Latitudes: As international educators meet next week, these are the issues worth watching

What a longtime reporter is looking out for at the upcoming NAFSA conference ADVERTISEMENT [Latitudes Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. You can now read The Chronicle on [Apple News]( [Flipboard]( and [Google News](. Here’s what’s on my mind ahead of the NAFSA conference By this time next week, many Latitudes readers will be in Washington, D.C., for the annual meeting of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the group’s 75th. For a journalist reporting on global higher education, the May 30-June 2 gathering is critical: It’s a time to reconnect with old sources and meet new ones, to hear about the latest thinking and trends, and to spot innovative and creative practices and programming. With thousands of attendees, it can also be a little overwhelming! There’s so much to cover. Here are just a few things I’ll be paying attention to next week: Will fresh faces spark new conversations? NAFSA typically draws a large number of first-time attendees, but given the turnover in international-education offices since Covid-19, the share could be particularly high this year. How might a wave of people who’ve only recently joined the sector affect discussions about its future? They are likely to bring different perspectives to perennial challenges, to introduce unexpected ideas, to have their own take on the world. They may raise original issues, draw unfamiliar connections, or come to surprising conclusions. Several readers raised the issue of loss of institutional memory if the revolving door keeps spinning. “The impact of losing talent every five or even seven-to-10 years opens the door to a lack of continuity in carrying out policies and loss of professional mentors to support new hires and advance their careers,” wrote Martin Tillman, an international-education consultant and a 46-year NAFSA veteran, in an email. Bottom line: I’m watching the mix of newcomers and veterans. NAFSA is meeting in the nation’s capital. Will there be any movement on federal policy for international education? It’s been nearly two years since the Biden administration announced a “[renewed U.S. commitment to international education]( pledging to work across government to encourage global academic exchange and research collaboration. Advocates for international education have been waiting ever since to see what comes next. Certainly, federal officials have taken some steps that have been welcomed, such as ending a controversial investigation of [research ties with China]( and stepping up staffing at overtaxed consulates to prioritize student visas. Recently, Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke out about improving the participation of Black students in the prestigious Fulbright exchange program. But there hasn’t been progress on critical, high-profile issues like changing visa policy to make it easier for international graduates to stay in the United States. And the U.S. lacks a national strategy for international education — something most of America’s competitor countries already have. Do I expect the administration to unveil such a blueprint? No. But if officials wanted to do so, there couldn’t be a more opportune time than when thousands of international educators meet just a mile from the White House. Who will be in the expo hall? To me, one indicator of changes within international education is the vendors and exhibitors. Shifts in English-language testing and instruction, the decision by many colleges to drop standardized-test requirements for admissions, the long pandemic-enforced hiatus from studying abroad — all have led to contraction and realignment within the field. Just a couple of weeks ago, I heard about another wave of layoffs at a major testing company. At the same time, demand for expertise and services in areas like technology and health and safety is burgeoning. International educators are seeking out experts in new markets for students around the globe. One reader, Ian Wright, a consultant, wondered if NAFSA has become a “place for the North American-bound-mobility business” with less of a focus on education abroad. If the current crop in the expo hall is a barometer, what does it forecast about the direction of the field? What’s the energy level among attendees? It’s been a [tough few years]( for international education, filled with new and unexpected challenges. How will that color the attitudes of those meeting in D.C.? Stephanie Doscher, director of cooperative online international learning at Florida International University, told me she was looking forward to connecting with colleagues she’s collaborated with on virtual exchanges around the world, many for the first time. “I’ve never been more excited for a NAFSA conference,” she said. ADVERTISEMENT NEWSLETTER [Sign Up for the Teaching Newsletter]( Find insights to improve teaching and learning across your campus. Delivered on Thursdays. To read this newsletter as soon as it sends, [sign up]( to receive it in your email inbox. Meet “Latitudes” at NAFSA Join The Chronicle at noon on Thursday, June 1, at the NAFSA pavilion in the exhibit hall, to talk about International Education and the Next Big Thing: The pandemic, worldwide competition, new attention to diversity and access, and debates about the value of global engagement have brought new pressures and challenges to people working in the field. But it’s also a time of opportunities and innovation, of dynamism and fresh thinking. So what’s next for global education? I’ll be sharing my thoughts, taking audience questions, and hanging around for networking. I hope you can make it. In addition, I’ll be taking part in two panels during the conference: - On Wednesday, May 31, at 9:30 a.m., I’ll be part of a panel, Translating Student Mobility Trends to Action. The session will be in Room 146C. - Also on Wednesday, I’ll be moderating a session on the State of Student Recruitment in 2023. We’ll be meeting in Room 146AB at 4:30 p.m. I’m always on the lookout for smart sessions, engaging discussions, and informative poster fairs, so please send me your recommendations for the week at karin.fischer@chronicle.com. I’ll try to make as many as I can. Not on the formal speaking schedule? No problem! Drop me a note or look for me around the conference center — I’ll be the lady with a notebook and a Diet Dr Pepper. Throughout the week, I’ll be posting about what I’m hearing. Follow me on [Twitter]( or [LinkedIn](. The conference hashtag is #nafsa75. FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [The New Learning Partnerships - The Chronicle Store]( [The New Learning Partnerships]( Colleges are now tapping outside companies for academic-related services including managing online and experiential-learning programs. [Order your copy]( to explore key strategies for how leaders can build successful partnerships. The new landscape for international recruitment Budgets for international-student recruitment have stabilized since the pandemic, yet many American colleges remain concerned about future enrollments. And if colleges aren’t using third-party agents to attract foreign students, they are actively considering adopting the practice. Those are just a few of the findings in a [survey]( of the state of international education by the American International Recruitment Council, in partnership with the Association of International Education Administrators and the National Association for College Admission Counseling. The survey, of nearly 200 American colleges and more than 100 education-recruitment agencies in 40 different countries, was conducted by Bonard, a company that does international-enrollment research and strategic planning for colleges. While the colleges surveyed make up just a fraction of those approved by the federal government to admit foreign students, they represent a cross-section of institutional types from across the United States. About half of the respondents are at public universities. Fifty-six percent are members of the recruitment council, a membership and standards-setting organization for international-recruitment agencies and the American colleges that use them. Perhaps unsurprisingly, respondents at six in 10 colleges said they paid on-the-ground agents in foreign countries as part of their recruitment strategies. But 98 percent of respondents at colleges that don’t use agents said they were considering doing so. Here are some of the other findings: - Colleges have mixed feelings about future international enrollments. Forty percent of respondents expect to return to pre-pandemic levels, while half project continuing declines in student numbers. - Foreign-recruitment budgets have held steady at 57 percent of institutions. A quarter have seen budget increases since the 2021 academic year. - Virtual recruitment is not going away, but admissions officers are back on the road. The majority of respondents said they were doing both in-person and online recruitment. - Agents report that the biggest challenge to recruiting students to American colleges is the cost of studying and living in the United States. The next biggest hurdle: difficulty getting a U.S. visa. SPONSOR CONTENT | Florida Atlantic University [Recognizing the importance of female role models for women in STEM.]( Around the globe A bipartisan group of members of Congress has introduced legislation to reform the [immigration system](. The bill includes legal protections for undocumented young people brought to the United States as children, allows international students who earn doctorates in science and technological fields to qualify for special work visas, and would eliminate the requirement that student-visa applicants pledge to return to their home countries after graduation. Regents of the University of California agreed unanimously to develop a [policy]( to hire students who lack a legal status and work permits. International graduate students in Britain will no longer be allowed to bring [family members]( with them as dependents unless they are enrolled in research-focused degree programs. A higher-education watchdog agency is warning two dozen British universities about their potential financial [over]( on students from China. The British government now says it will not shut down [Confucius Institutes]( reversing a pledge made by Rishi Sunak, the prime minister, about the Chinese-funded language and cultural centers during his campaign. The University of Oxford will cut ties with the [Sackler family]( removing its name from several buildings and positions, the latest higher-education institution to distance itself from owners of the opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma. A new report accuses Saudi universities of boosting their performance in [global higher-education rankings]( by getting highly cited researchers to change their primary affiliations on academic papers to Saudi institutions, even if they are only visiting scholars there. Science ministers from the world’s largest economies called for new [research-security rules]( to protect research from outside interference, largely from China. The U.S. and Japanese governments have signed a [memorandum for cooperation]( in education to encourage academic collaboration and student and research exchanges. The two countries also announced $210 million in investment in new partnerships in quantum science and semiconductors between American technology companies and American and Japanese universities. ADVERTISEMENT And finally … Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University, is one of 500 Americans [barred]( by the Russian government from entering the country, allegedly for their role in the “persecution of dissidents” or in the “spread of Russophobic attitudes.” Arizona is among several states whose elected officials or higher-education boards ordered public colleges to [end educational collaborations]( with Russian universities and to disinvest their pension, retirement, and foundation funds from Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. Crow’s academic affiliation, however, is not included on the government list; instead, it notes his role as the chairman of the board of a nonprofit venture-capital firm. Crow made light of his banning on [Twitter](. “I will miss those cards and flowers” from Vladimir Putin, he wrote. Thanks for reading. I always welcome your feedback and ideas for future reporting, so drop me a line at karin.fischer@chronicle.com. 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