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REAC Name: Tim Wright
Email: twright@educationusa.info
Phone: +52-55-5703-0167
Skype Name: mcac.reac

Welcome to North & Central Americas and the Caribbean! Under support from the Educational Information and Resources Branch at the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA/A/S/A), the Regional Educational Advising Coordinator (REAC), employed through the Institute of International Education's Office for Latin America, provides leadership and expertise in educational advising issues to educational information centers and U.S. Embassies within North & Central Americas, and the Caribbean. The REAC provides support to approximately 36 EducationUSA Centers throughout the region counseling Advisers in center management, tools for U.S. educational advising, opportunities for professional development, regional events and updates in advising related issues. The REAC provides U.S. Educational Institutions and ECA/A/S/A with information on educational systems in the region, regional student mobility trends, suggestions for working with advising centers, tips for recruiting students, and a calendar of activities in the region.

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Recent Trends

The Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MESCyT) is currently administering a robust scholarship program for Dominicans to study internationally. Scholarships are available at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, although their focus and priority level of study is at the graduate level – especially Ph.D.s. Through these scholarships, MESCyT seeks to provide advanced degrees for academics and advanced training for professionals across all sectors of the economy. Current field of study priorities focus on STEM fields, specifically engineering, information technology and telecommunications; but also film/cinematography and the arts (music composition and performance). Graduate programs that foster teacher training and development are also of priority interest.

While their forecasted budget will not permit them to increase the number of grants they are awarding per year, the Ministry does view as a top priority expanding the number of U.S. universities receiving their sponsored students. In order to establish scholarship agreements with U.S. universities, the Ministry wants to sign articulation agreements with institutions that offer programs in their priority fields and that are willing to agree to set levels for tuition, lodging, fees and other expenses for the Ministry-sponsored students (ideally at a reduced level). Signing an articulation agreement also means that the Ministry will preselect candidates and send them on to the university for final approval.

Next steps for interested institutions include:

1) Draft a proposal outlining how your institution can meet the Ministry’s academic priorities and what kind of financial package you could offer their students. Addressing these two key criteria will be crucial for initiating a conversation and getting your foot in the door. Proposals in Spanish will be helpful but not obligatory.

2) Set up a date to go down and meet with the Ministry in person. Keep in mind that Latin American and Caribbean culture place a lot of importance on personal interaction and you’ll get much more mileage out of a meeting than you will over email or phone.

3) Contact REAC Tim Wright and/or the EducationUSA Center in Santo Domingo for assistance in contacting the Ministry.

In The News

1	La carrera de obstáculos de los estudiantes latinos Date: Tuesday, May 17th, 2011 This informative article takes a comparative look at the challenges foreign students face applying to universities in the U.S., U.K., China and Australia. For the U.S. section, EducationUSA is referenced with quotes from Mexico City Advisers Megan Lewis.
2	2010 U.S. College Fair in Jamaica Date: Tuesday, October 12th, 2010 Jamaican students interested in studying in the U.S. attended the annual College Fair hosted by the U.S. Embassy and the EducationUSA Advising Center. This article, published in The Daily Observer, gives great coverage of the event and has a nice photo of the University of South Florida's Bryan Anderson in action.
3	U.S. Embassy Hosts Foreign-Bound Students Date: Thursday, July 29th, 2010 The EducationUSA Advising Center and U.S. Embassy in Kingston, Jamaica hosted their annual Pre-departure Orientation for Jamaican students going to study in the U.S. on June 21, 2010. Coverage of the event was published in a leading Jamaican newspaper, the Jamaica Observer.
4	Ofrece UVAQ informacion de universidades de Estados Unidos Date: Thursday, April 29th, 2010 EducationUSA abre nuevo centro de asesoria educativa en Mexico con la Universidad Vasco de Quiroga en Morelia, Michoacan.
5	Estudiar en EE.UU. -- Study in the United States Date: Monday, November 23rd, 2009 ¿Cómo promueve EE.UU. los beneficios de estudiar en universidades del país? Lisa Glancy nos lo cuenta. Entrevista de CNN por Gabriela Frías

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