International Education Week (IEW) began today and continues through Friday. First held in 2000, IEW is a joint initiative by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education that celebrates, through events and activities, the benefits of international education.

To help kick off IEW, the Institute of International Education released their annual Open Doors Report. This comprehensive report includes data about students studying outside of their home country, including international students in the United States and U.S. students abroad.

This year's report revealed an 8 percent increase in the number of international students at colleges and universities in the United States, bringing the total to a record 886,052 students studying in the states during the 2013-2014 academic year. 

China, India and South Korea ranked among the top three countries of origin for international students, with New York University (NYU), the University of Southern California and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, respectively, hosting the largest numbers of international students studying in the country. To read more about the report, visit the Institute of International Education’s Open Doors Report website.

Some other IEW activities include:

• College Fair Live - On Nov. 19, College Week Live hosts International Students Day, presented by the Department of State. This is the largest free online college fair of the year where more than 150 universities, including Cornell, NYU, University of California, Los Angeles are participating.
• Regional school events - Schools throughout the world celebrate IEW with their own events on campuses. You can attend regional IEW events around the world. Filter events by country and by virtual event type on the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs website.

If you are interested in learning more about International Education Week, visit the International Education Week website. Stay tuned for Study in the States posts this week spotlighting IEW sponsors and events.