BLACKSBURG, Va., June 14, 2006 – The Atlantic Coast Conference’s new International Academic Collaborative (ACC/IAC) has been singled out by the New York-based Institute of International Education (IIE) for a special award for innovation in international education.
The award was presented during the IIE’s recent inaugural conference on “Best Practices in Internationalizing the Campus.”
The ACC /IAC resulted from the desire of leadership at the 12 colleges and universities that form the ACC to work together on initiatives that will strengthen the member institutions academically, not just in the sports arena.
The ACC’s International Academic Collaborative held its first conference Nov. 3-4, 2005 at the Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center on the Blacksburg campus of Virginia Tech. The conference brought together about 100 deans, provosts, vice presidents, and other administration officials from ACC institutions for round table discussions, seminars, and panel sessions to share best practices and explore opportunities for new collaborations on international programs.
Virginia Tech’s Vice Provost for Outreach and International Affairs John E. Dooley chaired the first conference and is now IAC chair. The next ACC/IAC conference will be at Duke University Nov. 19 - 21, 2006. In addition to the conference, the ACC/IAC sponsors student scholarships for study abroad and faculty development programs.
The Institute of International Education is an independent, nonprofit organization founded in 1919 to facilitate global higher education and professional exchange. IIE has a network of 18 offices worldwide, over 850 college and university members, and more than 5,000 volunteers. IIE designs and implements programs of study and training for students, educators, young professionals and trainees from all sectors with funding from government and private sources. These programs include the Fulbright and Humphrey Fellowships, administered for the U.S. Department of State, and development training programs administered for USAID.