Racing to get foreign students to the U.S.

This has been a small topic of interest for me, in part given that I work in higher education. But I am also a believer in diversity and in sharing knowledge. I think the idea of students going around the world for an education, learning about another country, and taking that back to their homes is great. That includes those that come to the U.S. and then take what they learn here back. Here is a recent report on "The Race to Attract International Students" from the Education Sector think tank that caught my eye. Its conclusion:

To retain its position as the destination of the greatest number of foreign students—and the advantage that such students afford in the battle for global economic competitiveness—the U.S. will have to be increasingly proactive in international marketing, simplify visa processing and increase affordable educational opportunities.

I have addressed the topic before here, here, here, and here. I also link this to visiting scholars, since the educational process is not only students, but it is also scholars sharing their knowledge.

A hat tip to Docuticker.

Update note: today it seems the report is getting picked up on all sorts of places. Inside Higher Education's coverage, "New Worries on Foreign Students" is one example. The comments following the story are interesting to look at, if for no other reason that to witness a lot of overreaction and some degree of xenophobia.