May 23, 2013
“I never truly understood myself until I met the other. I never truly met the other until I got past myself. What are time and distance, but bridges to be crossed on my journey to meet the other, and in so doing, find myself?” ~Unknown
International education, whether it is a globalization of academic curriculum or student exchange or both, is important as it forces necessary introspection at the same time it engages the other. We can say “international education” serves as a “bridge” between countries and cultures. Countries may not enjoy good diplomatic relations, people of different religious beliefs may not understand one another, and people speaking different languages may not be able to communicate, but international education promotes cross-cultural understanding when students from different parts of the world work together on a project, share dorm rooms, study or conduct research together. Their different customs, tradition, religious beliefs, political affiliations and different languages are bridged through educational endeavors. The importance of international education goes far beyond the individual…it is citizen diplomacy at its best.
International education is also good for the economy. If you didn’t know this already, it goes without saying that international student exchange contributed an estimated $22.7 billion to the U.S. economy in fiscal year 2011-2012. According to the Open Doors Data – Institute of International Education: “Higher education is among the United States’ top service sector exports, as international students provide revenue to the U.S. economy and individual host states for living expenses, including room and board, books and supplies, transportation, health insurance, support for accompanying family members, and other miscellaneous items.”
Here are the top 10 States in the U.S. and the estimated revenue contributed to each state’s economy in the 2011-12 academic year:
1. California $3.215 billion
Source: www.mybackgrounds.com
2. New York $2.59 billion
Source: www.guardnow.com
3. Texas $1.356 billion
Source: www.blueprep.com
4. Massachusetts $1.49 billion
Source: www.wallpaper.com
5. Illinois $1.004 billion
Source: www.destination360.cpm
6. Pennsylvania $1.077 billion
Source: www.citywallpapers.com
7. Florida $935.7 billion
Source: www.destination360.com
8. Ohio $717.0 million
Source: www.fanpop.com
9. Michigan $758.7 million
Source: www.fantom-xp.com
10. Indiana $688.2 million
Source: www.indianalandmarks.com
If there are any misconceptions out there about international students being a drain on the U.S. economy or taking seats away from domestic students, the figure reported by IIE’s Open Door should set the record straight.
Useful links: http://eca.state.gov/impact/state-state-data/
Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, Inc.
www.acei1.com
Thank you for your post about the positive aspects of international student exchange. With international students and student visas now coming under increased scrutiny, we need to be reminded that international students enrich our schools and universities, provide outside perspectives, and help our economy. As the number of international students at the university level continue to climb, I hope to see international student attendance grow at the secondary level as well. Hopefully, incoming students will also encourage American students to study outside of the U.S.
Thank you for your comment and for following our blog. We couldn’t agree with you more. As much as we wish to invite international students to our academic institutions, we need to encourage our students to study outside of the U.S. and explore peoples and cultures beyond the traditional western European institutions in countries such as the UK. Learning a new language while navigating the nuances of communication of ones host country is a great way of understanding and appreciating what our international non-English speaking students coming to the U.S. may be experiencing.