A National Strategy on International Education Takes a Quantum Leap
NAFSA has long advocated for a national strategy for international education, one that focuses on proactively recruiting talented students and scholars to U.S. colleges and universities from countries around the world and increasing the number and diversity of U.S. students who study abroad before graduation. With its recent announcement on this issue, the Biden administration has taken a quantum leap in advancing this idea.
On July 28, the U.S. Departments of State and Education released a Joint Statement of Principles for international education that renews focus on the role of international education in improving U.S. diplomacy, global competitiveness, and higher education, as well as the lives of the American people.
Why NAFSA Loves This News
The statement of principles speaks directly to NAFSA’s foundational values, and the positive outcomes resulting from the policies and other practical measures implemented under this vision could be significant. As NAFSA’s executive director and CEO, Esther D. Brimmer, DPhil, said about this announcement, “Establishing a national strategy to proactively welcome international talent and compete for the world’s best and brightest will undoubtedly contribute to our nation’s global leadership, economic strength, and innovation. U.S. students also benefit from global experiences provided by access to study abroad, interactions with international student peers, and an internationalized campus. We should prioritize these opportunities.”
The statement of principles speaks directly to NAFSA’s foundational values, and the positive outcomes resulting from the policies and other practical measures implemented under this vision could be significant.
In recent years, we have seen
