NAFSA believes international education leads to a better, more peaceful world. The following reports provide members, our partners, and public officials with professional, timely resources needed to address the challenges facing international education in the 21st century.

Losing Talent: An Economic and National Security Risk America Can’t Ignore
NAFSA has released a new report outlining some of the dangers of declining enrollment of international students and scholars in U.S. colleges and universities. The report attributes the issue directly to harmful policies and anti-immigrant rhetoric which have created a chilling effect on enrollment, as the United States is increasingly viewed as unwelcoming to international students and scholars. It also calls upon Congress to take action to work with NAFSA to stop this trend.

Developing a Globally Competitive Workforce Through Study Abroad: The Value of Study Abroad Skills in the U.S. Job Market
NAFSA partnered with Emsi, a U.S.-based global labor market consulting firm, in analyzing hundreds of millions of U.S. job postings and professional profiles to measure the impact of education abroad on workforce development in order to demonstrate international education’s value to the U.S. labor market. The report builds upon previous studies in skills development and study abroad and affirms that students acquire and develop skills during their study abroad experiences that are valued by employers such as leadership and management.

The Role of Community Colleges in Global Workforce Development
In October 2018, NAFSA convened a Global Workforce Development Roundtable on the “Role of Community Colleges in Global Workforce Development.” NAFSA brought together experts and leaders in higher education, community colleges, business, and policy for a discussion on Capitol Hill to examine the specific role that community colleges play in preparing their students for the global workforce.

The Economic Imperative of a Global Education
In April 2018, NAFSA convened a Worldview Global Workforce Development Roundtable on the “Economic Imperative of a Global Education.” Partnering with the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) and working with Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) to host the discussion on Capitol Hill, NAFSA brought together experts and leaders in higher education, business, and policy to examine the connection between international education and global workforce development.

Short-Term Grants, Long-Term Impact: Creating Institutional Change in Study Abroad
This follow-up study to the 2016 Moving the Needle report examined the impact of certain study abroad grant programs on the higher education institutions that applied for and received funding. Short-Term Grants, Long-Term Impact confirms the original study’s findings that even the relatively small, one-time grants awarded through these programs can help encourage an institution to make a more long-term, sustainable investment in study abroad.

Moving the Needle: Leveraging Innovation for Institutional Change in Study Abroad
In order to increase study abroad, a new national study abroad program primarily targeting higher education institutions rather than individual students was necessary. Three specific study abroad grant programs - 100,000 Strong in the Americas, US-China Student Exchange Leaders, and the Partnership for Innovation and Collaboration on Study Abroad - were examined and found to be an effective and efficient method of increasing study abroad.

A Visa and Immigration Policy for the Brain-Circulation Era: Adjusting To What Happened in the World While We Were Making Other Plans
Together, U.S. visa and immigration policies determine who comes to our door and what type of reception they receive. This report provides policy recommendations that reflect the opportunities and realities of global academic and professional mobility that will be integral to the long-term well-being and security of the country.

Restoring U.S. Competitiveness for International Students and Scholars
The United States faces growing global competition for talent. In order for the country to remain the preeminent destination for international students and scholars, This report urges renewed U.S.commitment to attracting the world's best and brightest.

In America's Interest: Welcoming International Students
Former U.S. Defense Secretary William J. Perry served as honorary chair of NAFSA's Strategic Task Force on International Student Access. The group found that providing international students with educational opportunities in the United States builds and strengthens understanding and diplomacy around the globe, leading to a more peaceful, secure world.

Report of the Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study abroad Fellowship Program
Based on the vision of the late-Senator Paul Simon, this Congressionally-appointed commission examined the concept of dramatically increasing the number and diversity of Americans studying abroad. The report outlines the current study abroad environment, challenges to Senator Simon's dream of "millions of American undergraduates studying abroad and carrying the name and values of Abraham Lincoln with them," along with the recommendations to achieving it. This report is the basis for what would become the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Act.

Securing America's Future
Americans' lack of knowledge of the world represents a "national liability," according to this report by NAFSA’s Strategic Task Force on Education Abroad, co-chaired by former U.S. Education Secretary Richard Riley and former U.S. Senator Paul Simon. The report outlines recommendations to federal and state governments, higher education institutions, and the private sector for dramatically increasing U.S. participation in study abroad.