Harter: International studies more important than ever

There has never been a more critical time than the present for students to try life in another country, says ESU International Education Director Jim Harter.

Anti-American sentiment fueled by the media and popular culture can only be countered through direct, personal interaction, he said. "We owe it to ourselves and our country to show the world who we really are, and not the Hollywood image."

ESU offers two primary ways students can study abroad: direct exchanges and exchanges through the International Student Exchange Program.

Direct exchanges allow students to attend a university abroad for the same cost as they would pay at ESU, including tuition, fees and housing. ESU has direct exchanges with universities in Estonia, Finland, France, Korea and Paraguay. ISEP exchanges add about $300 semester in program fees and 30 more countries.

"I tell people, 'If you are financially able, there is no reason not to study abroad,'" said Harter.

New restrictions designed to thwart terrorism are expected to place a crimp in international education. As of August 1, U.S. universities must complete extensive registration of international students before they can be awarded visas.

"Before, we just typed up a letter of application for a student visa, but now four pages of information has to be loaded into the system before you can submit it and request an application to be printed," said Gloria Swift, administrative specialist for the ESU International Education Office.

ESU met U.S. State Department requirements in November, when it completed registration of its 190 international students. The State Department has warned universities to expect a 25 to 30 percent decline in new students visiting from overseas. Swift confirms a similar decline in new international enrollment at ESU.

"We're going to be down, that's an automatic given," said Harter. "But we're optimistic that we won't be down as much as we've been told."

Programs such as Japan's Sakae Institute of Study Abroad, which sponsors summer programs in intensive English at ESU, continue to grow in spite of these restrictions. The program attracted 34 students this summer - nine more than last year.

New opportunities have opened as well. This summer, two ESU faculty and two students were invited to Costa Rica to conduct a week of performance and workshops in theatre and music.

Last Updated July 2, 2007>