The Value of International Education
For U.S. Students
by Natasha Walstra
In the academic year 2006-2007, almost 250,000 U.S. students studied abroad, a 150% increase from a decade before. However, this figure represents just 1% of higher education students in the United States, and of those students over half studied for fewer than eight weeks, while only 5.5% studied abroad for more than a semester (Stearns, 2009). These numbers are unfortunately low considering we live in such an interdependent world. Our generation is constantly connected with the Internet and telecommunications and our world is becoming more globalized by the minute, and yet ⅔ of college-aged students don’t have passports (Goodman, 2009). How are we supposed to be effective global leaders when we are not participating in international and cultural exchange, yet our political, economic, social, and environmental problems depend on international cooperation? As Nobel Peace Prize winner and anti-apartheid activist, Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Education in a classroom, though, is not enough. The need to expand our international education programs in the United States is essential to become the effective global leaders we need to be. There must be a better understanding and awareness of the world, of other people, cultures, and religions, and international education is crucial in developing these values.
The term “globalization” is frequently used and increasingly so, but understanding what it actually means can help understand why the need to become more globally aware citizens is so important. Globalization generally refers to the “fundamental changes in the spatial and temporal contours of social existence, according to which the significance of space or territory undergoes shifts” rapidly. (Scheuerman, 2010). In simpler terms, it refers to the deterritorialization of boundaries, and the interconnectedness of people. Boundaries, both physically, such as national boundaries, as well as personally, like communication and visitation, do not exist like they used to. As Thomas Friedman said of globalization: “the world is flat”, what used to be limitations in interacting with the world no longer exist. I can skype my friend in Italy right now and it will only cost 2.3 cents per minute; the stock market does not stop just because New York is sleeping. Everything is constantly in motion and is not going to slow down. In order for our nation to succeed in this world, Americans need to become more globally aware, they need to have a better understanding of themselves and just as importantly, everyone else. The best way to do this is through study abroad.
The necessity for internationalizing our institutions and changing the current state of our education must happen effectively and fast. However, creating a higher importance of study abroad in education is just as important as understanding that there is a large difference between learning about the world in a classroom in a wealthy, suburban community, versus actually living in another culture. As Walter F. Mondale said in his keynote address at the Title VI 40th Anniversary Conferencein1998, “International Education in American Colleges and Universities: Prospect and Retrospect,” “We are a tongue-tied nation, which is dangerous to our future, to our economic health, to our national security and diplomacy, and to our relationships with other peoples in the world.” (Mondale, 1998). By remaining unaware and ignorant of other nations, and knowing that since English is now the lingua franca of international markets and policies, the need to even learn other languages and other cultures is decreasing in value in the U.S. education system. A survey by the National Geographic Society and Roper Institute in 2006 revealed that American students “demonstrated such a limited world knowledge” (National Geographic, 2006) that of the college-aged students surveyed, “63% couldn’t locate Iraq on the map, 48% thought India was Muslim, and half could not find New York on a map” (2006). Too often foreigners know more about U.S. politics than Americans themselves, and yet we are supposed to be international leaders. If the number of students studying abroad were to increase, dramatic changes in global awareness would occur.
The rise in international education programs originally gained popularity after the Cold War, creating the National Defense Education Act in 1958, and again after the attacks of 9/11, both instances were in response for higher national security. However, this should not be the only reason to engage in study abroad programs, and furthermore, it underlines a common perception of developed countries in that they only think of their own national security and are selfish. As discussed above, we live in a globalized world, where countries on the other side of the world are affected by what goes on here, and vice versa. There are significant global issues affecting everyone, such that there is no more room to just think about “us.” To give an example of a critical issue right now, which was highlighted in the documentary “Climate Refugees,” global climate change is occurring, and millions of people will become displaced refugees very soon. Most of these refugees will be from less developed countries and their lives will be dependent on the cooperation of other nations to figure out what can be done. It will be crucial for nations to come together and find solutions.
The Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961 was enacted to increase the role of the U.S. government policy in international education in schools and to “strengthen international cooperative relations, to provide, by grant, contract for educational exchanges and cultural exchanges” (U.S. Code, 1961). This was done by financing studies, research and instruction abroad and was passed in the belief that awareness of intercultural similarities and differences can create mutual understandings and therefore increase the opportunities for peaceful resolution and conflict. Conflict and war are prevalent around the world and although we have the United Nations which was created for such issues, there are so much politics and financial concerns involved, that it is difficult to resolve anything. Are climate refugees able to enter other countries like political refugees? Who exactly gets to decide?
These are issues that need to be addressed and yet the international community, including the United Nations, is having a difficult time resolving critical problems. If more people study abroad, and become more self-aware, gain perspective, learn other languages, understand and interact with other cultures, and become globally-aware, then our world can be in a more peaceful state.
There is this idea of internationalizing education so that we can become global citizens, which dates back to the “ancient cosmopolitan ideals of a universal human community” (Schattle, 2009) and reasons that because we live in an interdependent, globalized world, there is a need for people to become more involved in global challenges. There are however, a few inherent difficulties with in becoming “global citizens” which will make this hard to achieve, such as the high cost of studying abroad that prevents people from going abroad; however, it is something we could strive for.
A more realistic and obtainable goal of what we should be trying to achieve is to have global competence. According to William Brustein, the Associate Provost for International Affairs, the foundations of global competence include “the ability to work effectively in international settings; awareness of and adaptability to diverse cultures, perceptions, and approaches; familiarity with the major currents of global change and the issues they raise; and the capacity for effective communication across cultural and linguistic boundaries”(Brustein, 2009). And studying abroad is the most effective way in achieving global competence.
The foundations of becoming globally aware ultimately depend on the individual. In fact, I have only talked about the need to become world wise in order to be a better nation, but the only way this occurs is through individuals growing both personally and intellectually. Students who study abroad often come back saying it changed their lives, especially when students “critically examine their place in a world of inequality and difference” (Zemach-Bersin, 2009) and “develop new and lasting world views.” Part of becoming world wise involves understanding who you are in the world, and being aware of how fortunate we are living in the United States. From my own experience, when I was in Luxor, Egypt, I met an eleven year old boy who already knew five languages and was responsible for taking care of his grandmother and sisters at home. I was eighteen at the time, and the biggest problems I had were passing my classes and trying to “fit in” with other people. I still remember what the boy looked like, and have since often reminded myself how fortunate I am that my problems don’t involve supporting a family of five, before I was even an adult myself. Although I grew up with parents who are not from the U.S. and was fortunate to travel often while a child, this was my first experience in a culture so different from anything I had known and four years later I still vividly remember my time in Egypt and how much it changed my perspective of who I am in the world.
In addition to gaining perspective, international education often allows for a resolution in misconceptions and stereotypes that are so prevalent in today’s society. If people continue to not trust one another due to biases on the news or from what people say, these stereotypes will remain. However, if there is a way to change this, the chance of creating peaceful relationships between nations who have been fighting for decades, looks promising. From experience, at the end of my year long stay in France, I went on a trip with two of my friends to the south of Spain. We stopped in Tarifa, where we took a ferry to Tangier, Morocco. While on the boat we met the crew working on the ferry, who were Moroccan and lived in Tarifa. Once we arrived back in Tarifa, they invited us over to have a true Moroccan dinner with them and welcomed us in their home. We had conversations about religion, politics, life, and enjoyed some incredible food. Finally, at the end of the evening, we thanked them for having us. They thanked us in return, confused, I asked why. He said, “De nous avoir fait confiance” --for trusting them. He explained that he had met many Americans and none had ever talked with them, especially not three girls traveling on their own. He explained how much it meant to him that we trusted them even though they were Moroccan. I was surprised because from the instant we met them, they were so courteous and such gentlemen, and their nationality sparked our interest because we could communicate with them in French. However, when I got home and told this story to friends, many thought I was crazy for going to their house. In retrospect, I understand why there may have been concerns, but at the time we were just a group of young adults interested in learning about one another. Of course we were cautious, but you have to be where ever you go. What really mattered was there was this desire on both sides to learn more about a culture we did not really know much about.
I tell this story because I feel it highlights many of the positive aspects of studying abroad. Initially, I had only studied three quarters of French at my university, which was just enough to find my way out of the train station. However, by the end of the year, I had pushed myself out of my comfort zone with the desire to really immerse myself in the culture and learn the language. At the end of my stay there I was, an American, in the south of Spain speaking French with Moroccans. Our cultural exchange never would have occurred if it weren’t for the fact that we could communicate in the common language of French. Additionally, it addresses the misconceptions people (not just Americans) have, and that there is a need to change the ideas we have of other cultures. They had assumed, because of our nationality that we would be scared of them, and think that they were “terrorists” because they were Muslim. They thought most, if not all, Americans were against Muslims. Because of that night, they changed their ideas of Americans. Sadly, they had personally experienced distrust from Americans and had reason to believe we would fear them, which was shown by their own surprise that we had trusted them.
As important and valuable as international education is for students, there are unfortunately numerous obstacles and challenges that are preventing students from participating in study abroad programs. One of the greatest challenges is the cost of the program: it is expensive. Because the cost of studying abroad is often more expensive than it would be to stay in the states, many students who are already on financial aid, scholarships, or have to work, are less likely to have the opportunity to participate in international education. If funding for international programs doesn’t increase, it will be impossible to reach the goal of the Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act is to send over one million students abroad by 2017 (Brustein, 2009). Although the two programs specifically for funding of international education by the government, Title VI and the Fulbright-Hays Act, have increased funding by more than 100% since the 1990s, recently, there have been no requests for major increases in funding and these core programs are terribly underfunded (Wiley, 2001).
Other factors preventing students from studying abroad is at the institutional level. There are four major issues that need to change in order to facilitate growth in international programs. The first is that the curriculum in place often leaves little to no room for studying abroad. Because of the curriculum students follow, often they become worried that if they were to go abroad, it would set them back academically, and make it more difficult to graduate on time. This is especially important for those who are financially dependent on graduating in four years. Although there are ways to work around the problem, such as by choosing faculty-led programs where credit is given for all classes taken, there are limitations. Most faculty-led programs are major-specific and there are few destinations available. Therefore, many students opt to go through programs outside the university, and have difficulties upon return in getting credits approved from courses taken abroad. In order to internationalize the institutions, we must find a way to allow for study abroad courses to be integrated into the curriculum and make it easier to transfer credits from these programs.
Another impediment within the institution is the issue of foreign language and area studies. According to the America in Transition, the International Frontier Report, 84% of four-year institutions and 97% of two-year institutions have no foreign language requirements for admittance (Moxon, 2001). However, a majority of international programs require more than two semesters in the language of study. Furthermore, there needs to be international coursework integrated into the curriculum. At many universities it is required to take a cultural course, including Cal Poly, where every student is required to take a U.S. Cultural Pluralism (USCP) course, and nationally 77% of four year colleges offer at least one internationally-oriented course in general education requirement” (Moxon, 2001). Most of these courses fall in the social sciences field, but there are many areas where international courses can be incorporated in where they are not, such as economics, that ought to be available for students to take, and there should be more than one course requirement. Having these courses available can be the basis for becoming globally competent and more prepared for students to go abroad.
Overall, there are many challenges that need to be addressed in order to succeed in sending more U.S. students abroad. Fortunately, the future looks positive. Despite low totals, the number of students studying abroad has increased dramatically over the last decade, and the world isn’t going to stop globalizing. The need to understand international connections will just increase, and opportunities to go abroad will continue to rise. In the meantime, I have created a resource where students can go to find all the information they need to make the process of studying abroad simpler. My goal is to find a way to encourage students to go abroad now, by describing solutions to financial barriers, giving tips on what type of programs will be best depending on area of study of the student and transferable courses, and by giving perspectives from other students who have studied abroad and wanted to share their experience with prospective students.
There is no doubt that becoming globally aware is essential in surviving this world, and in fact, the world depends on it. As the Dalai Lama said, “humanity is one and this small planet is our only home.” Knowing that we only have one home, we have to learn to cooperate with one another and learn to provide peaceful solutions to the problems we face. It is possible to cut back on carbon emissions, we can get out of this economic crisis, conflicts can be resolved, but we have to work together, as a united world.
Works Cited
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Scheuerman, William, "Globalization", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2010 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2010/entries/globalization/>.
Stearns, Peter N. "Education Abroad: Redefining a Staple." Educating Global Citizens in Colleges and Universities: Challenges and Opportunities. New York: Routledge, 2009. 65-96. Print.
United States Code, Title 22. Chapter 33, “Mutual Education and Cultural Exchange Program.” 1961. URL, <http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/iegps/fulbrighthaysact.pdf>.
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Zemach-Bersin, Talya. "Selling the World." The Handbook of Practice and Research in Study Abroad: Higher Education and the Quest for Global Citizenship. New York: Routledge, 2009. 303-20. Print.
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