Appleseed blog

Singapore, which calls itself a "global schoolhouse," has been particularly aggressive in recruiting students and scholars from around the world. The island city-state has made international education a central element of its economic development strategy. Since 2002, it has increased international student enrollment from fewer than 50,000 to more than 80,000--more than any city in the U.S. Its goal is to increase international enrollment to 150,000 by 2015--not bad for a country of just 4.5 million people.

Both to expand opportunities for its own citizens and to strengthen its position as an "exporter" of higher education, the government has also persuaded 16 major universities--including MIT, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, the University of Chicago, Stanford, the Wharton School and NYU's Tisch School of the Arts--to establish programs in Singapore. U.S cities that have historically been leaders in international education-- including New York, Boston, and Los Angeles--should consider whether they might have something learn from Singapore's success.

Appleseed's September Blog Post discussed trends in international student enrollment in the U.S from 1999-2006, including the decline in 2002-03 and 2005-06. The latest data from the Institute of International Education's "Open Doors" report, released on November 12, indicates that enrollment for 2006-07 rebounded to its highest level since 2002-03. While this growth is a positive sign, it's worth digging a little deeper to see whether this growth means that the U.S is regaining its attractiveness relative to other nations competing for the same talent.

At the end of August 2007, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings visited Chile and Brazil to encourage high school students in those countries to consider applying for admission to U.S. colleges and universities. She and other U.S. officials made similar trips to India and China during the past year. While this element of the immigration policy debate has attracted less attention than border fences, factory raids and arguments over the meaning of "amnesty," Spellings' visits remind us of the (sometimes overlooked) impact of international students on the U.S economy.

In this post we discuss how international students contribute to the U.S. and local economies – briefly review the recent decline in international student enrollment in U.S. colleges and universities – highlight trends in international student enrollment in New York City institutions – and suggest some ways in which the decline in international student enrollment might be reversed.

We invite your comments, and your suggestions about how the U.S., the country's colleges and universities, and state and local officials should deal with this issue.