At the Meeting at the American University in Cairo, April 10 – 12, 2008, the Presidents, Provosts and Chief Academic Officers of the Association of American International Colleges and Universities (AAICU) unanimously declared as follows:

AAICU is a leadership organization representing academic institutions conceived and organized on the American model of higher education. Institutional autonomy, vouchsafed by independent boards of trustees, and accreditation by a major recognized U.S. accrediting authority are conditions of full membership.

AAICU member institutions aim at a global standard of excellence by providing privileged spaces of intellectual interchange, academic freedom and responsibility. They also promote the pursuit of learning and of democratic values so their graduates are prepared for the rapidly changing needs of the twenty-first century. AAICU member universities are important contributors to research and development locally and internationally. With strong roots in their respective host countries—where they enjoy wide recognition—they are embedded in their international settings. AAICU members are therefore capable of bridging cultures and fostering dialogue among nations within the framework of the American liberal arts tradition. They are both expressions of and vehicles for the growing international acceptance of the U.S. system of higher education and the increasing importance of English as the language of international communication. In the contemporary knowledge-driven world, with its global economy and trans-border social issues, they play a crucial role in establishing, embodying, and verifying standards of educational excellence.

AAICU’s capacity to monitor educational quality is of particular value at a time when institutions proliferate which claim to follow and satisfy U.S. standards. AAICU institutions provide, furthermore, tested venues for increasingly popular study abroad programs, assuring the compatibility of credits with US practices and providing the benefits of extensive knowledge of the host countries.

AAICU provides a valuable forum for the exchange of information and ideas among its members, thereby facilitating mutual institutional support and continuous improvement. It serves as an advocate for American style higher education overseas and it provides guidance to new institutions that share its aspirations and values. It seeks to reflect the efforts and achievements of its members making them more visible to constituencies in the United States and abroad.

AAICU institutions are among America’s most important cultural assets in different regions of the world, and are deserving of both public and private support. In particular, AAICU urges the federal government to support the work of our institutions through expanded eligibility and funding of existing programs such as:

• American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA) grants through the U.S. Agency for International Development;

• Research support through federal science and technology agencies like the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities;

• Educational grants and scholarship support from the U.S. Department of Education; and

• Educational and cultural exchange programs administered by the U.S. Department of State.

AAICU further urges U.S. foundations and corporations to strengthen their support for U.S. higher education institutions around the world, recognizing the vital role of these institutions in advancing social progress, fostering economic development and educating future leaders in their respective host countries.

Adopted and Approved by the Annual Meeting of AAICU Member Institutions, April 12, 2008 in Cairo, Egypt.

Members of the Association of American International Colleges and Universities

Dr. Haroutune K. Armenian			Mr. Richard Jackson
President			President
American University of Armenia			American College of Thessaloniki
Mr. David D. Arnold			Dr. Andrea Leskes
President			President
The American University in Cairo			Institute for American Universities
Dr. John S. Bailey			Dr. Erik O. Nielsen
President			President
The American College of Greece			Franklin College
Dr. Rick Chaney			Dr. Gerardo della Paolera
Vice Provost and Dean			President
St. Louis University, Madrid Campus			The American University of Paris
Dr. Paul Haidostian			Dr. Franco Pavoncello
President			President
Haigazian University			John Cabot University
Dr. Christopher Hall			Dr. Portia Prebys
President			President
American University in Kosovo			Association of American Colleges and University Programs in Italy
Dr. Ellen Hurwitz			Dr. Donald E. Ross
President			President
American University of Central Asia			American College Dublin
Dr. David Huwiler			Dr. Winfred Thompson
President			President
American University in Bulgaria			American University of Sharjah
Dr. Joseph G. Jabbra			Dr. John Waterbury
President			President
Lebanese American University			American University of Beirut