The 2013 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, released yesterday, shows an all-time high number of international students in the US colleges and universities, but it has been the opposite for Nepalis as their number has dwindled by 7.3 per cent in the academic years 2012-13.

According to the report, the number of international students in the colleges and universities in the United States has increased by seven per cent to a record high of 8,19,644 students in the academic year 2012-13. However, this record jump does not include Nepali students as their number in the US has dipped by 7.3 per cent to 8,920 in 2012-13, bringing the country down to the 14th place on the list.

In its report, the Institute of International Education states that in the academic year 2011-12, 9,621 Nepali students enrolled in the US universities while in the year 2012-13, the number came down to 8,920.

It said that in 2012-13, 55,000 more international students enrolled for higher education in the US as compared to 2011-12, the growth driven by China and Saudi Arabia. China, India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Canada rank first to fifth, respectively, according to the report.

The number of Chinese students enrolled in the US institutions increased by 21.4 per cent to 235,597 in 2011-12. While the number of students from India decreased by 3.5 per cent to 96,754 in the year 2012-13.

University of Southern California in Los Angeles, University of Illinois-Urbana-Campaign, Purdue University’s main campus at West Lafayette, New York University, Columbia University in New York are the top five institutions which hosted highest number of international students in 2012-13, as per the report.

There are now 40 per cent more international students studying in the US colleges and universities compared to a decade ago. The past three years have witnessed a steady growth.

International students’ spending in all 50 states of the US contributed approximately $24 billion to its economy, the report said.

Bid to increase enrollment
At a time when the number of Nepali students studying in the US is decreasing, Nepali colleges and universities are witnessing a surge in the number of American students, according to the US Embassy in Nepal.

An embassy statement said 257 American students studied in Nepal in 2011-12, 22.4 per cent more than the previous year. It said Nepali students interested in pursuing higher education in the US can use the services offered by the United States Education Foundation-Nepal’s Education USA Advising Center and attend special sessions to learn about applying to US colleges and universities. “The students have free access to USEF-Nepal’s comprehensive library to research about US institutions and prepare for standardised tests,” the statement reads. As part of International Education Week (November 12-18, 2013), USEF-Nepal is conducting contests, screen films, and hosting online events to answer students’ queries about studying abroad, said the statement. The embassy will also host a live one-hour webchat at 11:00 am on Wednesday.

source: the himalayan times,12 Nov 2013