Number of U.S. Students Abroad Rose 8% in 2004, Report Says

[Harold F. Schiffman]

http://chronicle.com/weekly/v53/i13/13a04601.htm
>>From the issue dated November 17, 2006


Number of U.S. Students Abroad Rose 8% in 2004, Report Says
By BETH MCMURTRIE

The number of American college students going abroad to study rose 8
percent in 2004, according to the Institute of International Education,
which tracks such figures in its annual "Open Doors" report.

China continued its rapid climb up the list of most-popular destinations
it now ranks eighth  with the number of student visitors rising 35
percent, to 6,389. India, Argentina, and Brazil also saw growth in
interest, placing them in the top 20 destinations for the first time.
Nearly 206,000 students in all studied abroad, the first time the total
went over 200,000.

While Europe remained the most popular destination, its overall market
share continued to shrink. In 2004, 60.4 percent of study-abroad students
traveled to Europe, down from 67.4 percent in 1993. The number of students
going to Asia rose from 6.5 percent to 8.1 percent during that same
period.

Mary M. Dwyer, president of the Institute for the International Education
of Students, a nonprofit organization that runs study-abroad programs
around the world, said the trend among universities and organizations like
hers was to set up new programs in developing countries. It is an interest
that has been building for about 15 years, she said, and has only
accelerated since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

'Future of the World'

The rapid rise in the number of students heading to China  and to a lesser
degree, India  will come as little surprise to educators, given the two
countries' prominence in the world economy.

Students are "just more aware: 'Gee, China and India are major players. I
better get there,'" said Ms. Dwyer, noting that her organization was
opening its first India program in January. (It has had programs in China
since 1990.)

New York University, which sends more students overseas than any other
American university, opened its first study-abroad site in China this fall
a joint venture with East China Normal University, in Shanghai.

"People are sensing that the economic boom is there," said Yaw Nyarko,
vice provost for globalization and multicultural affairs at NYU. "It's the
future of the world."

The program, which is open to students from other colleges, allows
American undergraduates to study alongside Chinese students.

Mr. Nyarko said NYU's interest in China was driven by faculty research
projects and then expanded to include students. He expects the
study-abroad program to enroll 200 students next year, up from about 60
this year. Although the numbers are much smaller than NYU's programs in
Europe, there's "a greater intensity in interest" among the students in
China and other non-European destinations, he said.


TOP 2004-5 DESTINATIONS FOR U.S. STUDENTS

 	Number of students 	1-year change
1. Britain 	32,071 		-0.5%
2. Italy 	24,858 		+13.4%
3. Spain 	20,806 		+3.6%
4. France 	15,374 		+12.1%
5. Australia 	10,813 		-5.3%
6. Mexico 	9,244 		-0.5%
7. Germany 	6,557 		+9.6%
8. China 	6,389 		+34.9%
9. Ireland 	5,083 		-2.2%
10. Costa Rica 	4,887 		+8.4%
11. Japan 	4,100 		+10.6%
12. Austria 	2,757 		+12.8%
13. New Zealand 2,657 		+12.2%
14. Czech Rep.	2,494 	   	+19.4%
15. Greece 	2,445 		+16.5%
16. Chile 	2,393 		+12.1%
17. So. Africa  2,304 		+14.7%
18. Argentina 	2,013 		+53.1%
19. Brazil 	1,994 		+28.3%
20. India 	1,767 		+52.7%

SOURCE: Institute of International Education


http://chronicle.com
Section: International
Volume 53, Issue 13, Page A46

***********************************************************************************

N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members
and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of
the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a
message are encouraged to post a rebuttal.

***********************************************************************************