IIE and U.S. Embassy Bangkok select JMU for 2024 IAPP Thailand cohort

The Institute of International Education (IIE) and the U.S. Embassy Bangkok have selected James Madison University among 19 U.S. higher education institutions to participate in the prestigious International Academic Partnership Program (IAPP) focusing on Thailand. For the next nine months, JMU will develop new educational partnerships between the two countries.

As the U.S. and Thailand celebrate more than 190 years of diplomatic relations, IIE and the U.S. Embassy Bangkok partnered to offer higher education institutions in the two countries an opportunity to increase their bilateral engagement through academic cooperation. While student mobility between the two countries has been relatively strong throughout the years – Thailand has historically been the top destination in Southeast Asia for U.S. study abroad – there are many opportunities to increase international activities such as student and scholar mobility, joint research, joint teaching, short-term study abroad programs, and internships.

IAPP was developed by IIE’s Center for International Partnership in 2009 as international academic partnerships were on the rise, but without professional guidance or strategy. At the core of the program is a strategic planning process that guides participating institutions in developing a plan for engagement with an eye to sustainable, mutually-beneficial partnerships. Since its inception, the program has worked with more than 350 higher education institutions and 13 partner countries, including Norway, Cuba, Greece, New Zealand, and India.

The selected cohort represents a broad range of higher education institutions in both countries. The U.S. cohort includes community colleges, state colleges and universities, and private institutions from 15 states. The Thai cohort includes a diverse group of institutions focusing on areas such as teaching, agriculture, engineering, and community engagement who are located across the country.