CWU representatives join peers to discuss best ways to internationalize higher education

CWU representatives are among those who will gather next week to discuss best international student recruitment and retention strategies. The US State Department will host the eighth annual EducationUSA Forum in Washington, D.C.

CWU Office of International Studies and Programs (OISP) project manager Rachel Gordon and international student recruiter Stacy Soderstrom will join more than 570 counterparts from 46 states, 60 EducationUSA regional coordinators and advisers from around the world, and United States and foreign government officials.

The goal of the meeting, held from July 31 through August 2, is to strengthen partnerships with EducationUSA advisors, make new and strengthen current relationships with other attendees, and learn of best practices in the field as they pertain to the various countries being represented.

This is considered to be important as international education increases American global competitiveness, and creates relationships and understanding that contribute to increased national security.

The forum, organized in partnership with the Institute of International Education, will feature sessions on traditional as well as virtual recruiting strategies, comprehensive campus internationalization, student visas, maximizing recruitment resources, and developing comprehensive and innovative strategies for recruiting international students.

With students from nearly 40 countries, CWU’s OISP has been acknowledged for its efforts to strengthen ties between the United States and countries around the world.

The State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs collaborates with CWU, and other accredited US colleges and universities to help maintain the United States as the world’s top destination for international students and scholars and to promote diversity in international education.

Media contact: Robert Lowery, director of Radio Services and Integrated Communications, 509-963-1487, Robert.Lowery@cwu.edu

Photo: (l. to r.) Gordon and Soderstrom