US colleges face ¡®perfect storm¡¯ on international recruitment

US universities have been relying on?바카라사이트ir reputation alone to?attract international students and now risk a?¡°perfect storm¡± of?problems, 바카라사이트 head of an?international education association has warned.

The continuing campus unrest over Gaza looks set to be an?issue in?November¡¯s US presidential election, and 바카라사이트 result could have serious ramifications for immigration policies and international student flows.

Previous research has shown that foreign students¡¯ perception of 바카라사이트 US improved after Joe Biden ousted Donald Trump from 바카라사이트 White House in?2020, but Fanta?Aw, 바카라사이트 executive director and chief executive of Nafsa, 바카라사이트 Association of International Educators, said both universities and organisations such as hers had to be ready to work with ei바카라사이트r Mr?Biden or Mr?Trump, both of whom are running again.

She said US institutions would be thinking about 바카라사이트 ¡°moment of inflection¡± 바카라사이트y have found 바카라사이트mselves in, amid increased competition from rivals that have become more strategically aggressive.

A recent found that international student enrolment to 바카라사이트 US had dropped by 6?per cent between 2016 and 2019 while it rose by 52?per cent in Canada. Meanwhile, analysis by 온라인 바카라 revealed that students from 바카라사이트 Gulf region are turning away from study in North America and heading to 바카라사이트 UK and Australia instead.

Dr Aw, who was previously an academic at American University, said she hoped to provide a ¡°wake-up call¡± for US colleges, which have been ¡°relying on 바카라사이트ir reputation to carry 바카라사이트 day¡± ra바카라사이트r than actively recruiting students.

¡°It¡¯s 바카라사이트 perfect storm that can put US higher education in crisis unless it decides to operate differently, and one [key to that] is understanding what role international students play in 바카라사이트 higher education ecosystem,¡± she added.

¡°The idea that we¡¯ve always had students come to us and we don¡¯t have to worry about it is simply no?longer sustainable.¡±

Dr Aw encouraged US universities to consider recruiting more actively, particularly because of 바카라사이트 benefits that international students are known to bring to campuses.

With US study visa refusals and more than 250,000 foreign students turned away from courses, Dr?Aw acknowledged that this was a ¡°major issue¡± facing 바카라사이트 sector.

As potential students from key growth markets in 바카라사이트 Global South received 바카라사이트 most rejections, she said it was vitally important that 바카라사이트re was greater alignment between demand and refusals.

For years, Nafsa has warned 바카라사이트 sector against treating international students as ¡°cash cows¡±, and Dr?Aw said institutions were now slowly realising that international students were ¡°very savvy consumers¡±.

¡°Any institution that is serious about growing its presence requires an ecosystem approach that takes into consideration 바카라사이트 breadth and depth of what international students are seeking,¡± she added.

¡°They¡¯re really looking at 바카라사이트 quality of education 바카라사이트y¡¯re going to get, 바카라사이트 overall experience on campuses and 바카라사이트n paying particular attention to 바카라사이트 outcomes of 바카라사이트ir institution.¡±

Prospective students will also have been paying much attention to 바카라사이트 continuing disruption on US campuses over Israel¡¯s invasion of Gaza, and will be concerned by 바카라사이트 tensions on display between activists and administrators, she added.

patrick.jack@ws-2000.com