The Office of Academic Programs of the USIA's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs recently announced a new program whereby accredited, post-secondary educational institutions can apply to develop a partnership with a foreign institution of higher education from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, or Moldova in specified fields.  Under the program, the participating institutions would exchange faculty members and administrators for a combination of teaching, lecturing, research, outreach, and faculty and administrative development for periods of time ranging from one week to an academic year.  Funds from the partnership could also be used to set up Internet and/or e-mail connections between the institutions.

The program includes up to $200,000 in funds for a three-year period to defray the costs of travel and per diem with an allowance for educational materials and some aspects of project administration.  The USIA has designated the following programs and institutions as being eligible for the program:

Armenia -- journalism; only the journalism faculty of Yerevan State University is eligible.

Azerbaijan and Georgia -- law, business/economics/trade, government/public policy/public administration, journalism/communications; any recognized degree-granting, post-secondary educational institution is eligible.

Moldova -- political science; only Moldovan State University is eligible.