The pledge was matched by President Hu Jintao’s announcement that 10,000 scholarships will be offered to American high-school and college students.

There are currently 13,000 American students studying in China, according to the Institute of International Education, and while the Obama administration is not proposing any state backing for the scheme, the President believes the backing will come from the private sector as the move is deemed to be important for increasing trade and business links between the two.

Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has also sent a letter to leading higher education organisations calling on them to double the number of US students studying in China, with more than 400 colleges promising to do so.

However, there are warnings that in order to successfully implement the plan, long-term changes will be needed to high school and college curricula. Brian J. Whalen, President of the Forum of Education Abroad believes many US colleges and schools will need to increase the number of Chinese language, culture and history classes in order to generate sufficient background for students to succeed in Chinese classrooms.

Although there are currently 61,000 US students currently enrolled in Chinese-language courses, according to the Modern Language Association, and despite the fact that many Chinese institutions now offer courses in English, it is feared that language and cultural barriers may hinder many students.

Jill Welch, the Deputy Executive Director for Public Policy at Nafsa: Association of International Educators fears the main stumbling block may be more simple: money. At a time when many colleges are being forced to tighten their belts due to funding cuts, it may prove impossible to increase already costly overseas exchange programmes. Especially when the programmes are being targeted at students who rarely study abroad, such as community-college students. However, will this short-term expense prove to be amply rewarded in the long-term? And with grants already coming in from the likes of Coca-Cola and Citigroup, the financial issue could be less important than some fear.

Organisations such as the Fulbright Comission already offer such exchange programmes in China and may be well placed to increase these in size. Allan E. Goodman, President of the Institute of International Education believes that the Obama administration’s plan is “a bold step. But it is realisable”.

The coalition was acting on behalf of twenty-eight US colleges and universities who want the President to reconsider these regulations restricting academic travel to the island. This renewed call comes in the wake of the recent release of political prisoners on the island.

In an extract from the letter the coalition states “ the regulations implemented in 2004 all but put a stop to educational exchanges between the US and Cuba”. They acknowledge that recent work by the administration has made it easier for Cubans to travel to the US on educational and cultural programmes and now hope that similar deregulation will increase opportunities for American students to go the other way.

Recent data indicates that only about 250 US students studied in Cuba in 2007-2008, compared with over 2,000 that were able to study there four years earlier. You can find a copy of the letter and a list of signatories as well as learning more about the continuing advocacy campaign Cuba is No Exception: Academic Travel Should be a Freedom for Everyone at NAFSA’s online home for their grassroots community, Connecting Our World.

Have you lived or studied in Cuba? Have you considered studying in Cuba but been unable to because of regulations? Let us know your thoughts.

President Obama spoke from the University of Texas at Austin earlier this week, outlining the struggles facing the US academy, including the spiralling cost of degrees and the country’s fall from first to twelfth place in college graduation rates.

By the end of the decade he has committed the country to producing a further 8 million graduates and said that “America has to have the highest share of graduates compared with every other nation”.

President Obama also admitted that at a time where America is emerging from a debilitating depression, it was difficult to sell the importance of higher education. But argued that “education is the economic issue of our time” and was adamant that “countries that out-educate us today, will out-compete us tomorrow”.

The president quoted statistics showing that over a third of college students and half of all minority students fail to complete a degree. He said it was “critical” that access was widened, but at the same time make certain that students stuck with their studies.

President Obama went on to reiterate his pledge to make college more accessible for young people. He said he was “absolutely committed” to making sure that “nobody is denied a college education, nobody is denied a chance to pursue their dreams, nobody is denied a chance to make the most of their lives just because they can’t afford it”. Adding that America is “a better country than that, and we need to act like we’re a better country than that”.

Obama said that the solution will include overhauling the Federal Student Loan program, streamlining the student loan repayment and generally making college more affordable for all.

Referring to former presidents who supported education such as Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, President Obama concluded that their efforts symbolised “promise at heart” of the US and that the “essential truth that the way to move forward, in our own lives and as a nation, is to put education first.”

Cameron R. Hume, the US ambassador to Indonesia, has hailed the plans as a means of empowering the Indonesian youth: “A country without a better higher-education system won’t be successful and satisfied in the 21st century… The best thing they can do to face the future is to have an informed, educated citizenry.”

Although the Indonesian government has allocated 20% of its budget to education, the majority of those funds are directed towards primary and secondary schools, leaving a lack of effective higher education for older students. The new US scheme will seek to improve standards through educational exchanges and university partnerships, with the hope that many Indonesian students – perhaps as many as double the current amount – will be able to study in the US.

A White House statement also added that the scheme will seek to improve both the capacity and quality of Indonesian higher education institutions,  as well as expand initiatives through the Community College Initiative Program, Fulbright, and access to English language courses.

The two nations have also announced plans to hold a joint higher education summit in the summer of 2011.

Mrs. Obama noted that a record number of George Washington University students have volunteered and applied to organizations like Teach for America and the Peace Corps, and that – for the second year running – GW has led the universities of its size in the number of undergraduate alumni serving in the Peace Corps.

She said:

When you serve others abroad, you’re serving our country, too. You’re showing the world the true face of America –- our generosity, our strength, the enduring power of our ideals, the infinite reservoir of our hope. And yes, serving abroad will make you stronger, more competitive, a more valuable asset for a career in the public or private sectors. Just talk to any of your colleagues who have spent some time abroad. And one of the first things they’ll tell you, for example, is that you’ll never learn a language or develop self-reliance as quickly as you will when you’re on your own in a foreign country!

But, she also called on GW students to give back in other ways as well. Noting that nearly half of GW’s graduates study abroad, she encouraged those students to reach out to those behind them and encourage those students to study abroad, “especially students from communities and backgrounds who might not normally consider it.” She recognized the advantage GW students have with their campus being located only blocks away from major internationally-focused organizations such as the State Department and World Bank, but noted that “many Americans either don’t have those opportunities or simply don’t consider them.”

Speaking from her own experience as a first-generation college student, the First Lady said, “I just never considered that I needed to take an additional journey or expand the boundaries of my own life.” Until she met her husband, she said that she was only focused on getting through school and paying off her loans. “His [life] had been more informed by experiences abroad. And watching him helped me to expand the way I looked at things; to consider my life as connected not just to my country but to the world. And it’s a perspective that we now are trying to instill in our daughters, as well.”

In addition to asking the students to do more, she also said that there are things the government can do to bring these opportunities within reach for more students. On top of the commitment her husband has made to doubling the size of Peace Corps, she said “[w]e’re also expanding exchange programs, study abroad opportunities; and encouraging universities like GW to create their own, because as those of you who have already participated in study abroad know, the most lasting lessons sometimes don’t always come from books.”

NAFSA thanks the First Lady for making this call to action and applauds the Administration’s efforts to put a global education within the reach of many more students. To read Michelle Obama’s full remarks at the George Washington University Commencement, click here.

Her “letter home” describing her experiences of living and studying in the UK was judged to be the best and the most inspiring by a panel made up of representatives from the British Council, the National Union of Students, the UK Council for International Student Affairs, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, and The Times Higher Education magazine.

The judges’ decision was announced at an awards ceremony in London hosted by Vernon Ellis, the British Council’s new Chair and former International Chairman of Accenture. The winners were handed their awards by TV presenter Konnie Huq at the event attended by all the finalists with representatives of their universities, further and higher education colleges, and schools.

Shine! is the only competition that celebrates international students’ unique contributions to life in Britain, taking into account a wide variety of achievements and activities rather than focussing solely on academic work. Entrants are asked to describe in a letter how their experiences in UK institutions and communities have helped them develop new life skills and influenced their interests and goals, and how they have contributed to life in Britain, and back home.

Melissa’s winning letter tells how, from the beginning of her time at University in the UK, she had a strong desire to both raise awareness of the effects of climate change and support the work of two NGOs operating in Burkina Faso. She began volunteering for Christian Aid and giving talks in churches and schools.

In February 2009 Melissa applied for a grant from the European Union to help two of the NGOs working In Burkina Faso.  Her application was successful on the condition that she raised £20,000 ‘match funding’. After organising many fundraising events and increasing awareness through the local media, she exceeded her target, raising £50,000 in just 10 months.  This incredible achievement meant that the NGOs received over £100,000 to help fund local projects in Burkina Faso.

And Melissa’s tireless work raising awareness of climate change issues led her to be invited to attend the summit in Copenhagen where she had what she called “another unforgettable experience” – meeting president Obama.

Accepting a trophy and £2,000 prize, Melissa said: “I only heard about the awards one hour from the deadline when my friend told me about them and although I was in the middle of my dissertation, I decided to go for it.  I just wrote exactly what I felt and it was rewarding to realise how much I’ve achieved since arriving in the UK.

“For me Shine is a celebration of the cultural diversity of the UK and being a part of the awards has taught me to seize any opportunity that comes your way – you never know how it will turn out!”

The China capital plans to renovate the curriculum and focus on improving the quality of college facilities to attract more students from overseas. There are also plans to make connections with Ivy League universities in the USA to enable international exchange programmes.

According to 2009 Ministry of Education statistics, last year 71,000 overseas students studied in Beijing, the majority of whom originate from South Korea, Japan and the United States. With the new strategy to increase the international student intake, the city aims to increase this number by another 10,000.

Last month i-studentadvisor reported a rise in the number of overseas students studying throughout China in 2009. Last year nearly 240,000 foreign students enrolled to study at Chinese institutions.

The aim to increase the number of overseas students in China and Beijing will be assisted by Barack Obama’s pledge last year to send 100,000 US Students to China over the next four years.

The president’s announcement is part of a long term initiative to improve the relationship between the US and China. A US and China joint statement noted that nearly 100,000 students go to the US every year to study, whereas less than 20,000 American students go to China. Latest figures from the Institute of International Education Open Doors report show this number to be considerably lower at 13,165 US students in China in the academic year 07–08.

You can view the full Open Doors International Education Exchange report on the IIE Network website.

Obama plans to increase the number of US students in China to 100,000 over the next four years but has not yet announced a plan for this initiative.

“China will have a much more important voice in world affairs in the coming years, and we need more Americans who can speak the language, who understand China, and who can do business more effectively with the Chinese.” A State Department spokesperson told The Chronicle.

However, some of the commenters on The Chronicle discussion forum following the article were dubious about how this initiative would work. Jeff1 wrote:

“I have spent much time for my institutions working on partnerships in China and they are wonderful people, smart and hard working. The big challenges, and it is a biggie, is that we do not speak Mandarin and they do not, speak English. If that challenge can be met the Chinese present us with an incredible market and opportunity and we for them.”

The initiative led by Bloomberg and named ‘the gateway to middle-class’ supports President Obama’s plans to boost the popularity of community colleges in the United States. By 2010 President Obama wants five million American students to have graduated from community colleges across the country.

The report in the New York Times stated how Bloomberg’s funding would elevate the number of graduating students to 120,000 a year, a “43% increase over the 84,000 students that are currently expected to graduate by that time.”

“It’s going to be an exciting new era for our community colleges,” said Bloomberg. “We have some of the best community colleges in the country here in New York.”

Plans for a new community college in New York are currently under development. To date, New York City has six community colleges in The City University of New York (CUNY) network including Borough of Manahattan Community College, Bronx Community College and La Guardia Community College. The new development would see this figure rise to seven. “This will be the first new two year institute of higher education to be built in New York City in 37 years,” said Bloomberg.

To learn more, visit the CUNY Newswire website at: www1.cuny.edu/forum/?p=4221

This new effort to allow academic exchange programmes between the US and Cuba has come as a result of Obama’s willingness to forge new ties with Cuba when he proposed an “equal partnership” with all nations of the Americas at the Summit of the Americas in April.

In the letter, signed by NAFSA and seventeen other organisations, the organisations praise Obama’s plans of a new beginning with Cuba and urge him to change the restrictions on exchange programmes between the US and Cuba as a vital step in this new relationship. The letter states:

“As you recently noted in your address to a group of students in Turkey, “exchanges can break down the walls between us.” However, Cuba currently remains the only country in the world where the United States government restricts study by American students, as well as academic travel by bona fide teachers and researchers….One way in which to advance opportunities for young people to engage internationally would be to lift the current restrictions and permit academic travel to Cuba via general license. We would also welcome a trend of granting US visas for Cubans coming for exchange purposes”.

The full letter is available to view and download here. NAFSA have also published details of the legislation and will update any changes on the Public Policy page of their website.