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Frankfort, Ky - Kentucky State University (KSU) is one of 37 U.S. colleges and universities awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students (IDEAS) Program this year.

“I am immensely proud of both Dr. Nzaramyimana and Dr. Upadhaya for their hard work in securing this IDEAS grant. We are deeply grateful to the U.S. Department of State for their support and investment in our students' futures. This grant will significantly enhance our efforts to prepare our students for global leadership roles,” stated Dr. Koffi C. Akakpo, KSU President.

Students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) participating in study abroad programs are currently nonsignificant compared to other institutions. Student engagement in study abroad programs help students cultivate critical leadership competencies such as team building, managing diverse stakeholders, and problem-solving.

“To address this, the main goal of our project is to tackle the critical need for inclusive global engagement and sustainability education by developing a multidisciplinary, low-cost, sustainable, faculty-led study abroad program, targeting students enrolled at KSU,” said Dr. Suraj Upadhaya. “With this grant, we aim to develop a collaboration and a ready-to-implement study-abroad program.”

By expanding study abroad opportunities, KSU is committed to enriching the academic experience and enhancing the global competitiveness of its students.

“The U.S. Department of State is proud to support these U.S. colleges and universities as they build capacity for more American students to study abroad in diverse locations around the world.  Increasing the number of U.S. students with international experiences is part of our investment in ensuring that our country’s future leaders have the skills they need in fields ranging from global health to technology and innovation,” said Heidi Manley, Chief of USA Study Abroad.

This year’s projects include activities such as developing new international partnerships, training faculty and staff, internationalizing curriculum, engaging students in study abroad, and creating virtual and hybrid exchanges.  IDEAS grants will support programming to 36 destinations, across all world regions, for example in Botswana, Croatia, Indonesia, Nepal, Tunisia, and Uruguay.  For a full list of 2024 IDEAS grantees, as well as information on upcoming IDEAS webinars and workshops, please visit  www.studyabroadcapacitybuilding.org.

Since 2016, the IDEAS Program has awarded 216 grants to 205 institutions in 49 U.S. states and territories to establish, expand, and broaden their U.S. study abroad programs in over 95 countries across all world regions.  In addition to the IDEAS grant competition, the program also offers opportunities for international educators at U.S. colleges and universities to participate in free virtual and in-person study abroad capacity-building activities.

For further information about other study abroad resources and other exchange programs offered by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, please contact ECA-Press@state.gov and visit https://eca.state.gov/.  The IDEAS Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the United States Government and supported in its implementation by World Learning.

For more information regarding KSU's study abroad programming, visit kysu.edu.