Like many institutions across the country, the market for international students has increased at TJC.
The market for foreign exchange students has become highly competitive in recent years. The stronger development of higher education in other countries is forcing colleges and universities to compete for the interest of foreign students.
The three countries that send the most students abroad posted double-digit increases. India is up 13 percent. China is up 20 percent, and South Korea is up 11 percent.
The competition, however, has not affected America, where International students on campuses are at an all-time high, according to the Institute of International evaluation. The number of foreign students is up 7 percent, and new enrollment is up 10 percent.
“In today’s competitive international environment, the increase in enrollment noted in this year’s Open Doors data demonstrates again that the U.S. remains the premier destination for international students,” said Goli Ameri, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
The number of international students at TJC is increasing with the nation.
“We have 112 international students on campus with students visas and from over 60 countries,” said Nidia Arrellano, coordinator of international admissions at TJC. “TJC will continue to keep the doors open,” said Arrellano.
Foreign exchange students have a number of reasons for being attracted to TJC.
“Things are better organized, the college life is different, the school is set up like a business, with more professionalism in sports and other activities at the college level,” sophomore Allen Thomson said. Thomson is from South Africa.
“I was referred to TJC by a college coach who suggested I get transfer credit to a higher education institution. I feel that life is really different here, and the only thing I would change would be the closed mindedness of some Americans who forget that there is a world outside of Tyler,” said Ben Peneccasio, 22-year-old exchange student from Australia.
Other countries recognize the benefits international students bring, and would like to take advantage of them. When students arrive in a country, they bring cultures, languages and traditions with them, and they also take some of their host country’s customs when they leave.
“As a country, they need to recognize that other country’s are implementing strategies for enhancing their attractiveness and accessibility for international students like statuses of Visas and other politics for foreign students and scholars,” Lawrence H. Bell said during his testimony in front of U.S. House of Representatives.
International students help Americans gain a critical understanding of other cultures and languages such as Arabic, Korean and Farsi. They help to develop long lasting relationships between the U.S. and other nations, bettering world diplomacy.
“Everyone would like to be ahead in the game furthering academic exchange – in both directions. International students diversify our campuses,” said Allan E. Goodman, CEO of the Institute of International Education, during his testimony in front of U.S. House of Representatives.
Some examples of exchange students who studied in he U.S. are former Prime Minister Tony Blair, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
“Having leaders live and learn in the U.S. assist the long term relationship for foreign policy goals and is a strong diplomatic asset for the United States, a good investment that we can make to strengthen U.S. is higher education and research activities is to foster cross-border collaboration on shared global problems such as fighting disease, protecting the environment, and countering terrorism,” Goodman said.
