FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (5/22/06)

Contact Information:
Tel: 202-243-7680
E-mail: HED@HEDprogram.org
Website: www.HEDprogram.org

HED ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF THE DEVELOPMENT SPECIALISTS PROGRAM
New Program Expands Opportunities for Short-term International Development Assignments

Washington, DC (May 22, 2006) - Higher Education for Development (HED), in cooperation with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), announced the launch of the new Development Specialists Program. The new program is designed to give U.S. faculty the opportunity to participate in short-term international development assignments at USAID Missions worldwide.

The primary goal of the program is to provide broad and diverse sources of technical and advisory expertise to USAID. This will be achieved by sending U.S. faculty on short-term assignments to USAID Missions.

Said Martin Hewitt, USAID Higher Education Community Liaison, “We look forward to expanding our partnership with U.S. faculty through the new Development Specialists Program.”

In describing the process of the new program, Kay Ikranagara, HED Senior Associate, said, “Peer review committees will read and approve applications submitted by U.S. faculty on a rolling basis. Approved faculty will be placed on a roster of experts available for assignment according to the needs of individual USAID Missions.” The program is set to go, said Ikranagara, “We’re ready to help faculty submit applications.”

Application materials and further program description are available on the HED website (http://www.HEDprogram.org). (click here for the development specialist program).

Christine Morfit, HED Executive Director, said, “We are particularly excited to announce this new program. The Development Specialists Program marks a new opportunity for engagement by individual U.S. faculty in international development. In conjunction with our institutional partnerships program, HED can now help faculty become more involved in international development activities from short-term assignments of two to four weeks to long-term partnerships of three years or more.”

The HED program engages the resources of higher education institutions in the United States and abroad for global social and economic development through human and institutional capacity building. HED assists the nation’s six major higher education associations and their members in partnering with USAID, as well as other development agencies and donor organizations. For more information about HED, please visit http://www.HEDprogram.org.

The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years. For more information, please visit http://www.usaid.gov

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