The Impact of the Trump Administration’s Foreign Policy on International Education

Group Submission Type: Special Session

Description of Session

In the midst of a radical reshaping of U.S. foreign policy, the Trump Administration announced plans to abolish or substantially reduce the scope of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Though the constitutionality of this move will undoubtedly face legal challenges, in the interim, work funded by USAID has been curtailed, causing cuts to work on conflict prevention, the spread of infectious disease, gender equality, international environmental collaborations, and general U.S. political interests. In the field of educational development, USAID annually earmarked $1.1 billion for early grade reading and math reforms, workforce development programs, projects to strengthen the higher education sector, and education in conflict-affected settings, among other projects.

This panel considers the impact of contemporary U.S. foreign policy and USAID cuts on the field of educational policy and practice.

Panelists include:

Amber Gove (agove@rti.org), Fellow in International Development, and Jonathan Stern (jstern@rti.org), Director of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment, with Research Triangle International
Stephanie Zuilkowski, Florida State University (fzuilkowski@fsu.edu)
Candace Zebnam, Executive Director, School-to-School International (cdebnam@sts-international.org)

Discussion questions:
1) How have the cuts to USAID affected the work of your organization, and what changes do you expect your organization will make as a result?
2) In your opinion, how will the dismantling of USAID, the redirection of U.S. foreign policy, and the deterioration of U.S. relations with long-time allies affect global education research, policy, and practice in the coming four years?
3) Many have criticized U.S. foreign policy, generally, and USAID specifically. What opportunities may unexpectedly arise from these recent shifts?
4) How should CIES, as an organization, and individual CIES members (particularly those who are U.S. citizens) respond to the changes underway in the U.S.?

Sub Unit

• General Pool

Chair

• Lesley Bartlett, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Invited Speakers

• Amber K Gove, RTI International

• Jonathan Stern, RTI International

• Stephanie Zuilkowski, Florida State University