Title 20EducationRelease 119-73

§1130–1 Centers for international business education

Title 20 › Chapter CHAPTER 28— - HIGHER EDUCATION RESOURCES AND STUDENT ASSISTANCE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER VI— - INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS › Part Part B— - Business and International Education Programs › § 1130–1

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The federal government can give grants to colleges or groups of colleges to plan, start, and run centers that teach and research international business and trade. These centers must teach better business methods for the global market, offer critical foreign language and area studies to help understand trading partners, and do research and training on international trade and commerce. They must also help nearby businesses and serve other colleges, faculty, and students in their region. Grant money can pay for things like travel to foreign regions, teaching and research materials, curriculum development, visiting scholars, and staff training. Centers must run programs that mix language and international studies with business and professional training, teach business people skills like intensive language or short courses, work with other schools and local businesses, and do research to improve international business education and U.S. competitiveness. They may also run overseas internships (but federal funds cannot pay wages or stipends for paid work), build foreign partnerships, offer summer institutes and study-abroad opportunities, support technology-related training, and other Secretary-approved activities. Each center must set up an advisory council to plan the center before it opens and meet at least once a year. Grants are normally for at least 3 years. The federal share of costs is at most 90% in year one, 70% in year two, and 50% in year three and after. Local matching funds can be cash or in-kind, and the Secretary can waive part of the match when a center funds outreach to other colleges. Grants come with conditions, including evidence of planning, faculty collaboration across relevant departments, open access for students in those areas, and use of funds to add to, not replace, existing activities.

Full Legal Text

Title 20, §1130–1

Education — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)The purpose of this section is to coordinate the programs of the Federal Government in the areas of research, education, and training in international business and trade competitiveness.
(2)The Secretary is authorized to make grants to institutions of higher education, or consortia of such institutions, to pay the Federal share of the cost of planning, establishing and operating centers for international business education which—
(A)will be national resources for the teaching of improved business techniques, strategies, and methodologies which emphasize the international context in which business is transacted;
(B)will provide instruction in critical foreign languages and international fields needed to provide understanding of the cultures and customs of United States trading partners; and
(C)will provide research and training in the international aspects of trade, commerce, and other fields of study.
(3)In addition to providing training to students enrolled in the institution of higher education in which a center is located, such centers shall serve as regional resources to businesses proximately located by offering programs and providing research designed to meet the international training needs of such businesses. Such centers shall also serve other faculty, students, and institutions of higher education located within their region.
(b)Each grant made under this section may be used to pay the Federal share of the cost of planning, establishing or operating a center, including the cost of—
(1)faculty and staff travel in foreign areas, regions, or countries;
(2)teaching and research materials;
(3)curriculum planning and development;
(4)bringing visiting scholars and faculty to the center to teach or to conduct research; and
(5)training and improvement of the staff, for the purpose of, and subject to such conditions as the Secretary finds necessary for, carrying out the objectives of this section.
(c)(1)Programs and activities to be conducted by centers assisted under this section shall include—
(A)interdisciplinary programs which incorporate foreign language and international studies training into business, finance, management, communications systems, and other professional curricula;
(B)interdisciplinary programs which provide business, finance, management, communications systems, and other professional training for foreign language and international studies faculty and degree candidates;
(C)programs, such as intensive language programs, available to members of the business community and other professionals which are designed to develop or enhance their international skills, awareness, and expertise;
(D)collaborative programs, activities, or research involving other institutions of higher education, local educational agencies, professional associations, businesses, firms, or consortia thereof, to promote the development of international skills, awareness, and expertise among current and prospective members of the business community and other professionals;
(E)research designed to strengthen and improve the international aspects of business and professional education and to promote integrated curricula; and
(F)research designed to promote the international competitiveness of American businesses and firms, including those not currently active in international trade.
(2)Programs and activities to be conducted by centers assisted under this section may include—
(A)the establishment of overseas internship programs for students and faculty designed to provide training and experience in international business activities, except that no Federal funds provided under this section may be used to pay wages or stipends to any participant who is engaged in compensated employment as part of an internship program;
(B)the establishment of linkages overseas with institutions of higher education and other organizations that contribute to the educational objectives of this section;
(C)summer institutes in international business, foreign area studies, foreign language studies, and other international studies designed to carry out the purposes of subparagraph (A) of this paragraph;
(D)the development of opportunities for business students to study abroad in locations which are important to the existing and future economic well-being of the United States;
(E)outreach activities or consortia with business programs located at other institutions of higher education (including those that are eligible to receive assistance under part A or B of subchapter III or under subchapter V) for the purpose of providing expertise regarding the internationalization of such programs, such as assistance in research, curriculum development, faculty development, or educational exchange programs;
(F)programs encouraging the advancement and understanding of technology-related disciplines, including manufacturing software systems and technology management; and
(G)other eligible activities prescribed by the Secretary.
(d)(1)In order to be eligible for assistance under this section, an institution of higher education, or consortium of such institutions, shall establish a center advisory council which will conduct extensive planning prior to the establishment of a center concerning the scope of the center’s activities and the design of its programs.
(2)The center advisory council shall include—
(A)one representative of an administrative department or office of the institution of higher education;
(B)one faculty representative of the business or management school or department of such institution;
(C)one faculty representative of the international studies or foreign language school or department of such institution;
(D)one faculty representative of another professional school or department of such institution, as appropriate;
(E)one or more representatives of local or regional businesses or firms;
(F)one representative appointed by the Governor of the State in which the institution of higher education is located whose normal responsibilities include official oversight or involvement in State-sponsored trade-related activities or programs; and
(G)such other individuals as the institution of higher education deems appropriate, such as a representative of a community college in the region served by the center.
(3)In addition to the initial planning activities required under subsection (d)(1), the center advisory council shall meet not less than once each year after the establishment of the center to assess and advise on the programs and activities conducted by the center.
(e)(1)The Secretary shall make grants under this section for a minimum of 3 years unless the Secretary determines that the provision of grants of shorter duration is necessary to carry out the objectives of this section.
(2)The Federal share of the cost of planning, establishing and operating centers under this section shall be—
(A)not more than 90 percent for the first year in which Federal funds are received;
(B)not more than 70 percent for the second such year; and
(C)not more than 50 percent for the third such year and for each such year thereafter.
(3)The non-Federal share of the cost of planning, establishing, and operating centers under this section may be provided either in cash or in-kind.
(4)In the case of an institution of higher education receiving a grant under this part and conducting outreach or consortia activities with another institution of higher education in accordance with subsection (c)(2)(E), the Secretary may waive a portion of the requirements for the non-Federal share required in paragraph (2) equal to the amount provided by the institution of higher education receiving such grant to such other institution of higher education for carrying out such outreach or consortia activities. Any such waiver shall be subject to such terms and conditions as the Secretary deems necessary for carrying out the purposes of this section.
(f)Grants under this section shall be made on such conditions as the Secretary determines to be necessary to carry out the objectives of this section. Such conditions shall include—
(1)evidence that the institution of higher education, or consortium of such institutions, will conduct extensive planning prior to the establishment of a center concerning the scope of the center’s activities and the design of its programs in accordance with subsection (d)(1);
(2)assurance of ongoing collaboration in the establishment and operation of the center by faculty of the business, management, foreign language, international studies, professional international affairs, and other professional schools or departments, as appropriate;
(3)assurance that the education and training programs of the center will be open to students concentrating in each of these respective areas, as appropriate, and that diverse perspectives will be made available to students in programs under this section; and
(4)assurance that the institution of higher education, or consortium of such institutions, will use the assistance provided under this section to supplement and not to supplant activities conducted by institutions of higher education described in subsection (c)(1).

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 612 of Pub. L. 89–329 was renumbered section 613 and is classified to section 1130a of this title.

Amendments

2008—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–315, § 611(a)(1), added par. (1) and redesignated former pars. (1) and (2) as (2) and (3), respectively. Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 110–315, § 610(a), substituted “consortia” for “combinations” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (c)(1)(D). Pub. L. 110–315, § 610(a), substituted “consortia” for “combinations”. Subsec. (c)(2)(E). Pub. L. 110–315, § 611(a)(2)(A), inserted “(including those that are eligible to receive assistance under part A or B of subchapter III or under subchapter V)” after “other institutions of higher education”. Subsec. (c)(2)(F), (G). Pub. L. 110–315, § 611(a)(2)(B)–(D), added subpar. (F) and redesignated former subpar. (F) as (G). Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 110–315, § 610(b), substituted “consortium” for “combination”. Subsec. (f)(1). Pub. L. 110–315, § 610(b), substituted “consortium” for “combination”. Subsec. (f)(3). Pub. L. 110–315, § 611(a)(3), inserted “, and that diverse perspectives will be made available to students in programs under this section” before semicolon. Subsec. (f)(4). Pub. L. 110–315, § 610(b), substituted “consortium” for “combination”. 1998—Subsec. (c)(1)(B). Pub. L. 105–244, § 602(b)(1)(A)(i), struck out “advanced” after “faculty and”. Subsec. (c)(1)(C). Pub. L. 105–244, § 602(b)(1)(A)(ii), struck out “evening or summer” before “programs, such”. Subsec. (c)(2)(C). Pub. L. 105–244, § 602(b)(1)(B), inserted “foreign language studies,” after “area studies,”. Subsec. (d)(2)(G). Pub. L. 105–244, § 602(b)(2), inserted “, such as a representative of a community college in the region served by the center” before the period. 1992—Pub. L. 102–325 amended section generally, substituting present provisions for provisions relating to grants for establishing and operating international business education centers in subsec. (a), costs to be covered by Federal funds in subsec. (b), scope of programs and activities in subsec. (c), center advisory council in subsec. (d), duration of grants and allotment of Federal and non-Federal shares in subsec. (e), and conditions for grants in subsec. (f).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1998 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 105–244 effective Oct. 1, 1998, except as otherwise provided in Pub. L. 105–244, see section 3 of Pub. L. 105–244, set out as a note under section 1001 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1992 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 102–325 effective Oct. 1, 1992, see section 2 of Pub. L. 102–325, set out as a note under section 1001 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

20 U.S.C. § 1130–1

Title 20Education

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73