Campus welcomes growing number of international students

Thu, November 6, 2008 |

Since Jia Zhang left her home in China to study at Valparaiso University, she has found everything she wanted as a graduate student: a place where people cared about her, a place where she could build friendships, a place that supported her academic goals and a place where she could make a difference.

"This is a school that takes pride in diversity," said Zhang, who is enrolled in Valparaiso's English studies and communication program. "A lot of activities and seminars are held to establish connections between international students and native American students. They offer international students like myself a good chance to fit in while still having our own identity."

Walking across Valparaiso's campus is a daily lesson in the increasing globalization of the world thanks to an increasing enrollment of international students like Zhang. This fall, the institution shattered its previous record for international student enrollment with students from China, Saudi Arabia, India, Brazil, Zimbabwe and 50 other nations taking undergraduate and graduate-level classes.

In the fall of 1997, 162 international students from 44 countries were enrolled at Valparaiso, including 128 on non-immigrant visas. Following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and a tightening of the nation's borders, international enrollment dropped to 109 students (90 on non-immigrant visas) in fall 2003.

But the number of international students has grown steadily in the past five years, with 292 international students (245 on non-immigrant visas) from 55 countries on campus this fall. That's up nearly 50 percent from just one year ago, when 197 international students (157 on non-immigrant visas) from 51 countries were enrolled in classes.

Holly Singh, director of international students and scholars, said Valparaiso's rising enrollment of international students stems in part from government efforts to encourage students from other nations to study in the U.S.

"The U.S. government was put on the defensive in 2001, but it also understands the importance of 'soft' diplomacy," Singh said. "We need people who understand the United States and, when they go back to their home country after studying here, they can say to their friends, co-workers or neighbors 'Your perceptions of the United States are wrong, because I lived there for four years and I got to know its people and culture'."

The growth in Valparaiso's international student population is outpacing the increases at most other institutions of higher education. The number of international students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities increased by less than 2 percent from the 2003-2004 academic year to 2006-2007, according to the Institute of International Education's Open Doors report. At Valparaiso, however, enrollment of students on non-immigrant visa rose by more than 30 percent in that same period.

Singh said this fall's enrollment record – with international students now making up more than seven percent of Valparaiso's student body – reflects the University's commitment to incorporating international education throughout its academic program and campus life.

"You can't run away from the knowledge that we live in a global world," Singh says. "Our students are constantly exposed to that globalized world and have to think about what that means for how they will live in the world."

U.S. students benefit from the diversity international students bring to campus says Singh, who believes that seeing students from China, Saudi Arabia and other countries encourages many to learn more about those nations and their cultures.

Zhang said that many of her native American friends enjoy attending campus events such as the annual International Food Bazaar and International Film Festival.

"International students are given great interest here," she said. "Our cultures are appreciated and studied."

Singh said the sharing of cultures is one of the most important benefits for Valparaiso's campus and the surrounding community, noting that a number of local families host international students and provide a first-hand experience with life in an American family. Having regular conversations with international students also serves as a bridge for students who aren't able to participate in one of Valparaiso's many study abroad programs.

"Not all American students can afford to study abroad or fit a semester abroad into their academic plans, but we can help bring the world to them on campus," Singh said. "For first generation students and students getting ready to study abroad, the opportunity to interact with students from many different countries is an excellent way to gain a deeper understanding of the world and its people."

While the largest percentage of Valparaiso's international students come from Saudi Arabia and China, Singh noted that the diversity of the population is on the rise as he and other staff attend college fairs in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and other parts of the world.

One challenge that Singh said Valparaiso has been successful in overcoming is the lack of knowledge among some international students about the Midwestern U.S.

"It differs from country to country, but some think of the U.S. as just the East and West Coasts," he said. "We've worked hard with international students to change those perceptions and tell them about the diversity that exists here, particularly with Valparaiso's close proximity to Chicago."

Singh can speak from personal experience when he describes the benefits of studying at Valparaiso to international students – he earned his degree from Valparaiso after leaving India to study in the U.S.

"I tell students who are thinking about studying here that I was born and raised in New Delhi, but that I matured and became a man at Valparaiso," Singh said.

While India, China and some other developing nations are working to build their own institutions of higher education, Singh doesn't expect a slackening in the desire to study in the U.S.

"In the future there probably will be more exchange programs with colleges in India and China that allow students to spend a semester or a year here in the United States rather than studying all four years at a U.S. institution," he said. "At the same time, tomorrow there will be more students from African nations who see the value in coming to the U.S. to study and have the means to do so."

That's why he believes it's essential to begin laying the groundwork for attracting students from other areas of the globe now.

"The foundation for the large number of Chinese students we have right now was laid back in the late 1980s, when Valparaiso invested in building relationships in China." Singh said. "The future looks bright for the United States in general and Valparaiso specifically to continue attracting international students."