About CIEE
Learning beyond borders
CIEE has spent more than 75 years helping students to explore the world through high-quality exchange programmes that encourage curiosity, confidence, and cultural awareness. We believe these qualities are just as important today – if not more so. We give participants the tools to think globally, act thoughtfully, and connect meaningfully across different cultures.
History
In the post-war years, there was a growing belief that understanding between nations could be built through education. In 1947, CIEE (then the Council on Student Travel) was formed to support this mission, bringing together a network of 32 organisations who were committed to international learning.
Initially focused on arranging student travel between the US and Europe, the Council expanded rapidly. By the 1950s, it was enabling study abroad programmes, hosting international students, and facilitating professional exchanges through global conferences and partnerships.
By the 1960s, the organisation had become a clear voice in shaping the future of intercultural education. Reflecting this shift, it became the Council on International Educational Exchange in 1967. Since then, CIEE has continued to evolve, championing access to international learning across generations.
Since 2013, CIEE has welcomed thousands of students each year to the UK, hosting programs in London, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. We offer a wide range of Study Abroad opportunities for U.S. undergraduate students, including direct enrolment options with leading universities such as Queen Mary University of London, University College London, Edinburgh Napier University, and the University of Strathclyde. In addition, we run numerous faculty-led programs at CIEE, covering everything from the arts to engineering
Since 2023, we have significantly expanded our summer internship offerings and also further developed custom programs for many of our U.S. partner institutions. Our portfolio also includes short-term January and summer programs, as well as Summer High School exchanges Over the years, we have proudly hosted thousands of American students across the UK.
Who we are
We are a non-profit organisation, for 75 years we’ve had a single mission: To help people gain understanding, acquire knowledge, and develop skills for living in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world through meaningful exchange programs.
We provide camp, work and travel, internships, and placement opportunities in the U.S to UK students, graduates, and professionals.
We’re driven by a belief in doing things well and doing them with purpose. From the programmes we design to the partnerships we nurture, we hold ourselves to high standards of integrity and care.
We believe in treating people with respect and dignity. That means creating space for difference, listening to all voices, and working to ensure that everyone feels welcome.
We’re also problem solvers. When we see barriers standing in the way of young people accessing opportunities, we take action. Because we know the value of cultural exchange is too great to be out of reach.
We know cost is one of the biggest barriers to international exchange—and we’re working to change that. We operate in a way that allows us to provide affordable access and make overseas opportunities more realistic for more students.
It’s all part of CIEE’s wider mission: to make life-changing experiences more inclusive, so that more young people can grow through cultural exploration, not be priced out of it.
Over the past seven decades, CIEE has continually redefined its focus to meet the changing needs and expectations of students, faculty, staff, and institutions, solidifying its leadership as the world’s premier international educational exchange organization.
Marie Royce (Former Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs) and James P. Pellow, Ed.D. (President & CEO, CIEE)
