Providing a Critical Lifeline and Transforming Lives

The Institute of International Education (IIE) was founded in 1919 on the belief that education makes the world more peaceful and prosperous. We remain dedicated to that belief today. IIE delivers transformative opportunities in more than 180 countries to educate future leaders, place threatened scholars in safety, aid students during emergencies, and open the doors of higher education to refugee students. Two key IIE programs empower these changemakers to rebuild their lives and pursue their dreams.

 

Providing Lifesaving Support to Scholars in Crisis: IIE’s Scholar Rescue Fund

Scholars suffer harassment, detention, torture, and other forms of persecution because of their research, activism, and ideas. The IIE Scholar Rescue Fund is the only global program that arranges and funds fellowships for threatened and displaced scholars at partnering higher education institutions worldwide. Since 2002, IIE-SRF has provided life-saving support to nearly 1,200 scholars from 62 countries in partnership with 532 host institutions around the world.

“With one suitcase and hundreds of questions and concerns, we were supported by the Scholar Rescue Fund to find answers, be settled, develop ideas, start to work, and reach our goals.”
– Dr. Arash Alaei, IIE-SRF alumnus

 

Opening Doors of Opportunity for Refugee and Displaced Students: IIE’s Odyssey Scholarship

The IIE Odyssey Scholarship is a comprehensive scholarship for student refugees and displaced individuals. The scholarship covers tuition, housing, and living expenses for students pursuing associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degrees, as well as advising services, community support, and practical resources they may need along their journey. Since 2021, IIE has awarded 181 Odyssey scholarships and celebrated 45 graduates and counting. Through the IIE Odyssey Scholarship for higher education, we invest in the potential of motivated young adults uprooted by displacement to pursue their own unique paths and create thriving futures for themselves and their communities.

“When I learned that I received the IIE Odyssey Scholarship, I was overwhelmed with gratitude and joy—it felt like the beginning of a new life. It was a moment of hope, the kind of breakthrough that reminds me that despite where I come from, your dreams are valid. Odyssey didn’t just support my education; it empowered me to become a changemaker in my community.”
– Talaja Israel, IIE Odyssey Scholarship recipient
 

IIE initiatives are sustained by the generosity of donors who share the conviction that international education can lead to greater peace and understanding in an interconnected world. Thank you for joining us on this journey.