Syracuse University’s study abroad program reflects larger international education trends

Syracuse University’s study abroad program reflects larger international education trendsNovember 20, 2007Daeya Malboeufdmking04@syr.edu

The goal of increasing participation in study abroad programs is one that is shared by the Institute of International Education and SU Abroad.

The Institute of International Education recently released its findings from Open Doors 2007, an annual report that focuses on worldwide student mobility. Funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the new results revealed that American students continued to study abroad in record numbers, reaching 223,534 students — an increase of 8.5 percent over the prior year’s report (and representing a 150 percent increase over the past decade). This latest surge builds on steady increases over the past few decades and is buoyed in part by growing interest in destinations in Asia and Latin America.

Allan E. Goodman, president and CEO of the Institute of International Education, says that language and cultural skills are increasingly valued by employers and vital to America’s national interest. Goodman notes that “the opportunity for more young Americans to study abroad is a goal shared by the president, the secretary of state, and leaders in Congress, industry and academia.” Last year was designated “The Year of Study Abroad” by Congress, while the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act of 2007 currently seeks to allocate millions of dollars to help students go abroad over the next decade. Yet despite the steadily rising numbers, the vast majority of U.S. students still graduate without any study abroad experience.

At SU, more than 40 percent of students graduate with study abroad experience.

“We work hard to make sure that we are offering programs and locations that are relevant to today’s diverse student body,” says Daeya Malboeuf, associate director of marketing and communications for SU Abroad. She points to the upcoming spring 2008 inauguration of the University’s newest center in Santiago, Chile, along with other new programs beginning in Berlin, Germany; Istanbul, Turkey; Cuba; and the Dominican Republic. But the strategic increase in new locations is only part of the equation.

“The value of the American dollar continues to fall in places like Europe,” Malboeuf says. “We’ve responded by becoming even more aggressive about removing financial obstacles for students by offering increased aid and other incentives to help make international education a reality.” The University offers several different types of aid, including both merit-based and need-based. Sizable named scholarships are also available for certain programs, such as the $5,000 Anthony Yeh scholarship for study in Hong Kong and $9,000 to study photography in London.

SU Abroad consistently ranks among the highest-quality international education programs in the country. More than 2,000 students from both SU and colleges and universities across the country study abroad with SU every year.

SU Abroad programs foster scholarship in action through a combination of world travel, academic excellence, internships and community collaboration. The University currently operates seven centers: Beijing, Florence, Hong Kong, London, Madrid, Santiago and Strasbourg. Through the World Partners program, SU students may also study in more than 20 additional countries, including Australia, Chile, Ecuador, Israel, India, Japan, Korea, Russia, Turkey and a variety of locations in Africa.

For more information on SU Abroad, visit http://suabroad.syr.edu.