Who We Welcome: International Students and the Future of US Higher Education($34.00Value)

Description

What does it mean to welcome international students-and what happens when that welcome is withdrawn? Confronting the growing instability that now shapes higher education in the United States, this book explains how the U.S. became a global destination for education and why that position can no longer be taken for granted. It reveals how policy volatility, weakened public confidence, and global competition are shifting conditions faster than many institutions are prepared to acknowledge. The book traces the historical and structural forces that built the current system and shows how easily its strengths can be undermined when political signals turn inward. Through interviews conducted with former students recruited from around the world, the book revisits the promises made to them by U.S. higher education and examines which were honored and which fell short. It gives voice to individuals who navigated uncertainty, separation, and shifting rules while studying in the United States. Their stories reveal both the strain they endured and the remarkable contributions they now make in communities, industries, and research environments across the country and around the world. The book argues that the future of international education in the United States depends on steadier leadership, responsible policy, and a renewed understanding that talent from abroad strengthens the nation in ways that extend far beyond enrollment counts. It warns that inaction carries consequences that will outlast today's debates. “In Who We Welcome: International Students and the Future of U.S. Higher Education , George Kacenga offers a timely and deeply human examination of what is at stake for the U.S. and higher education at a moment of profound policy volatility. By centering the lived experiences of international students, the book powerfully illustrates how national policy and institutional choices are felt by real people-and the implications. Kacenga calls us back to the fundamental question of who we are, and who we choose to welcome. Who We Welcome is a must read for institutional leaders, policymakers, practitioners, the American public who believe that the future strength of U.S. higher education depends on whether we remember our humanity and its relationship to international education and act accordingly.” ―Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators “The story of international enrollment in the United States is often told in aggregate terms: numbers of students, percentage increases and decreases, trends in certain sending markets and programs of study, tuition revenues and economic impacts. In Who We Welcome, George Kacenga offers a powerful and critically important alternate view, focused on personal stories of dreams pursued and lives changed. Behind the anonymous data are millions of quiet decisions made on a human scale, each of which is a positive declaration of faith that earning an American education is worth the investment, the hard work, and the risk in an unstable political and policy environment. By centering individual students' experiences, Kacenga not only provides potent new tools for international enrollment management professionals to communicate the value of international education. He also reminds us why our work truly matters as the IEM field faces daunting upheaval and unprecedented change.” ―Clay Harmon, Executive Director, AIRC: The Association of International Enrollment Management “ Who We Welcome addresses a subject matter that is very much in the crosshairs of the current administration, which targets both immigration and higher education in its reform agenda. Importantly, George also provides the historical perspective we in international education need, as well as an approach that makes clear to the non-higher-ed world the true value international students bring to our nation, states, communities, and campuses. Without pulling punches, Dr. Kacenga explains who our million-plus international students currently in the United States are, and who they are not. In a politically charged environment, important distinctions often get lost in the heated debates. Kacenga valiantly flies the flag for those who are often voiceless in the debates that swirl on social media and the halls of government. A much-needed tour de force that dispels myths and shines a light on truths and a reasonable path forward.” ―Marty Bennett, International Higher Education Practitioner, President, of SMIE Consulting “This book will be an essential read for anyone keen to understand the deep and nuanced contributions that international students have made and can continue to make in the USA. Mining insight into the why and how, the book will chart the scope of the international education industry and also make clear the global impact that international students can bring to a country - both in terms of hard data and soft power. George Kacenga has the deep experience and practical insight requi