New industry coalition aiming to boost recruitment for USA

The U.S. For Success Coalition has been launched by 11 organizations, think tanks and advocates to foster a coordinated national effort.

In a launch statement, the coalition said it would work in partnership with the government, higher education institutions, the business sector and other key partners “to foster policies and practices that allow the USA to compete and cooperate effectively on the global stage”.

It said, “By welcoming international students to the nation’s campuses and making pathways for them to apply their knowledge and skills in local economies upon graduation, the coalition aims to position the USA as a leading destination for the world’s talent.”

The coalition said that international students benefit society, economic growth, diplomacy and global standing, and that overseas students, scholars and their families are integral to academic and scientific innovation and national security.

“The USA attracts more of the world’s student talent than any other country. However, other countries with more favorable visa and immigration policies are attracting a growing share of international students, while the US share has declined from 28 per cent in 2001 to an estimated 15 per cent today,” the group said.

In 2021 the Department of State and the Department of Education issued a joint statement in support of the international education sector, and international education exports were included in the International Trade Administration’s National Export Strategy for the first time earlier this year.

But associations and stakeholders have been calling for a coordinated national strategy to attract and retain international students and set targets for growth.

The group said it had identified seven interconnected goals that must be met to enable the US higher education system as the leading destination for the world’s global talent.

Initial members of the coalition include: The Association of International Enrollment Management ( AIRC ); the Alliance for International Exchange; ETS , administrators of the TOEFL and TOIEC tests; the Institute of International Education (IIE); NAFSA Association of International Educators ; the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration; and Shorelight .

Fanta Aw, Executive Director and CEO of NAFSA, said, “International students are a wellspring of new ideas, energy, and innovation in the U.S. They are critically important to our society, economy, and national interest. One need only look at the founders of billion-dollar start-up companies or winners of the Nobel Prize in this country to see that. In return, we must commit to their success and value their presence on our campuses and in our communities.”