October 24, 2022

International Education Representatives Suggest Strong National Strategy, Demand Government Support in Talent Race

N NAFSA, The President's Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, and New York University representatives concurred at a recent conference that the US would benefit from a clear international education strategy. Representatives proposed taking cues from policies put forth by nations such as the UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand in launching national strategy plans.

Joann Ng Hartman, senior impact officer at NAFSA, asserts that if the United States had half of what Canada does, it would be ecstatic. We actually require guidance and a plan of action that will make our nation more competitive. He continued, "We are seeing the competition miles ahead of us, and I think my American colleagues will agree."

The associate vice president for global services at New York University, Sherif Barsoum, concurred that an international education policy would be wonderful. "We hope it will be more focused and more action-oriented."

…every person in this room who attends a US institution needs to be able to say that coming to the US as an international student can be a step on the immigration process…

Ng Hartman, one of the panellists at the Toronto conference, described herself as "cautiously optimistic" in advance of the publication of America's next Open Doors report, which will include student mobility data for 2021. The panellists expressed confidence that the number of incoming international students was beginning to recover from the decline caused by the pandemic.

While the other panellists anticipate growth, Barsoum, a representative from New York University, forecasted a decline in OPT participants, a programme that enables qualified international graduates to remain in the US and work for up to 12 months.

Presidents' Alliance executive director Miriam Feldblum echoed the call for the US government to take additional action by urging it to open up more immigration options for international students. We are competing for talent on a global scale, she declared.

Every person in this room who attends a US institution needs to be able to say that coming to the US as an international student can be a step on the immigration process.

Ethan Rosenzweig, the deputy assistant secretary for academic programmes in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, also spoke at the event and reiterated the Biden-Harris administration's support for the sector.

Regarding the Joint Statement of Principles in Support of International Education, Rosenzweig stated, "It's constantly evolving," before making a suggestion about potential modifications. "I believe the power of making sure the world knows our doors are open will be even more articulated in the next iteration," she said.

Posted in News and tagged News, International Education, NAFSA, USA, Canada, New York University
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