November 13, 2022

Following Covid Pandemic, American Institutions Rebalance their Internationalisation Priorities

A According to a report, many American institutions are not prioritising internationalisation. The study results show that only a few institutions are planning to restart operations in the coming years. In the future, 63% of the 900 respondents from US institutions believe that recruiting foreign students should take precedence over sending US students abroad.

Student mobility, which has been a top priority for internationalisation since 2016 and has been included in the American Council on Education's latest Mapping Internationalisation on U.S. Campus report, which is released every five years, will continue to be a significant priority even after the pandemic.

…returning to study abroad "in a more nuanced and intentional way" is the focus of three main areas, with an emphasis on underrepresented student populations in programming, technology and virtual collaborations in the curricula, and community building…

Around 68% of respondents who participated in the survey agreed that the Covid-19 pandemic would affect their institution's long-term internationalisation strategy. Amongst them, the majority of respondents claimed that the level of institutional internationalisation was low or very low during the pandemic.

On the other hand, approximately 66% of respondents predicted the growth of internationalisation in the next five years, while only 4% predicted a decline. 30% more said it would remain largely the same.

Scott Pierson, director of the University of Wisconsin-Office Stout's of International Education, stressed in a statement about the report that the university's "recently updated mission statement reaffirms a unique value proposition through polytechnic approach to education.

Returning to study abroad "in a more nuanced and intentional way" is the focus of three main areas, emphasising underrepresented student populations in programming, technology and virtual collaborations in the curricula, and community building.

Old Dominion University's new strategic plan similarly declares that the institution is "wholly dedicated to internationalisation."

According to ODU Senior International Officer Paul Currant, events like the world economy in 2022 and the conflict in Ukraine have also influenced this pledge. "The pandemic has shaped this pledge," he said.

According to the report, while 43% of institutions mention internationalisation in their mission statements, only 36% list it as a top strategic priority.

Posted in News and tagged News, International Education, USA, Study Abroad, University of Wisconsin, Old Dominion University
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