Drew University Participates in Forum About International Students

Drew University is committed to strengthening and growing its international learning environment.

Representatives from Drew are taking part in a national forum in Washington, D.C. this week to discuss strategies for helping international students study in the United States and to promote study abroad programs for domestic students.

Drew faculty and staff will be among 550 university representatives participating in the fifth annual EducationUSA Forum in Washington, D.C. from June 23-25. The forum is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA).

“The EducationUSA network consists of advising centers in nearly every country of the world. ECA’s mission is to build mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries,” said Mark S. Kopenski, Drew’s vice president of enrollment management.

The EducationUSA Forum will offer practical information and strategies to help promote global learning on American college and university campuses. Government officials, representatives from higher education and international education experts will offer workshops with valuable information about recruiting international students and supporting diversity in international education.

Drew has long had a commitment to global learning and has recently expanded its efforts through an agreement with INTO University Partnerships. This summer, qualified students from around the world will begin arriving at Drew, which offers them a small-school learning environment with a big-world experience less than an hour from downtown Manhattan. It is INTO’s first agreement with a private liberal arts school.  

The partnership comes at a time when record numbers of international students are studying in the United States with more than 800,000 students enrolled in academic year 2012-2013, according to the Institute of International Education. Through INTO’s extensive global recruitment network across 75 countries, the partnership plans to seize this opportunity and grow Drew University’s international student population at an optimal rate.

According to EducationUSA, international students have a positive economic impact on the United States. The education sector represents the fifth largest U.S. services expert and added nearly $25 billion to the U.S. economy in the 2012-2013 academic year.