BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The United States attracts more international students than any other country in the world, but the general consensus at Lehigh University on Wednesday was that work needs to be done to keep this up.
Lehigh University's Office of International Affairs held a symposium called "Recruiting International Students and Scholars for Pennsylvania Higher Education: A Strategy for Economic Competitiveness and Innovation."
It featured speakers from nonprofits and universities across the country — mostly in Pennsylvania, and international students from Lehigh who came just to watch and have a seat at the table.
Pennsylvania's role in international education
According to research presented by Lehigh, Pennsylvania ranks sixth in the country for the most international students — who spent over $2 billion combined in the 2023-2024 school year with tuition costs included.
From the same research, which was published by OpenDoors.data, the number of international students in Pennsylvania was estimated at 48,593 for the same school year.
The United States is also definitively the most popular destination for international students — beating the United Kingdom by nearly half a million.
Despite this, speakers at the symposium said the U.S. shouldn't take its status in the international study world for granted. Mirka Martel, head of research, evaluation and learning for the nonprofit Institute of International Education, said it could be compared to a competition.
"[The United States] needs to ensure that it remains the number one host— and there are other countries that are right on our heels in terms of recruiting international students," Martel said.
Martel is from the former Czechoslovakia herself and said her perspective as somewhat of an outsider has helped her see the issue from a wider perspective.
"So really focusing on why international students should come to the U.S., the quality of our education, the ability to study at different price points, are really critical for us and colleges and universities to maintain that competitive advantage," Martel added.
In addition to the U.K., countries that stand a fighting chance against the U.S., according to data presented at the symposium, are Canada, France, Germany and Australia.
'We just don't have the population'
Another one of the keynote speakers was Allan Goodman, CEO of the Institute of International Education (IIE).
Goodman said he believes international students play a crucial role in international relations for the United States.
"We're a nongovernmental organization created right after the end of World War I," Goodman said, when asked to summarize what IIE does.
There's a lot of benefits to a state like Pennsylvania," Goodman said. "You need a workforce that is highly educated in STEM fields. That's because there are fewer Americans that are studying those issues. There are also going to be fewer Americans in the 18-to-24-year-old cohort, and there are going to be fewer Americans still, because we're an aging population. So where are we going to get the next generation of scientists, if not from abroad? Because we just don't have the population."Allan Goodman, CEO of Institute of International Education
"And the aim was to create educational opportunities so that students in one country could live and study in another country, and the hope was that they'd better understand each other and, they would prevent another world war. So we help students find opportunities. We administer the Fulbright Scholarships on behalf of the U.S. Department of State. We also rescue professors from war, terrorism and dictatorships. And these days, business is booming."
Goodman said that while the IIE did not prevent WWII, the spirit of the mission remains an important one, and relevant to the discourse around international students and recruiting from the United States.
He said this is all in addition to the more tangible effects of bringing in students from abroad.
"There's a lot of benefits to a state like Pennsylvania," Goodman said. "You need a workforce that is highly educated in STEM fields. That's because there are fewer Americans that are studying those issues. There are also going to be fewer Americans in the 18- to 24-year-old cohort, and there are going to be fewer Americans still because we're an aging population.
"So where are we going to get the next generation of scientists, if not from abroad? Because we justdon't have the population."
