The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2016

16 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2016 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL one of our best sources of global influ- ence.”The funding will also help move toward the target of reaching half a billion people globally by 2022. The BBC cur- rently reaches 308 million people in 29 languages. Most of the expansion will be con- centrated in the Middle East, Africa and Russian-speaking countries. Already in the works are: radio service to North Korea; commencement of the use of both Yoruba and Pidgin in service in Nigeria and West Africa; service in Ethiopia and Eritrea; and increased service in Somalia, Thailand and India. —Shannon Mizzi, Editorial Assistant USAID Administrator Confirmed A fter a six-month period of limbo at the U.S. Agency for International Development, Gayle Smith, a well-known leader in development policy, was con- firmed by the Senate on Nov. 30 as the new Administrator. The vote was 79 to 7. Smith was originally nominated on April 30, but Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) led a move to delay her confirmation. The holdup was based on Republican opposi- tion to the administration’s efforts to secure a nuclear deal with Iran and fears about potential changes to the Helms amendment (which currently blocks the use of foreign aid for abortion services overseas), as well as Smith’s own position on the amendment. Secretary of State John Kerry has called Smith, “instrumental in driving such key initiatives as Power Africa, Feed the Future and the U.N. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” In the first two decades of her career, Smith worked as a freelance journalist in Ethiopia, Sudan and Kenya, and has served as a consultant for more than a dozen nongovernmental organizations. She won the 1989 World Journalism Award from the World Affairs Council, the 1991 World Hunger Year Award and the National Security Council’s Samuel Nelson Drew Award for Distinguished Contribution in Pursuit of Global Peace. She was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and is a co-founder of both the Enough Project to end genocide and the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network. During the Clinton presidency, Smith served as special assistant to the presi- dent, senior director for African affairs at the National Security Council and chief of staff at USAID. During the Obama presidency, she has served as special assistant to the president and senior director at the NSC, cover- ing development, democratization and humanitarian assistance issues. A new inspector general for USAID was also confirmed on Nov. 30. Ann Calvaresi Barr served as deputy inspector general at the Department of Transportation from 2010 to the present. Further, Linda Etin was confirmed as USAID’s assistant administrator for Africa on Dec. 7. —Shannon Mizzi, Editorial Assistant State’s New U.S. Study Abroad Office T hough study abroad has increased markedly around the world in recent years, American students trail their international counterparts dramatically in what the Institute for International Educa- tion considers “a key component of a 21st century education.” During the 2013-2014 school year, more than four times as many foreign- ers came to study in the United States as Americans studied abroad, according to Open Doors 2014 , an annual report issued jointly by IIE and the State Department. At the current rate of growth in Ameri- cans studying abroad, it will take 25 years to double the numbers—from 290,000 in 2014. Moreover, the majority of Americans limit their international experience to Europe and, secondarily, Latin America. State’s new U.S. Study Abroad Office (studyabroad.state.gov) is part of an effort to move the needle on this trend. Work- ing with U.S. and foreign institutions, the office highlights the benefits of study abroad for Americans and offers resources to help each student find the right pro- gram. The office provides information about international exchanges, including State- funded programs such as the Fulbright Program, the Benjamin A. Gilman Inter- national Scholarship Program and the Critical Language Scholarship Program. There are programs for high school stu- dents, undergraduate and graduate stu- dents, scholars, teachers and institutions. The Department of State also provides funds and other programming to help both U.S. and foreign institutions improve their capacity to host study-abroad programs. Resources on the site include information on scholarships, internships and teaching or research opportunities, as well as tips for ensuring a positive experience. n —Dastan Sadykov, Editorial Intern The Quiz: Tower of Babel Answers: 1. Ethiopia 2. Bangladesh 3. Croatia 4. Denmark 5. Estonia 6. Fiji 7. Eritrea, Ethiopia 8. Haiti 9. Nigeria 10. Sardinia 11. Philippines 12. Botswana, Namibia