VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHCO #0564/01 3340857
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 300857Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY COTONOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1195
INFO RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1548

UNCLAS COTONOU 000564 
 
DEPT FOR AF/PD (DBWHARTON, EKEMP, SANCHEZCROWE), PD/IIP (MCMICHAEL) 
AF/W (ASTEWART) 
PARIS FOR ARS (DWINTON) 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP OEXC SCUL KIRC KPAO BN
SUBJECT: BENIN REPORT ON INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION WEEK 2009 
 
Ref: Secstate 114869 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: To mark the celebration of the International Education 
Week November 16-20, Cotonou Public Affairs Section organized a 
series of activities including communications on exchange programs, 
experience sharing by Fulbright and Humphrey alumni, a DVC on 
"Studying in the U.S" and the showing of the films "The Great 
Debaters" and "Akeelah and the Bee." END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. PROGRAM JUSTIFICATION/OBJECTIVES: PAS Cotonou promoted 
International Education Week (IEW) 2009 by implementing a series of 
activities designed to highlight the importance and impact of 
international exchange programs, the educational opportunities 
available to foreign students in the United States and the 
advantages of studying in the United States, student life at U.S. 
Universities, the importance of learning English and to encourage 
the youth to have a vision in order to plan for a better future. 
 
¶3. MPP UMBRELLA THEMES AND AUDIENCE REACHED: Promoting Education, 
and Investing in People.  At least 750 participants, including 
university officials, the Deputy Mayor of Parakou, government 
officials from the District of Parakou, lecturers, journalists, high 
school and university students, members of English Clubs, high 
school teachers, Peace Corps volunteers and other interested guests 
took part in these programs. The week-long programs held across the 
country were covered by all major media outlets including TV, radio 
and print media. Estimated audience reached: 3.5 million. The 
national Radio station, that covers the entire country, broadcast 
the event in French, with translations in 18 major local languages. 
 
¶4. ACTIVITIES/IMPACT/RESULT:  Ambassador Knight's originally 
scheduled TV interview to launch the IEW was unexpectedly cancelled 
by the TV station at the last minute.  As a follow-up to launch the 
week's activities, on November 16, PAO Rhonda Watson, IRO Myra 
Brown, and IRC Director Bienvenu Akodigna organized a series of 
events at the University of Parakou, located 400 km north of 
Cotonou. In her remarks during the opening ceremony, the PAO 
explained the importance of education in empowering people and 
showed how an international dimension can increase opportunities and 
open doors for young people. She encouraged the audience to learn 
English and to take advantage of USG exchange programs to complete 
their education and increase their potential to achieve personal and 
national development goals. 
 
¶5.  This program also gave the Public Affairs Section (PAS) the 
opportunity to present books and materials to the American Corner 
and renew the Memorandum of Understanding with the University of 
Parakou. Materials donated included ARS Nouveaux Horizons 
Publications, computers and accessories. 
 
¶6.  IRO Myra Brown highlighted the important role that an American 
Corner located in a university can play in serving as a hub of 
activity and intellectual enlightenment.  She explained that an 
American Corner can play a key role in enhancing lecturers' and 
students' literacy and improving their knowledge of American values 
and culture, thus promoting mutual understanding. 
 
¶7.  The launch ceremony ended with the film "The Great Debaters." 
The projection might have been sabotaged by technical difficulties, 
but fortunately there was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the audience 
with the right skills to solve the problem.  Students stayed late to 
watch the film and learned how hard work and persistence will bring 
rewards. Drawing from lessons learned by the debaters from Wiley 
College, a University of Parakou student commented that the lesson 
he learned from the film is that "Failure is only a temporary change 
in direction to set you straight for your next success." 
 
¶8. Meanwhile, in Cotonou, Cultural Affairs Assistant Taibatou Osseni 
and Program Support Assistant Marie Noel Maffon gave presentations 
at the National College of Administration and Magistrates at the 
University of Abomey-Calavi and at the National College of Applied 
Economics and Management (ENEAM).  They spoke about the objectives 
and importance of the International Education Week and the services 
offered by the American Cultural Center, including the exchange 
opportunities. They showed a PowerPoint presentation entitled, "If 
you want to study in the U.S..." A book fair was also organized on 
the campus of Abomey-Calavi where the IRC section displayed ARS 
Nouveaux Horizons Publications. Unfortunately, the teachers at the 
University of Abomey-Calavi were striking for better working 
conditions and increased allowances, and the students were striking 
against the establishment of an online registration process. The few 
students who wanted to attend the conference had been persuaded by 
the President of students' association not to attend the event. The 
conference in Abomey-Calavi only attracted 20 students who were 
courageous enough to participate. At least 100 students attended the 
event at ENEAM, however. 
 
¶9. On November 17, IRO Myra Brown conducted a training session in 
Parakou on the topic: "How to Do Very Intelligent and Effective 
Internet Searches." This workshop, which attracted over 60 students, 
was an opportunity to introduce participants to wikis, blogs, and 
video sharing websites such as YouTube. The IRO also talked about 
the dangers of plagiarism and gave participants an assignment to 
choose a research topic that they could cover within the time frame 
and resources available. Students participated with enthusiasm in 
the session and some of them shared their work with the audience. 
 
¶10.  The Cultural Affairs Assistant and the Program Support 
Assistant visited the Institute of Mathematics and Physics in the 
city of Dangbo, located 15 km from Porto-Novo.  Thirty students 
attended the event where the presentation emphasized the importance 
of learning English for students of science and technology.  At the 
Teachers' Training College in Porto-Novo the audience of 100 was 
made up of high school and university students, members of English 
clubs, faculty members and alumni.  The program focused on the need 
for the high school students to begin planning for their future as 
early as possible.  The presenters also explained the opportunities 
offered by the Fulbright exchange program. Both institutions 
expressed their willingness to collaborate with the American 
Cultural Center. 
 
¶11. On November 18, the Cultural Affairs Assistant held a conference 
at the Regional Institute of Engineering Industry and Biotechnology, 
a private institution, where Adam Pinto, a Humphrey alumnus who 
studied Urban Planning at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 
talked about his experience as a Humphrey fellow.   According to 
Pinto, an international education maximizes professional and social 
opportunities, improves English skills, and develops leadership and 
networking skills. 
 
¶12.  PAS Cotonou also organized the showing of the film "Akeelah and 
the Bee" at the largest high school in Come, a village located 63 km 
away from Cotonou. PAS also donated books to the high school 
library.  Because promoting girls' education is a high priority of 
the U.S. Mission, PAS initiated the showing of this film to 
underscore the importance of sending all children, especially girls, 
to school. Thus, one of the aims of this program was to highlight 
the importance of education, encourage girls to go to school and 
teach them that there are no barriers to their educational success 
if they will only study and persevere.  As the International 
Education Week is also an opportunity to develop a broader 
understanding of world cultures and languages, another objective of 
this program was to promote the study of English. 
 
¶13.  The reaction of the students to the movie was overwhelmingly 
positive. The director of the high school seized this opportunity to 
remind his students that working hard is a key to success. The 
English teachers expressed their interest in having more film 
showings as they not only entertain the students but also educate. 
 
¶14. On November 19, the PAS team visited the private institution 
"Projet Cerco" and the College of Commerce and Management "HECM" to 
explain academic exchange opportunities to the students and 
teachers. The importance of learning English was emphasized in a 
speech delivered by Herve Djengue, a Fulbright Alumnus who studied 
Finance at Brandeis University. Two hundred students and faculty 
members attended the event. 
 
¶15.  Based on the number and intensity of questions and audience 
contributions, the programs were well received and successful. 
Handouts marketing our exchange programs and IRC services encouraged 
potential candidates to apply for the Fulbright Program and private 
and public academic institutions to apply for and request Fulbright 
Specialists. 
 
¶16.  PAS received many requests from the various institutions for 
additional programs and resources, especially to help improve the 
teaching of English, and didactic materiel for libraries, and 
research training for the students. 
 
¶17. To wrap up the IEW activities, on November 23 PAS hosted an 
ARS-offered DVC program on the topic "Studying in the U.S..." The 
program attracted 75 University and high school students eager to 
learn about the requirements to study in the United States, the U.S. 
educational system, student life in the United States, scholarship 
opportunities for foreign students and other key information that 
they would never have been able to gather if they had not attended 
this session. The DVC Moderator presented an overview of studying in 
the United States, and explained he reasons why the United States 
attracts so many foreign students every year. Thereafter, three 
University students studying in the United States talked about their 
experience and other useful information related to studying in the 
United States. 
 
¶18.  Beninese DVC participants posed questions about how to prepare 
for the TOEFL test, how to do research for a PhD, the availability 
of humanitarian assistance to foreign students in the United States, 
campus life, the difference between public and private universities, 
multiple enrollments, problems of accommodation for foreign 
students, differences between the U.S. and the French educational 
systems, Civil engineering studies, violence on U.S. campuses, the 
equivalency between U.S. and French Degrees. 
 
¶19.  During the informal discussion following the DVC program, 
participants said they were delighted to have been given the 
opportunity to attend this productive and highly captivating 
session. 
 
¶20. NON-USG SOURCES OF IN-COUNTRY FUNDING/IN KIND SUPPORT: 
The willingness of the private academic institutions we visited to 
encourage and mobilize students to attend the sessions, was 
instrumental and determining to the overwhelming success of this 
activity even though students and teachers were on strike at the 
University of Abomey Calavi. The participation of the Fulbright 
alumni, Hilaire Comlanvi, Adam Pinto, Kpadonou Hounsa Gabriel, and 
Herve Djengue brought vivid first-hand accounts to the events. 
 
¶21. QUALITY OF USG SUPPORT: Excellent. Kudos to ARS for recruiting 
such motivated university students to share their experiences with 
our guests.  Post also appreciated ARS' collaboration by sending the 
Nouveaux Horizons Publication for the book fair and offering the 
opportunity of a DVC on "Studying in the U.S. and IIP for making 
available materials and e-journals on International Education 
Advantages, Guide to Higher learning Campus Connection and Choosing 
a career. The electronic copies of these e-journals were sent to 
interested guests and students.  Finally, Kudos to the Peace Corps 
Volunteer who rescued the film showing in Parakou. 
KNIGHT