USA stakeholders keen on national strategy and enhanced work rights for global competitiveness

The Survey on a National Strategy for International Education in the U.S. was conducted late last year by global agency group IDP Education , in collaboration with several associations in the USA, including EnglishUSA , NAFSA Association of International Educators , the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration and AIRC , and was completed by 405 respondents.

In the foreword to the report, IDP  said, “The United States is among the most popular destinations for international education and yet is the only one lacking a centralized national strategy. Instead, a network of federal agencies, state governments, higher education institutions, and private organizations work asymmetrically to promote and support international education activities.”

Industry stakeholders thought that the USA ranked last in a comparison with the six other major higher education destinations in terms of ‘having a successful, coordinated effort to support international education’. For most respondents, Canada and the UK ranked highest.

Asked what items should be included in a national strategy, a modernization of international student work and post-graduation policies was the most popular at 81 per cent, followed by modernization of F-1 and J-1 visa policies (75), expanded federal funding for initiatives to attract students (68), and expanding dual intend to F-1 international students (61).

And considering how the USA should aim to increase the diversity of international student enrolment in the next decade, more than two-thirds (68 per cent) cited addressing visa denial rates as the most important factor. This was followed by providing dedicated scholarships (57) and expanding outreach and recruitment efforts (56).

At a national level, respondents said that global competitiveness would be the most important reason to introduce a national strategy, followed by cultural enrichment, innovation and research contribution, economic impact, diplomacy and labor market needs.

Participants thought the most important objectives of a national strategy for the country would be the development of a skilled, globally aware workforce (50 per cent), followed by an improved perception of the USA as a welcoming destination (47).

There were concerns from 47 per cent of respondents about a national strategy, and among those respondents, 78 per cent expressed concerns about achieving consensus in the diverse U.S. higher education landscape. More than two-thirds (68 per cent) were worried about the sustainability of a plan amid changing political administrations, geopolitical shifts and resource availability.

At an institutional level, industry professionals thought that alleviating access barriers and challenges for international students (68 per cent) would be the most important benefit of a strategy, followed by enhanced international partnership opportunities (61) and diversified enrolment (59).

Respondents were mixed about how and whether to set recruitment targets within a national strategy, with 29 per cent saying these should be determined by institution type, while 23 per cent said that significantly increasing international enrolment overall should be the focus, and a further 18 per cent favored a modest increase.

Significantly increased study abroad participation rates by domestic students were also favored by 56 per cent as an impact of a strategy on American undergraduates.

Respondents were mixed on how a national strategy should be governed, with 33 favoring an independent cross-sector body and 32 per cent nominating a White House-led coordinating council.

Most respondents (80 per cent) thought that a strategy should have government funding, but a third thought there should be membership fees from participating institutions and 21 per cent favored a tax on institutions to fund the strategy.

International education associations in the USA have long been calling for a dedicated national strategy for international education, and last year the U.S. for Success Coalition was established by associations and industry organizations to cordinate lobbying efforts.