On Thursday, December 19, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs, Caroline Casagrande, visited International Student House of Washington, DC (ISH-DC) to meet resident scholars and alumni representing the 300 graduate students from 70 countries who reside at ISH while studying in Washington each year. Ms. Casagrande was joined by colleagues from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, including Managing Director, Marianne Craven, and Branch Chief for EducationUSA, Brooke Spelman.

The group was welcomed by ISH Board President, Eric Melby, and Interim Executive Director, Larry Dunham, who outlined the history of 1825 R Street NW and how it became the International Student House in 1946.  Following a tour of the historic building, they were introduced to ISH residents from Egypt, Indonesia, Japan, Turkey and the United States, who are studying at Georgetown University, George Washington University, and American University. They were joined by two local alumni originally from China and Serbia, currently working at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, and by ISH Board member Dr. Sherry Mueller, Distinguished Practitioner in Residence at the School of International Service, American University.

Ms. Casagrande shared her personal experiences studying abroad and the impact it had on her life. She went on to explain the many exchange opportunities now available to foreign students through the U.S. State Department. While discussing one such program, EducationUSA, our resident scholars were interested to learn that one of them had attended an EducationUSA program in Indonesia. Our residents and alumni also shared their experiences studying in Washington, DC and the impact that living at International Student House has had on them.

The afternoon was filled with engaging conversation, reaffirming the importance of inter-cultural exchange. Ms. Casagrande pointed out, at the State Department, “We are in the business of friendship building”, which very much coincides with the mission of the International Student House.

We appreciate DAS Casagrande and her team visiting ISH to learn about our community and meet our exceptional resident scholars, who will soon be leaders around the world.  We look forward to continuing the dialogue with her and her colleagues at the State Department.

ISH-DC resident scholars, alumni, members of the Board of Directors, and staff were welcomed to the Portuguese Ambassador’s residence by His Excellency Domingos Fezas Vital and Mrs. Isabel Vital on Tuesday morning, November 12.  The group was warmly greeted with coffee and a beautiful selection of Portuguese specialty treats, during which time our students had the opportunity to meet the Ambassador and Mrs. Vital.

The group transitioned from the coffee reception to a seated discussion.  During his presentation, the Ambassador discussed the background of Portuguese-American relations, Portuguese foreign affairs, and fascinating attributes unique to the country.  Ambassador Vital also spoke about his career in Foreign Service. He was gracious with his time, thoughtfully answering every question from our resident scholars and Board members, of which there were many.

Following the discussion, our students were invited for an after-reception of coffee and conversation before the dispersing to their various classes, internships, and studying.  We are exceptionally grateful to Ambassador and Mrs. Vital for opening their home to International Student House, as well as their continued friendship and support of our community of graduate students from around the world.

On Tuesday, November 12, at the Embassy of France, International Student House of Washington, DC (ISH-DC) joined over 40 embassy representatives and 25 educational institutions for the first Global Education Conference (GEC) hosted by The Washington Diplomat, an independent monthly newspaper that has served the diplomatic community in Washington for more than 20 years.

ISH-DC values its strong relationships with embassies in Washington, which enables it to provide residents with the opportunity to engage with diplomats from their respective countries. Our goal aligns well with the GEC purpose of providing opportunities for embassies, educational institutions, and other organizations supporting international students to come together, network, and learn from an impressive lineup of speakers on the latest trends in studying abroad.

Remarks by Caroline Casagrande, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Academic Programs in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational Affairs, revealed that the number of international students in the U.S. are at all-time highs. Other speakers provided insights to visa issues, trends in education, immigrant success stories, leadership, women and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), global outreach, and the embassy perspective.

With ample time for networking, ISH-DC’s exhibitor booth attracted a significant number of intrigued participants. We had the pleasure of hosting Minister Counselor Xinyu Yang of Educational Affairs from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China at our table, along with other embassy officials, including representatives from the Embassy of Portugal and the Embassy of Rwanda – both whom have had embassy interns reside at ISH-DC.

The conference also attracted participants interested in continuing their educations in international studies. A number of potential ISH-DC resident scholars visited to learn about residential opportunities. Coincidentally, one conference attendee representing the State Department stopped by and introduced herself as an ISH-DC alumna. She even pointed herself out in the ISH publication An Unforgettable Experience in International Living by former Executive Director, Paul Feys.

As global issues become more complex, the case for supporting international educational exchanges continues to grow. Events like this bring together organizations and leverage our collective strength in supporting student’s cultural understanding, leadership skills, and personal growth. ISH-DC was pleased to participate in the conference and would like to thank The Washington Diplomat for bringing together embassies, educational institutions, and other organizations supporting international students for a day of learning and networking.  

With ample time for networking, ISH-DC’s exhibitor booth attracted a significant number of intrigued participants. We had the pleasure of hosting Minister Counselor Xinyu Yang of Educational Affairs from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China at our table, along with other embassy officials, including representatives from the Embassy of Portugal and the Embassy of Rwanda – both whom have had embassy interns reside at ISH-DC.

The conference also attracted participants interested in continuing their educations in international studies. A number of potential ISH-DC resident scholars visited to learn about residential opportunities. Coincidentally, one conference attendee representing the State Department stopped by and introduced herself as an ISH-DC alumna. She even pointed herself out in the ISH publication An Unforgettable Experience in International Living by former Executive Director, Paul Feys.

As global issues become more complex, the case for supporting international educational exchanges continues to grow. Events like this bring together organizations and leverage our collective strength in supporting student’s cultural understanding, leadership skills, and personal growth. ISH-DC was pleased to participate in the conference and would like to thank The Washington Diplomat for bringing together embassies, educational institutions, and other organizations supporting international students for a day of learning and networking.