November 8, 2006

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Dina Habib Powell will lead the first ever high-profile delegation of U.S. college and university presidents to Japan, Korea and China during International Education Week November 10-18, 2006. The delegation will meet with student, university, government and business leaders and carry the message that the U.S. welcomes and values international students who want to study in the U.S.

"In our ever-flattening world, international education and exchange is more important than ever," said Secretary Spellings. "I look forward to leading this delegation of university presidents with Dina Powell and highlighting the value of higher education in America. We want the international community to know that our doors are open to the many foreign students who seek the benefits our higher education system has to offer."

This historic pairing of the U.S. government and higher education leaders follows from a commitment made at the U.S. University Presidents Summit on International Education co-hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings in January 2006. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is organizing high level delegations of college and university presidents, each led by a senior U.S. Government official, to key world regions to promote the value of U.S. higher education overseas and engage in discussions on the future and importance of international education.

The delegation to Asia includes the following:

• U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings
• Assistant Secretary of State Dina Habib Powell
• John B. Simpson, President, University at Buffalo, SUNY
• Henry T. Yang, Chancellor, University of California, Santa Barbara
• Bernard Machen, President, University of Florida
• Adam W. Herbert, President, Indiana University
• William Brody, President, Johns Hopkins University
• Karen A. Holbrook, President, Ohio State University
• Stephen M. Curtis, President, Community College of Philadelphia
• H. James Owen, President, Piedmont Community College
• Shirley Ann Jackson, President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• David W. Leebron, President, Rice University
• Philip W. Eaton, President, Seattle Pacific University
• Steadman Upham, President, University of Tulsa

Source: http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2006/11/11082006.html