USA government pledges support for international education

National Export Strategy: Speaking at the 75th NAFSA Annual Conference, which was held in Washington D.C. recently, Kendee Yamaguchi, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the International Trade Administration (ITA), confirmed that international education would be included as a priority sector for the first time in the forthcoming National Export Strategy (NES).

A Spokesperson for the ITA told StudyTravel Magazine, “The National Export Strategy is a government-wide strategic plan for federal export promotion activities. For the first time, international education has been included as a priority sector in the forthcoming NES, which underscores its importance to the US economy.

“Under the NES, US government agencies plan to deepen cooperation on international education to ensure alignment, continue to be mutually supportive, and adopt complementary approaches in overseas operations in support of US international education.”

In the speech, Deputy Assistant Secretary Yamaguchi said that education-related exports were the ninth largest export sector for the USA in 2022 at an estimated US$37 billion.

She added that the move to include education in the NES advances the priorities outlined in the July 2021 Joint Statement of Principles in Support of International Education by the Departments of State and Education, and outlines a pathway for improved collaboration between the government and industry stakeholders.

NAFSA agreement:

Furthermore, the International Trade Administration signed a Memorandum of Agreement with NAFSA Association of International Educators to facilitate collaboration “aimed towards enhancing the international competitiveness of the US education sector”.

The ITA said that the agreement will support collaboration on joint activities by leveraging ITA resources and helping US institutions to increase exports.

“This agreement reinforces the long and cooperative relationship of the International Trade Administration with NAFSA,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary Kendee Yamaguchi in a statement. “We are pleased to formalize this collaboration to benefit educational institutions across the nation. International students benefit US schools by increasing diversity, financial stability, and enrolment. US students benefit from exposure to different cultures and a global view during their educational experience.”

“We are grateful for the Department of Commerce’s long-standing support of international education and are pleased to enter into this agreement with the International Trade Administration in this way,” said Dr. Fanta Aw, NAFSA Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer.

“We share a common understanding of the many contributions that international students bring to the US and are hopeful this agreement will lead to even greater gains in recruiting them to our colleges and universities.”

Secretary of State speech in support:

Meanwhile in recorded welcome remarks at the 75th NAFSA Annual Conference and Expo recently, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that international education was an important part of the USA’s diplomacy and that the sector is a priority for the Biden Administration.

He highlighted that in the recovery phase from the Covid-19 pandemic, the State Department has taken steps to streamline the student visa application process, including allowing certain individuals to apply without an interview.

In 2022, more than 580,000 student visas were issued, the highest total for five years, he added.

Praising the work of the sector, he said, “For 75 years, NAFSA members have helped make international education possible. You’ve opened your classrooms and resources to students, researchers, and professionals from other nations. You’ve supported your own citizens as they venture abroad. And in doing so, you’ve helped build vast networks of global goodwill and cooperation, starting from your campuses.

“These are powerful connections. International students share their talents and cultures with their new communities – and bring what they learned abroad back home. Exchanges can create lifelong friendships, spark artistic creativity, and fuel collaboration on ground-breaking research.

Calls for a strategy:

Since the Joint Statement of Principles in July 2021, industry stakeholders have been calling on the Biden Administration to implement a full national strategy for international education to bring the USA in line with competitor destinations and boost the country’s attractiveness to international students.

On the eve of the NAFSA event, Fanta reiterated that request.

“We are also calling on the Biden administration to lead the development of a proactive international education strategy to increase the number and diversity of international students in the United States and of US students studying abroad. We urge our members and partners to join us in these efforts. This year’s convening is an important opportunity to advance this work,” she said.

US student data:

In the 2021/22 academic year, there were 948,519 international students enrolled at higher education institutions in the USA, according to the annual Open Doors report, an increase compared with the previous year although still below pre-pandemic levels.

Meanwhile, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program indicated there were 1,362,157 active student visa holders in the 2022 calendar year, a 10.1 per cent increase compared with the previous year.