with China in first position, Korea in fourth and Taiwan in fifth.
U.S. Education Overseas
AIEF's mission is to increase the accessibility of U.S. education internationally, because it believes the United States has one of the world's finest higher education programs. When students return home after graduation, they often become leaders in their native countries with a favorable impression of the United States systems. As a result, this educational exchange encourages increased understanding between the U.S. and other countries - a prerequisite for world peace and prosperity.
American Education Fairs
American Education Fairs have become the premier education fairs in China, Taiwan and Korea. Well attended and actively promoted locally, the fairs have won support from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, American Institute in Taiwan, U.S. Department of Commerce and China's Ministry of Education, among others.
AIEF also publishes bilingual fair guides for tens of thousands of local students. The free publications feature each participating school as well as comprehensive news on the U.S. educational system.
Educational Exchange
Since 1995, AIEF has established cooperative programs between more than 20 schools in the United States, Taiwan and China. Workshops have included professors from Columbia University, John Hopkins University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of California, Los Angeles, to name just a few.
AIEF contributes to several summer programs that allow students to learn more about other cultures. The foundation has an ongoing program that brings Chinese and Taiwanese high school students to the U.S. each summer and has, since 2001, awarded U.S. students scholarships to participate in leadership and educational exchange programs in Asia.
AIEF also supports Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) on the organization's World Leadership Congress.
Publications & Internet Support
AIEF has developed several reference guides and online tools to promote U.S. education overseas.
The foundation publishes annual reference guides in Chinese. These include the 532-page "American College Directory," "Introduction to Studying in the United States" and "Short Term Professional Training in the United States." The books feature regularly updated information on U.S. colleges and universities, compare educational systems, address life adjustment issues and explain application requirements.
Since 1994, AIEF has used technology to make U.S. education more accessible to students worldwide. It developed a search engine of more than 4,000 U.S. colleges and universities, which is oriented towards international students' needs.
AIEF has allowed www.UScampus.com to feature this directory on its
web site visited by students in more than 60 nations. AIEF also provides guidance to www.UScampus.com on various topics, and helped it establish
web sites in China, Taiwan and Korea.
American College Information Centers
To promote American education, AIEF founded the first American College Information Centers in China and Taiwan, where American school catalogs, books, application materials and videotapes are available to interested local students. The centers also provide services such as executive training programs, student counseling and English language classes. Many school representatives use the fully equipped centers as an "office away from home," hosting student interviews and college presentations there. The centers are now operated by UScampus Inc., under
AIEF's guidance.
Moving Forward
In this increasingly global economy, educational exchange is more important than ever. Tomorrow's academic achievements and scientific discoveries will be driven in large part by international collaboration today. For this reason,
AIEF is proud to promote the benefits of the United States educational system internationally. By continuing to expand its global outreach and services, the foundation intends to help ensure the nation remains the world's favorite place to study.
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