A World History Of Higher Education Exchange

This book examines the origins of higher learning, and then traces education exchange to the aftermath of World War II, when the United States was internationally recognized as the epicenter of critical thinking and scientific discovery. As centers of learning arose in the ancient world, the gathering of students they drew invariably included “foreigners”—those not native to the immediate local area. Then as now, inquisitive minds compelled humans to explore, crossing borders to seek enlightenment in faraway places before returning to their homelands. Few societies have been so remote that they could not be affected by the acquisition of imported information. The number of international students and scholars in the United States now exceeds one million. This book narrates the complex and colorful history of intrepid individuals, inspired programs, and world events that have given direction to the path of education exchange, as well as the global dissemination of American scholarship.

Weakened by two Opium Wars and a succession of internal rebellions in the mid-1800s, China’s imperial leaders made a historic decision—to break a tradition of isolation and seek education outside the homeland’s borders. In time, an acquisition of science and technology from the rapidly-industrializing West would enable China to modernize its still-feudal economy and outdated military, thus restoring stability and establishing protection from future foreign encroachment. Today more than 200,000 Chinese are enrolled in colleges and universities across the United States, while the number of Americans choosing to study in China is rising. As we approach mid-century China is assuming a lofty position of world leadership. This book does not attempt to debate or determine the extent to which higher education exchange with the United States has impacted China’s rise . Instead it focuses on the story itself—of Sino-American education trade from its roots in antiquity to the present time—highlighting the people, programs, trials and triumphs that have wrought its extraordinary history. It will offer the first sequential, historically grounded book-length review of Sino-American education exchange that takes the story from its origins to the present day.

Higher education exchange between America and the Middle East is a comparatively recent development, but the colorful history of circumstances and events that preceded the relationship is ancient and deep. Here, Bevis explores the multifarious and intriguing story from antiquity to the end of the twentieth century.

Following a brief review of the historical background, Higher Education Exchange between America and the Middle East in the Twenty-First Century continues the higher education story with the events of 9/11. It describes the changes in US immigration policy and the implementation of student tracking systems, and their subsequent impact on Middle Eastern enrollments in US colleges and universities. Bevis also provides an overview of American study abroad in the Middle East, a chapter on Middle Eastern leaders who were schooled in America, an update on current enrollments, and a discussion of issues and trends from respected professionals in the field as we approach mid-century.

This book tells the story of America’s legendary rise in the field of international education exchange, its recent stumble during the pandemic era, and its current resurrection. America brings to its shores more foreign students than any other country, and their presence is the most critical indicator of its exceptional quality of scholarship. Achieving this level of distinction has required public, private, and civic organizations, in league with generations of inspired individuals. Recently there were indications of a fall, mostly attributed to the pandemic, but also to a host of volatile social and geopolitical issues. Unchanged, however, have been the overarching goals of intercultural understanding and world peace. As the field resurrects, some worry that deeper degeneration may still be looming. Others foresee a bright future and predict an aggressive new rise in the field of international education exchange.

(The official journal of the Organization of Educational Historians) The American Educational History Journal is a peer-reviewed, national research journal devoted to the examination of educational topics using perspectives from a variety of disciplines. The editors of AEHJ encourage communication between scholars from numerous disciplines, nationalities, institutions, and backgrounds. Authors come from a variety of disciplines including political science, curriculum, history, philosophy, teacher education, and educational leadership. Acceptance for publication in AEHJ requires that each author present a well-articulated argument that deals substantively with questions of educational history. AEHJ will accept two types of original unpublished manuscripts not under consideration by any other journal or publisher, for review and potential publication. The first consists of papers that are presented each year at our annual meeting. The second type consists of general submission papers received throughout the year. General submission papers may be submitted at any time. They will not, however, undergo the review process until January when papers presented at the annual conference are also due for review and potential publication. For more information about the Organization of Educational Historians (OEH) and its annual conference, visit the OEH web site: www.edhistorians.org

The first history of the ascent of American higher education told through the lens of German-American exchange. During the nineteenth century, nearly ten thousand Americans traveled to Germany to study in universities renowned for their research and teaching. By the mid-twentieth century, American institutions led the world. How did America become the center of excellence in higher education? And what does that story reveal about who will lead in the twenty-first century? Allies and Rivals is the first history of the ascent of American higher education seen through the lens of German-American exchange. In a series of compelling portraits of such leaders as Wilhelm von Humboldt, Martha Carey Thomas, and W. E. B. Du Bois, Emily J. Levine shows how academic innovators on both sides of the Atlantic competed and collaborated to shape the research university. Even as nations sought world dominance through scholarship, universities retained values apart from politics and economics. Open borders enabled Americans to unite the English college and German PhD to create the modern research university, a hybrid now replicated the world over. In a captivating narrative spanning one hundred years, Levine upends notions of the university as a timeless ideal, restoring the contemporary university to its rightful place in history. In so doing she reveals that innovation in the twentieth century was rooted in international cooperation—a crucial lesson that bears remembering today.