1977 Thirteenth Annual Report Recommendations, United States Advisory Commission on International Educational and Cultural Affairs
Chairman: Leonard H. Marks
Major Recommendations:
- That a minimum of $70.5 million be appropriated for fiscal year 1978.
- That the processes for selecting and recruiting American grantees in the countries of the Middle East be refined and improved.
- That better counseling for both American and foreign grantees be provided in the Middle East.
- That cultural presentations in the Middle East be used in the area in a highly selective way.
- That the United States give increased emphasis to the teaching of English in the countries of the Middle East.
- That steps be taken to redress the imbalance between Americans going to the Middle East on exchange grants and citizens from countries of the Middle East coming to the United States.
- That a program be established under which professors from countries in the Middle East who have studied in the United States can return for sabbatical years.
- That the United States continue to support financially the American University in Cairo, the American University of Beirut, and Robert College in Istanbul. That Congress make an appropriation of $60 million for AUC from its holdings of surplus Egyptian currency.
- That the Foreign Buildings Operation take immediate steps to rehabilitate the USIS Cultural Center in Alexandria, which was burned in 1967.
- That appropriate congressional committees begin hearings on the establishment of a “Western Hemisphere Center”.
- That Congress make a special appropriation which will allow the United States to expand and increase its exchanges with the Soviet Union and other Eastern European nations.
- That the U.S. government reinstitute a “currency convertibility program” which will enable soft currency countries to purchase American cultural products in local currencies that the American exporter will then exchange for dollars through the U.S. Treasury.
- That the U.S. government not adopt measures which would restrict the importation of Canadian cultural materials.
- That an official U.S. exchange program be continued and increased with Canada.
- That Congress appropriate $69.3 million required to regularize the status of the United States in the organization so that it could participate fully in all UNESCO activities.
- That a member of the Commission be appointed as a member or observer of the U.S. delegation to the General Conference.
- That the U.S. government make a one-time appropriation of $10 million for support of the United Nations University.