Alliance Commentary
Analysis of the latest news around Washington, D.C. and the exchange community from Alliance staff and members.Biden Administration’s FY24 Budget Request: Proposed Exchanges Funding Explained
By: Andrea Bodine The Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) appropriations cycle is officially in full swing with the release of the Biden Administration’s proposed budget late last week. The President’s $6.8 trillion request, while unlikely to be enacted in the current divided...
Member Op-Ed: With Virtual Exchange, Young People are Changing the World
By Carol Jenkins, World Learning and Christine Shiau, Stevens Initiative at the Aspen Institute “There are some youth who have energy and want to make their community a better place, but they don’t know how.” Areej of Iraq spoke these words after leading a...
The Power of International Exchange: Congressional Lunch & Learn
On January 25, 2023, the Alliance held a Lunch and Learn on Capitol Hill for congressional staff to discuss the power of international educational and cultural exchange programs. Special thanks to Joel Colony at World Learning, Alliance Board member Christine Shiau at...
2022 Midterm Election Analysis
By: Andrea Bodine After weeks of counting, the majority of races in the 2022 midterms have been decided, allowing for a clearer picture of what the 118th Congress will look like come January. What follows are our thoughts on the election results and their implications...
2022 Stevens Initiative Report: A Survey of Virtual Exchange
By: Caroline Fox As part of International Education Week, the Stevens Initiative at the Aspen Institute released a comprehensive report on their survey of the virtual exchange field. More than 150 respondents participated in this year’s survey, representing findings...
2022 Open Doors Report: What’s Next for International Education?
By: Andrea Bodine, Gabrielle Cascio, and Caroline Fox Every year at the beginning of International Education Week, the Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange is released by the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and...
What the Biden National Security Strategy Means for Exchanges
By Mark Overmann Speaking at the Alliance Annual Conference in October, Scott Weinhold, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), gave us a strong clue as to where ECA’s focus will be in the...
Action by Biden Administration needed on visas to promote diplomacy, support economy
The Biden Administration correctly ties the United States’ national security to our country’s economic health in their new Interim National Security Strategic Guidance. These goals, however, are being inadvertently undermined by unnecessary restrictions on...
Au Pairs are Essential During Pandemic and Beyond
As published in Medium on September 14, 2020. Families are managing challenges with their children going back to school in a world that certainly looks different than it did last September. Many school districts have returned to classes virtually and parents continue...
We Can’t Afford to Weaken J-1 Cultural Exchange Programs
As published in Medium on August 5, 2020. As Congress debates another round of coronavirus relief legislation, American businesses and families continue to struggle while the coronavirus pandemic maintains its tireless chokehold on the economy. The Administration has...