Des Moines Register
11-29-06
Work harder to recruit international students
REGISTER EDITORIAL BOARD
International students on U.S. college campuses broaden American students'
exposure to other cultures. At the same time, foreign students get a firsthand
appreciation for this country. They're good for U.S. research programs, too.
So a report showing a rise in new international student enrollments is a welcome
turnaround. The Institute of International Education found an 8 percent increase
to 142,923 in fall 2005 from 131,945 in 2004.
The State Department has gotten faster at issuing student visas. After the Sept.
11 attacks, stricter security regulations slowed procedures, but many of the kinks
have been ironed out. In the year ending Sept. 30, the State Department issued
more than 590,000 visas for international academic and vocational student and
exchange visitors - even 5 percent higher than in 2001 before 9/11.
Improvements include giving students priority for the in-person interviews
required for a student visa.
While total international enrollment is about the same - nearly 565,000 - the
growth in new students could relieve post-9/11 worries that their presence would
permanently shrink.
The 9/11 commission recommended increasing cultural exchanges across the
board as a matter of national security. Increased understanding among people
can reduce tension among nations.
There's a growing economic argument for welcoming more international
students, too. As China, India and other developing nations produce bigger ranks
of better-educated, more-ambitious young people, U.S. higher-education
institutions need to recruit more of them for the U.S. economy to remain
competitive.
At the University of Iowa, a committee is working on recommendations to
strengthen recruiting efforts, said Scott King, director of the Office of International
Students and Scholars. The admissions office already has looked at how to
respond more quickly to interested international students. New foreign enrollment
is up slightly at the U of I: 425 this fall, compared to 403 last fall.
Iowa State University has seen an even bigger increase, to 568 this fall, from
486 last fall. ISU has boosted recruiting efforts, including adding a second
international recruiter. ISU's recruiters travel to Asia, the Middle East and Latin
America, among other places, said Pat Parker, assistant director of
admissions.
It's important to recall that heightened security measures weren't the only
obstacle to recruiting after the terrorists struck. Students from some nations did
not feel welcome, or even safe here.
All of Iowa's higher-education institutions and their communities should work
together to send the most welcoming message possible to international students,
for the sake of goodwill and success in a global economy.