Some of Our Legacies in the

International Arena

ICHEP was officially established in 1995 as an independent nonprofit organization which would be dedicated to working primarily in a global context to strengthen higher education institutions and their leaders, and to promote the culture and practice of philanthropy worldwide. The following are some of ICHEP's significant international achievements from the year it was created:

• In 1995, ICHEP was contracted by higher education, philanthropic, and government leaders of the Republic of Mexico to design and chair a three-day International Forum on Higher Education and Social Change done in partnership with Harvard Universitiy and featuring leading scholars in the field of higher education from Chile, Mexico, Venezuela, and the United States. This historic international forum was dedicated to proposing new ways to examine and change the critical relationship between higher education and society, in different national settings.

• In 1996, ICHEP was contracted to provide a one-day seminar on National Policy Formulation in Education for a group of twenty-four educators and community leaders from El Salvador. ICHEP's seminar was part of a six-week training program on Civic Participation in Education for El Salvador.

• In 1996, ICHEP was the only organization in the world which was approached by the government of the State of Zacatecas, in the Republic of Mexico, to design and chair an International Forum on Values and Ideology in Education. This international Forum was held to celebrate the 450th Anniversary of the Founding of Zacatecas, and its speakers were renowned experts in education from different countries.

• In 1997, ICHEP designed and promoted a model Mexican Interstate Compact for Technical & University Education at the request of the Governors and university presidents of four states of the Republic of Mexico: Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo Leon, and Zacatecas. The purpose of ICHEP's model Compact was to foster and facilitate cooperation and resource-sharing among the Compact's member states.

• In 1998, ICHEP was one of only two higher education organizations from the United States which was invited to be a presenter at the III International Symposium: Creating the Citizen of the 21st Century, which is globally renowned event held only once every five years and in different countries. It also features individuals considered to be the leading thinkers from countries throughout the world. ICHEP's presentation provided a new paradigm for advancing a national system of higher education.

• In 2001, ICHEP was invited to participate in the international conference of the Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities (HACU) which was held in Costa Rica. ICHEP Trustee, Ms. Elba Garcia-Burke, presented ICHEP's multi-national initiative, Bringing Several Nations Together for a Collaborative Initiative on the Study and Development of Educational Systems and Institutions.

• In 2014, ICHEP's Board of Trustees officially adopted a corporate resolution to return to working primarily in the international arena. This resolution served to affirm ICHEP's original mission and dedication to strengthen higher education systems, institutions and their leaders—and to promoting the cultural and practice of philanthropy—to transform the character of communities and people worldwide. Therefore, beginning in 2014, ICHEP's primary focus will be on establishing partners, sponsors, and other collaborators in all countries in the world who wish to take part in, or help support, the unique mission and work of ICHEP's three priority units: the Global Institute on the Spirit of Philanthropy, the Stewardship of Higher Education Academy, and the Global Institute for Building Better Schools.