The Hungarian Student, 1958 (2. évfolyam, 1-7. szám)
1958 / 1. szám
the Hungarian student 5 IIE: SCHOLARSHIPS AND EXCHANGES AHS PRESIDENT WRITES HE PRESIDENT Dear Mr. Holland: Please allow me to thank you in the name of all my fellow-students for the work which the IIE has done in behalf of the Hungarian students. Because of a year’s work, you have greatly contributed to the fact that more than 700 boys and girls have started on their new road in life in the continuation of their studies. We will do our best to prove, through the results of our studies, that all assistance we received was worthwhile. Please relate our gratitude to the Executive Secretary of IIE, Mr. Richard G. Raymond, Director of the Hungarian Program, and all the others who had a part in making the Hungarian Program a reality. Placement of Medical Students Difficult T A HERE ARE 127 medical students registered with the Association. Eighty per cent of these students had begun their studies in Hungary. In order to aid the medical students, the Association of American Medical Colleges and the National Committee for the Resettlement of Foreign Physicians, joined with the World University Service and the Institute of International Education in starting an emergency placement program. With little available information on the academic background of the students, examinations were necessary before any placement program could be effective. Screening Boards were established at Cornell Medical College, Northwestern University Medical School, and the University of California School of Medicine in San Francisco. Every student was assigned, on a geographical basis, to one of the Screening Boards. Examinations were held in June, 1957, and were conducted by experienced examiners in the basic sciences and clinical fields. Thirty-seven medical students took the examinations. All these students had previously attended a university for at least two years in Hungary. Twenty-six passed, eleven failed, mainly because of inadequate knowledge of the language. Of the twentysix students who passed, twenty were placed by November 15. Two of the eleven who failed were also accepted. Thus the total number of medical students admitted was twenty-two. Among these, twelve are first-year students, seven are in their second year, and three are in their third year. Aside from the twenty-two students placed in medical schools, forty-six gained admittance to pre-medical or liberal arts colleges. Fifty-nine students, however, have not yet been placed. What is the IIE? T he INSTITUTE of International Education is one of the oldest and largest private organizations in the field of educational exchange in the world. It was founded in 1919 and in its 38-year history, it has awarded scholarships to more than 25,000 persons—foreign students, teachers and specialists who come to the United States, and Americans who go abroad. IIE Foreign Student Programs During the last academic year, IIE provided services that helped 2,900 foreign students from eighty-one countries and territories to study in 526 United States educational institutions. IIE received the applications from these students through voluntary scholarship committees in their home countries and matched the candidates with available opportunities. The majority of these students were graduates, and almost every field of study was represented. US Student Programs During the past year, IIE served as the selection agency for the United States government, for nine foreign governments, and for thirty private organizations for awards offered to American students to study abroad. A total of 1,412 awards for study in thirty-four countries were granted. IIE also assisted in selecting 308 United States students to participate in summer school programs offered by four British universities and the University of Vienna. Under IIE-related programs, 1,417 Americans studied abroad in fields as varied as archeology, theater arts, and modern painting, as well as the regular academic courses. Specialist Programs Last year, programs of a non-academic nature were administered for 418 specialists from fifty-two different countries. These specialists included men and women from the professions (doctors, lawyers, journalists, and engineers,) from business, from government, and from the cultural fields. The IIE Hungarian Program Traditionally, the IIE has worked only with exchange students who return home after a year or two of study. In face of the dramatic plight of the Hungarian refugee students, however, IIE, in co-operation with World University Service, set up a special program aimed at getting scholarships and placements at American colleges for these young men and women. This was a “crash program.” It needed and received the co-operation and understanding of the whole educational community, the President’s Committee for Hungarian Refugee Relief, the foundations and resettlement agencies. Who Sponsors IIE? The extent of the IIE programs is made possible through a long list of donors who provide the funds for all types of scholarship awards. These donors range from the United States Government to foundations such as Ford, to colleges and universities, private organizations, business concerns, and foreign governments. IIE has earned its reputation in the way it has used these funds. Long experience has made the HE experts in the careful selection and placement of thousands of exchangees yearly. Task of the IIE IIE provides more than day-to-day administrative services. Through its publications and personal counseling it serves as a central clearinghouse of information on all aspects of exchange of persons. In the last few years the Institute has taken more initiative in creating new programs and setting up new awards. At a time when propaganda is often substituted for truth, the Institute believes that international exchange can be a deciding factor in the battle for men’s minds. IIE Officers Kenneth Holland, President Donald J. Shank, Executive Vice-President Albert G. Sims, Vice-President for Operations Pearl G- Purcell, Executive Assistant to the President Richard C. Raymond, Director of the Hungarian Program IIE Regional Offices Five regional offices participate actively in the programs of the IIE. These offices in Chicago, Denver, Houston, San Francisco, and Washington are focal centers for information on international exchange.
