Audience
For Faculty & Advisors
About AIFS Abroad
At AIFS Abroad, our mission is to provide the highest quality, inclusive, and innovative global education programs through a supportive structure for our diverse participants and stakeholders around the world.
Every institution is unique, and so our relationship with every university partner is bespoke to their processes, infrastructure, goals, and student populations. Our responsive approach helps offices do more by relying on our team as an extension of their own.
OUR Foundational pillars
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ACADEMIC
EXCELLENCEWe offer exceptional and innovative programs in a wide range of academic and professional fields.
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CAREER
READINESSWe agree professional development is the foundation of preparation for participants’ time abroad.
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AIDE
We acknowledge that Access, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity, are a journey; we invite you to learn and practice with us.
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SUSTAINABILITY
We are pursuing carbon neutrality and committed to the Climate Action Network for International Educators (CANIE) as a signatory.
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Our Organization
AIFS Abroad is part of the American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS), Inc, our parent company, which has served more than 1.6 million participants since 1964. AIFS is beneficially owned by the Cyril Taylor Charitable Foundation, a U.K. charity dedicated to funding international education. The Foundation contributes over $1.5 million of scholarships and grants each year to increase the participation of underserved communities in international education.
We are also proudly supported by our Board of Advisors and our Academic Advisory Council. Comprised of colleagues in higher education, these groups provide guidance on AIFS Abroad program, and share their perspectives from their campuses.
Global Education centers (GECs)
AIFS Abroad Global Education Centers (GECs) offer a new and innovative model of international education that places the student, the educator, and the host culture at the center of the experience.
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AIFS Foundation Research and Publishing
The AIFS Foundation has a ton of publication resources available including study abroad guides for parents and students, career development guides, but also reports on education and economic outlooks across world regions.
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Board of Advisors
Our diverse board of advisors provides guidance and direction to our organization. Advisors visit our sites, familiarize themselves with our curriculum, and offer their expertise in reviewing current and future AIFS Abroad programming.
Meet the Board
Ping Taylor Professional Fellows Grant
Named in honor of AIFS founder Sir Cyril Taylor and former chair of CIEE, Dr. Charles Ping, this program provides funds for higher education administrators and faculty to attend annual conferences led by NAFSA: Association for International Educators, Forum on Education Abroad, and Diversity Abroad. This grant can be used for conference-related costs such as registration, airfare, hotel, and meals.
Learn More About the Grant
Customized, Faculty-Led Programs
Pioneered by AIFS Abroad, customized faculty-led study abroad programs are formal arrangements between AIFS Abroad and educational institutions in which AIFS Abroad provides logistical support, student services, classrooms, housing facilities and cultural activities at a location abroad, plus student medical and program fee refund insurances and over $50 million of liability insurance for the U.S. college/university.
This arrangement enables institutions to conduct their own academic programs abroad at minimal expense for four weeks and upward (including semester). In order to keep costs affordable, programs require at least 12 to 15 students per faculty participating.
Learn moreNews and Features
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Advisors
Investing in Our Shared Future: The Importance of Student Leadership Pedagogy in Global Education
Raise your hand if you have complete confidence in today’s leaders. Now, raise your hand if you are hopeful that the next generation can do a better job. As educators,…
Advisors
Celebrating 60 Years of AIFS: A Practitioner’s Journey in Global Education
As I reflect on the remarkable milestone of AIFS’s 60th anniversary, I can’t help but be filled with a sense of gratitude for all those who have been a part…
Advisors
We Can Do Better Than This: In Pursuit of Intentional Conference Stewardship
Last year, during the NAFSA annual conference in Washington, DC, a sudden bell rang in my head. In the Starbucks line of the Marriott Marquis, twelve colleagues and I lined…
Webinars & Events
Traveling abroad requires a lot of moving pieces, but your students and interns are not alone. AIFS Abroad offers informative virtual open houses and webinars for you and them to learn about the destinations and programs available, as well as how to navigate the visa process.
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Supporting International Education
AIFS Abroad is a Supporting Access Partner of the Fund for Education Abroad. This means that in each academic year, AIFS Abroad contributes a specific amount of funds to support both scholarship applicants on AIFS Abroad programs, and the daily operations of the organization itself. Together we aim to increase the accessibility of AIFS Abroad study, internship, and customized faculty-led programs for underrepresented participants. We work together on marketing, outreach, and support for applicants and scholars.
Supporting your professional development
Visits
Program Site Visits
Broaden your staff and faculty members’ knowledge of AIFS Abroad program locations and staff through visits to our program sites. Education abroad professionals know that having personal on-site knowledge of programs is key to successful student advising. AIFS Abroad arranges site visits to select program sites each semester.
Staff and faculty from all AIFS Abroad affiliates are eligible to request funding; AIFS Abroad covers most costs including hotel, ground transportation, and most meals. The capacity for participation in funded site visits varies each year and requests are accommodated based on available spaces.
All institutions, including those not affiliated, may elect to participate in the site visit at their own cost on a space available basis. If you are interested in learning more, please connect with your University Relations representative.
- Spring 2023: Dublin, Ireland and London, England
- Fall 2023: Florence and Rome, Italy
- Fall 2024: Prague, Czech Republic and Berlin, Germany
Support
Support For Conference Attendance
Through the Ping Taylor Professional Fellows Grant, AIFS and CIEE will donate $100,000 over the next three years (beginning in Fall 2022), allowing higher education administrators and faculty to attend annual conferences led by NAFSA: Association for International Educators, Forum on Education Abroad, and Diversity Abroad. Read more on our website: https://welcome.aifsabroad.com/landing/ping-taylor-fund/.
Other Opportunities
- Webinars
- Clifton Strengths-based programming
- Workshops
- Focus Groups
- Trainings
If you are interested in any of the above opportunities, please contact your regional representative. Check the Contacts page to confirm the name of your representative.
Let’s Connect
Whether you are interested in explore how AIFS Abroad can support your international program offerings, are looking to partner with us, or have general questions on our programs, our University Relations team is here to support you.
Contact Us