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Maggie HUG 220x220 - Maggie Hug

Maggie Hug

Director, Regional Education Initiatives & Partnerships, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA)

Bio Current as of September 10, 2021

Maggie is the Director for Regional Education Initiatives and Partnerships at the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. She leads the hemisphere-wide initiative – 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund — the public-private sector collaboration among the Department, U.S. embassies, private sector, foundations, regional governments, NGOs, and higher education institutions throughout the United States and Latin America. The 100K Innovation Fund creates collaboration across sectors to stimulate and support new higher education partnerships and increase the number and diversity of students in the Americas who have access to innovative training and exchange programs. An unfunded Presidential mandate has flourished into a $22 Million collaboration in under seven years between the Department, U.S. embassies, NGOs, and private sector, foundations, and regional government partners. The 100K Innovation Fund builds institutional capacity, catalyzes student development and mobility, and expands inter-regional partnerships. Prior to joining the U.S. Department of State, Maggie was the Deputy Director at the Fulbright Commission-Mexico (COMEXUS) in Mexico for eight years. As Deputy Director, Maggie expanded partnership development among the Commission, U.S. Mission-Mexico, the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), higher education institutions, and the private sector to invest in bilateral education programs. She oversaw the implementation and evaluation of 15 distinct Fulbright academic exchange programs, including administering multimillion dollar program budgets, for 480 Fulbright participants annually between Mexico and the United States. Maggie has 20+ years of experience working across sectors to create public/private partnerships, develop programs, and manage regional and global programs with multiple stakeholders and funding sources. Maggie cultivates and maintains relationships with a broad range of U.S. and international contacts, including decision-makers in the private sector, foundations, government entities, inter-agency, and education institutions to develop and maintain resilient public-private partnerships. Maggie has held leadership positions at the Latin American Scholarship Program at American Universities (LASPAU) at Harvard University, Institute of International Education (IIE), and the Academy of Education Development (AED), where she managed complex Fulbright exchange budgets and programs sponsored by the Department of State, ministries of education, U.S> Embassies, and education institutions in the United States, Latin America, and globally. Maggie is the recipient of a Fulbright Lecturing award to Mexico. She designed and led training programs for hundreds of Mexican educators in coordination with U.S. Mission-Mexico and the Mexican Ministry of Education (SEP). She has experience teaching at public and private universities and schools in both the United States and in Mexico. Maggie lived and worked in Mexico for ten years, and has extensive experience traveling and working in Latin America. She is frequent presenter at domestic and international education conferences.