The Maryland Bosnia and Herzgovina Exchange Council (MBHEC) participated in the annual review meeting of the Maryland International Education Consortium (MIEC) on August 1 at Loyola University Maryland, highlighting an ongoing commitment to strengthening higher education partnerships between Maryland and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The event brought together leaders from MIEC member institutions, affiliates, and partners, including the U.S. Commercial Service (USCS), EducationUSA, the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC), and the Office of the Maryland Secretary of State, to celebrate recent achievements and outline future collaborative efforts. The agenda focused on Maryland’s evolving international education landscape, new collaborative initiatives, and emerging tools to support student mobility.
During the meeting, Mendy Nitsch, Director of International Affairs at the Maryland Secretary of State’s office, along with MIEC President Rachel Scholten and President-Elect Christopher Powers, underscored the importance of expanding partnerships. Powers emphasized the enduring value of international exchange, stating, “As a lot of us, it’s truisms that have not been stated enough lately about the value that international students bring to our campuses, our communities, and our cultures, and to the value that we bring when we come together. One of our events, I think with our Bosnia partners, either Secretary Lee or Deputy Secretary Laurie talked about subnational diplomacy. And I think that’s more important than ever right now. So we don’t control borders and visas and everything else, but we control the message that we send to our students.” MIEC leaders highlighted recent progress in collaboration with MBHEC during fiscal 2025 and signaled a strategic shift toward deepened civil sector cooperation, moving beyond the primarily military-to-military relationships that have defined the past two decades under the State Partnership Program.
Emir Nurkic Kacapor, Co-founder of MBHEC, expressed enthusiasm for fostering new academic linkages. He emphasized the Council’s commitment to supporting study abroad, conference exchanges, and student mobility, particularly for Maryland community college students, drawing upon MBHEC’s track record in organizing similar initiatives for Ivy League participants. While MBHEC is dedicated to facilitating exchanges between all U.S. and Bosnian academic institutions, a key priority for the coming year is to increase Maryland-specific partnerships.
MBHEC’s active participation reflects Maryland’s broader commitment to international and intercultural engagement. With MIEC’s forward-looking agenda, new opportunities for collaboration are expected to expand well into 2026.
