[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 235 (Wednesday, December 7, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76384-76386]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-31422]


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 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


U.S. Education Mission to Poland and Czech Republic Warsaw, 
Poland and Prague, Czech Republic, April 15-19, 2012

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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Mission Description

    The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade 
Administration, U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service, is coordinating and 
sponsoring an education industry trade mission to Warsaw, Poland and 
Prague, Czech Republic from April 15 to 19, 2012. This mission will 
include representatives from regionally accredited graduate programs 
and 4-year undergraduate educational institutions. This mission will 
seek to connect United States education institutions to potential 
students, university/institution partners and education consultants in 
Poland and the Czech Republic. The mission will include one-on-one 
appointments with potential partners, embassy briefings, student fairs 
and networking events in Warsaw and Prague, which represent the largest 
cities in two dynamic and growing countries that hold high potential 
for U.S. educational institutions interested in students from this 
region.

Commercial Setting

Poland

    Poland is a prime target from which U.S. educational institutions 
can successfully recruit both graduate and undergraduate students. This 
market is not only the sixth largest country in the European Union in 
terms of population, but from a demographics standpoint, the population 
is heavily skewed towards young students with keen interest in higher 
education per the Ministry of Education. Poland's total population of 
38 million includes over 5.5 million young people from 15 to 24 years 
of age, including 1.9 million students.
    Polish students are well-disposed toward the United States, as 
exemplified by their foreign language curriculum. English is the first 
choice for a second language in this market and is used by almost all 
high school and university students. Since 2004, when Poland joined the 
European Union, Polish young adults have been participating in the 
European Union educational programs. Increasingly, young Polish 
students are also interested in expanding their experiences beyond the 
European Union. There is thus a strong core group of students who are 
very interested in studying in the United States per recent trends and 
sources.
    Over 450 institutions of higher education exist in Poland, 
including 132 of public origin. Poland is currently undergoing a higher 
education reform. The legislation became effective October 1, 2011 and 
is expected to better organize and streamline the education process. 
The changes are expected to raise the standards for access to free-of-
charge study programs, a side effect which may result in increased 
interest in studying abroad.
    The Polish Ministry of Education and other higher education 
authorities strongly encourage Polish students to study abroad, and 
welcome foreign students to study in Poland as well. While most Polish 
students choose to study abroad in Europe, the interest in studying in 
the United States is still quite high. As in other European countries, 
the number of students studying in the United States has slightly 
declined over the last few years, mainly due to the global fiscal 
crisis. For the 2009/2010 academic year, there were 2,264 Polish 
students studying in the United States, compared to 2,772 in 2008. With 
the Polish economy continuing to experience positive growth and with 
stronger interest on the part of U.S. educational institutions to focus 
on the market, the trend is expected to reverse. It should be well 
noted that currently a balanced interest exists in both undergraduate 
as well as graduate studies.

Czech Republic

    Study abroad programs are popular in the Czech Republic, as Czechs 
discovered travel and study abroad in the 1990s after the fall of 
communism. Though the number of Czechs studying in the United States 
experienced a decline in recent years, to about 1,000 students, current 
exchange rates and the visa waiver program are making U.S. education 
more attractive. The majority of university students are interested in 
economic and humanities subjects while technical areas rank as their 
third choice.
    English is the standard second language in the Czech Republic, 
providing a large pool of candidates for both undergraduate and 
graduate studies in the U.S. A recent government decision that will 
make English language mandatory for primary school students should 
improve the ability of Czech students to study at U.S. universities and 
colleges. Many U.S.

[[Page 76385]]

higher education institutions have under-targeted this market and can 
take reap extra student recruitment opportunities in a country that has 
not been saturated with overseas student recruitment fairs.

Mission Goals

    The goals of the U.S. Education Mission to the Czech Republic and 
Poland are:
    (1) To gain market exposure and introduce participants to two 
growing student markets in the region, taking advantage of the United 
States' strong ties and positive reputation in these countries.
    (2) To develop market knowledge and relationships that can enhance 
future recruitment of students as well as potential partnerships with 
local educational institutions

Mission Scenario

    Participation in the mission will include the following:
     Pre-travel briefings/webinars;
     Embassy/consulate and industry briefings;
     Networking reception at Ambassador's Residence in Warsaw;
     Pre-scheduled meetings with university heads and 
educational consultants in Warsaw and Prague;
     Student recruitment fairs in Warsaw and Prague;
     Airport transfers to hotels and sites in Warsaw and Prague 
.
    The precise schedule will depend on the specific goals and 
objectives of the mission participants.

                  Proposed Timetable--April 15-19 2012
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Sunday, April 15, 2012............  Arrive Warsaw.
Evening...........................  Individual transfer to the hotel.
Monday, April 16..................
8:30 a.m..........................  Embassy briefing.
10:00 a.m.........................  Meeting at the Ministry of Higher
                                     Education or with one of the
                                     universities/schools.
11:30-1:00 p.m....................  Set-up the venue and lunch on your
                                     own.
1:30-5:30 p.m.....................  Event.
5:30 p.m..........................  Closing down.
6:30-8:00 p.m.....................  Reception at the Residence.
9:00 p.m..........................  Return to hotel
Tuesday, April 17.................
8:30AM-12:00 p.m..................  Individual meetings with Polish
                                     educational institutions, agents
                                     and other partners.
Afternoon.........................  Plane Departure to Prague.
Wednesday, April 18...............
8:30-11:00AM......................  Breakfast and School Participant
                                     Meetings with Prospective Partners
                                     (Optional).
11:30-1:00 p.m....................  Set-up the venue and lunch on your
                                     own.
2:00 p.m..........................  Embassy briefing.
3:00 p.m..........................  Event.
7:00 p.m..........................  Close down.
8:00 p.m..........................  Return to hotel.
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Participation Requirements

    All parties interested in participating in the Mission to the Czech 
Republic and Poland must complete and submit an application for 
consideration by the U.S. Department of Commerce. All applicants will 
be evaluated on their ability to meet certain conditions and best 
satisfy the selection criteria as outlined below. The mission will 
include a minimum of 15 and maximum of 20 qualified, regionally 
accredited U.S. education institutions.

Fees and Expenses

    After an educational institution has been selected to participate 
on the mission, a payment to the U.S. Department of Commerce in the 
form of a participation fee is required. The participation fee is 
$1,995 for one principal representative from each regionally accredited 
educational institution.\1\ The fee for each additional representative 
is $500. Expenses for lodging, some meals, incidentals, and all travel 
(except for transportation to and from airports in-country, previously 
noted) will be the responsibility of each mission participant.
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    \1\ An SME is defined as a firm with 500 or fewer employees or 
that otherwise qualifies as a small business under SBA regulations 
(see http://www.sba.gov/services/contracting opportunities/
sizestandardstopics/index.html). Parent companies, affiliates, and 
subsidiaries will be considered when determining business size. The 
dual pricing reflects the Commercial Service's user fee schedule 
that became effective May 1, 2008 (see http://www.export.gov/newsletter/march2008/initiatives.html for additional information).
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Conditions for Participation

    An applicant must submit a timely, completed and signed mission 
application and supplemental application materials, including adequate 
information on courses offerings, primary market objectives, and goals 
for participation.

Selection Criteria for Participation

    Selection will be based on the following criteria:
     Suitability of a company's products or services to the 
mission's goals;
     Applicant's potential for business in Mexico, including 
likelihood of exports resulting from the trade mission;
     Consistency of the applicant's goals and objectives with 
the stated scope of the trade mission (i.e., the sectors indicated in 
the mission description).

Referrals from political organizations and any documents containing 
references to partisan political activities (including political 
contributions) will be removed from an applicant's submission and not 
considered during the selection process.

Selection Timeline

    Mission recruitment will be conducted in an open and public manner, 
including publication in the Federal Register, posting on the U.S. 
Department of Commerce trade mission calendar (http://www.trade.gov/trade-missions) and other Internet Web sites, press releases to general 
and trade media, direct mail, notices by industry trade associations 
and other multiplier groups, and publicity at industry meetings, 
symposia, conferences, and trade shows. Recruitment for the mission 
will begin immediately and conclude no later than January 31, 2012. The 
mission will be open on a first-

[[Page 76386]]

come, first-serve basis. Applications received after that date will be 
considered only if space and scheduling constraints permit.

Contacts

    Mr. James Paul, Director, CS Boston, MA, Phone: (617) 565-4304/Fax: 
(617) 565-4313, Email: [email protected].
    Gabriela Zelaya, International Trade Specialist, CS San Jose, CA, 
Phone: (408) 535-2757, Ext. 107/Fax: (408) 535-2758, 
[email protected].

Elnora Moye,
Trade Program Assistant.
[FR Doc. 2011-31422 Filed 12-6-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-FP-P