According to this month’s report from the National Science Foundation (NSF) foreign enrollment in the U.S. went up by 3% from 2008 despite the economic crisis during ‘08/’09.

Foreign Student Enrollment Growth

New enrollments in science and engineering grew by 4 percent, a larger increase than in recent years, but for the period from 2006 to 2009, science and engineering students accounted for a steady share of the foreign-student population, 44 percent.

The number of foreign students enrolled in non-S&E majors has grown only marginally. Between ‘06 and ‘07 business student enrollment grew by 7.8% and between ‘07 and ‘08 enrollment of these students grew 7.2% while the growth was a mere 2.8% between ‘08 and ‘09. For majors like education and the humanities there were decreases in enrollments.

Most of the S&E students come from India and China. In regards to new student enrollment in all majors the numbers were flat. Yet Asia continues to be the predominant buyer of U.S. higher education accounting for 72.5% of new enrollments coming from world.

With new enrollments flat and declining non-S&E what does the mixed picture signify? There is a slow down in enrollment growth overall and it is predicted to continue over the next few years with the weakened U.S. economy and global economy. With budget woes in U.S. states and state universities (Federal Reserve 2009; Nelson 2010) this expectation is further confirmed.

Universities that manage to increase their investment in S&E programs will weather the near term storm. Further those universities that invest in foreign recruiting efforts will gain the opportunity of future returns. Those institutions that hesitate during these times will find themselves struggling to become relevant to the international market purchasing U.S. higher education.

A nighttime view of the stain glass window at Hardin-Simmons' University's Logsdon Chapel - used for the seminary students' chapel assemblies.

Pronunciation: \ˈcha-pəl\ Function: noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French chapele, from Medieval Latin cappella,from diminutive of Late Latin cappa cloak; from the cloak of St. Martin of Tours preserved as a sacred relic in a chapel built for that purpose Date: 13th century 1 : a subordinate or private place of worship: as a : a place of worship serving a residence or institution b : a small house of worship usually associated with a main church c : a room or recess in a church for meditation and prayer or small religious services 2 : a place of worship used by a Christian group other than an established church <a nonconformist chapel> 3 : a choir of singers belonging to a chapel 4 : a chapel service or assembly at a school or college

A view of the stain glass window at Abilene Christian University's Chapel on the Hill.

Brief History The word “chapel” comes from the Anglo-French word “chapele” or “capele” derived from the Late Latin “cappa” meaning “cloak”. Tradition has it that the word “chapel” became a common term used to describe a place for Christian or Catholic worship after one such building was constructed as a place the preserve the sacred relic of St. Martin of Tours. As the story goes, St. Martin, before he become a priest, served as a soldier in the Roman army. One fateful day, while being stationed at Amiens, St. Martin encountered a scantily clad beggar. Upon seeing this beggar’s plight, St. Martin impulsively pulled off his own cloak and with his sword split it in half in order to share it with the beggar.  That night St. Martin had a dream that he was visited by Jesus himself, whom he saw, was wearing the very half-cloak that he had given to the beggar earlier that day. In this dream, St. Martin heard Jesus saying to the angels, “”Here is Martin, the Roman soldier who is not baptized he has clad me.” This dream confirmed St. Martin’s piety and he was baptized soon after. One version of the story adds that when St. Martin awoke from his dream he found that his cloak was restored. The miraculous cloak was then preserved among the sacred relic collection of the Merovingian kings of the Franks.

Students engaging in worship during a chapel service at Spring Arbor University, Michigan.

What is Chapel? Since ELI 360’s universities are Christ-centered institutions of higher learning, it is not difficult to locate a building or structure located on these campuses that is designated as the institutions “chapel”. Obviously, the term chapel can be used to describe a physical house of worship. Nonetheless, one of the definitions of the word “chapel” provided by the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary is “a chapel service of assembly at a school or college.” Indeed, the term chapel is commonly used by students and faculty alike at the various ELI 360 partner universities to refer to a official assemblies where spiritual formation is the focus.

A student bowing in prayer at HSU's REVAMP - a student-led worship festival held annually. Spiritual Formation is an essential focus of all ELI 360 partner universities.

The Purpose of Chapel As with most things university-related, different institutions organize chapel differently. Some, such as Abilene Christian University, have chapel services daily available to students while others, such as Hardin-Simmons University make it a weekly affair. For the most part, chapel is seen as an integral part of the campus life at these universities. One of the most important elements that ELI 360 looks for in its partner universities is a focus on holistic education, which carries with it a need to provide students with an avenue for spiritual growth on top of academic and professional development. In general, the chapel services held at these universities function to help the university family – students, faculty and staff – engage in an environment of corporate worship in order to encourage each individual in their commitment to God and to grow in their love for and knowledge of him. Diversity in Worship Beyond this main goal, various universities’ chapel services, under the leadership of the university chaplain, have unique focuses that supplement the wider objective of worship. For example, Kelly Pigott, the chaplain of Hardin-Simmons University, believes that chapel is a time and a place for exposing the students of HSU to the various Christian heritages. He writes in the excerpt describing chapel on the HSU website, “HSU desires to be a place where students mature spiritually and emotionally. To that end, we seek to provide a relevant and challenging chapel program. Each semester, one can expect to hear from local speakers who speak from a West Texas context, as well as nationally known speakers who challenge us with what is going on in the Church around the world. One can also expect a great diversity of worship styles presented in chapel, to expose the community to the beauty and creativity of all the major Christian traditions.” In other words, chapel at Hardin-Simmons thus becomes a context for students to realize that they are a part of a wider Christian community, whilst learning to accept and embrace the diversity that comes along with that body.

A picture of a weekly chapel service at Lubbock Christian University.

Meanwhile other universities, such as Abilene Christian University, Oklahoma Christian University and LeTourneau University have a distinct focus on engaging their students in the different worship styles of various cultures. On these campuses, one can usually find several assemblies per semester assigned as “International Chapel”.  During the international chapel, faculty and students from different countries and ethnic backgrounds are given the opportunity to lead worship and speak about the gospel, presenting the beauty of God through their unique languages, instruments and other cultural practices. It is through these chapel services that students from diverse backgrounds get a taste of what it means to belong to a wider body of Christ and that even though people can be so different from one another, Christ and their faith in Him becomes a unifying factor for corporate worship.

Internationally-acclaimed Christian author Max Lucado, who happens to be an alumnus of Abilene Christian University, is but one of the many popular guest speakers at ELI 360's partner universities.

Special Events On top of having weekly meetings and student –led worship, the chaplains of these Christian colleges also organize special events throughout the semester – this includes inviting influential political and spiritual leaders, contemporary bands and music groups and so on to speak or present their music at chapel. Some of the more well-known individuals who have made addresses at these various campuses during chapel time include George W. Bush, Tony Campolo, Brian McLaren, Max Lucado, James Dobson, Henry Blackaby and Dan Sanders, just to name a few. Some of the contemporary Christian bands that have played at these institutions’ chapel services include Skillet, Decyfer Down, Sanctus Real, Family Force 5 and the Robbie Seay Band.

An aerial shot of the Sanctus Real worship concert at Spring Arbor University.

Approaching Chapel As with most things in life, what a student might receive from a chapel service greatly depends on how much he or she is willing to put in to it. Personally, I have learned that chapel may not always be what I want or expect it to be. However, if I choose to consciously approach the service with an attitude of humility and reverence, knowing full well that it is not about me but the worship of our one true God, I can trust that He is indeed faithful in meeting with me. It is amazing what difference the element of attitude can make. Chapel services at all our partner universities have the potential to be life-changing if students willingly approach each meeting with attentive ears and open hearts. References: http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=chapel&searchmode=none http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/chapel http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_of_Tours http://www.wordnik.com/words/chapel/etymologies http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chapel

Founders of ELI 360 Enjoy HSU's Convocation

For Ted Presley, founder of ELI 360, and his wife Ellen this month was a great opportunity to celebrate with local students at two partner universities who celebrated the completion of their undergraduate studies. When ELI 360 representatives meet with families in country they always have an end vision for the young university candidate – that of graduation and future careers. “It is always a delight to be able to attend the ceremonies of our graduates because for a moment we are able to enjoy the investment we made during the prior years,” said Ted during a brief visit.

As next year’s students are finishing their high school studies back at home and applying for visas they too will join such students as Cynthia and David who joined ELI 360 and enrolled in one of the U.S.’s top quality universities.

Cynthia Li and David Lee

In the U.S. graduation is an important milestone for young people. It is a moment in time where they can look back and realize all that has been accomplished. This is especially true for international students who have completed their studies in a foreign country. Not only have they been required to work hard in their academic studies but they have had to overcome the challenges of a foreign language and culture. This factor alone enhances their ability to be creative and innovative in their profession. Such research has been highlighted in previous blog posts by Ted.

My second summer in college was a lot different from my first. Due to some significant financial constraints, I was not able to travel home. Thus, the summer following my sophomore year was the summer that I got to stay back in Abilene. It was an interesting period I must say – the campus was practically deserted for the most part, save for pockets of administrative staff, facilities personnel, a handful of international students and the occasional groups of summer camp kids who would overrun the campus grounds.

Summer: Great time to hit the beach... just make sure a tan is not the only good thing you get out of your summer.

This summer will be my third summer since I set foot on the Hardin-Simmons University campus. I will be getting married at the end of May and then heading to Florida for my honeymoon before jetting home with my wife to visit my family and friends. Now if you look at my summer plans, it still involves a lot of the usual “summer activities” of sun, sand and seas. (Penang, my hometown is an island with beautiful beaches, and Florida? That’s pretty self-explanatory.) However, college students must not forget that summer is also a time for them to seek out experiences that will allow them to put into practice their academic training in order to develop themselves professionally. One cannot underestimate how much a well-spent summer can contribute to your career post-graduation.

Here are five things you can do to make sure that a tan is not the only good thing you get out of your summer:

1) Take a May-term/May-mester course:

Most universities offer a short three week long May term course where students enrolled go to class for several hours each day for five days a week. This may sound tedious but it really isn’t as difficult as it seems. Sure, a student might be tired after a whole school year, and since the May-term courses typically begin the week immediately after finals, most students want to take a break, naturally. However, the benefit of taking a May-term lies in the fact that you get to knock out a 3 hour course in 3 weeks instead of throughout an entire semester. In addition, the term ends usually by the last day of May which means you still have all of June, July and most of August to have fun. In some schools, housing during May-term is free – an added bonus. In other words, May term is a great time to knock out that one course that you don’t want to take during the regular semester and since it’s going to be the only course you take, the workload is not really that bad at all.

Internships: A great way to know more about your future career field and yourself.

2) Participate in an internship:

Internships are a great way for you to get familiarized with whatever career field you are hoping to get into. By working under the mentorship of the experts in your future career, you are getting a glimpse of what professional life could look like for you.  This gives you an opportunity to discover the field as well as discover yourself. For example, you might discover in the midst of your internship that as much as you enjoy studying biology, you really prefer being outdoors instead of working in a lab all the time. In addition, internships also provide the perfect opportunity to establish new networks by meeting new people. As much as you may be qualified for a job, sometimes, it’s that one personal encounter that could make the difference between whether or not you get the job you want. Most long term internships are usually paid. However, if an opportunity to participate in an unpaid internship that really interests you arises, you should definitely consider it as long as you are not starving yourself over the summer.

3) Get a part-time job that enhances your skills.

"May I take your order?": Don't underestimate how approaching a summer job with the right frame of mind can contribute to enhancing your credentials as a future employee.

Internships may not always be available where you are during the summer. If such a situation arises, consider getting a job that may not necessarily be related to your career field yet still allows you the opportunity to enhance certain skills. For example, if you are a marketing/public relations major but there are no marketing firms or PR job openings where you live, then try your hand at working as a food server at a restaurant. Working in a restaurant provides you with the perfect environment to work on your people skills. While you are at it, also try and keep an eye on how these restaurants market their products. The most defining element here is realizing what you are doing is not “just another “summer job.  I can tell you from experience that if you’re truly serious and conscientious about working on a particular set of skills while in the midst of a job, you can truly make significant progress – all it takes is a little bit of what I would like to call “purposive action.”

READ READ READ: Keep your mind stimulated. (Also read books/articles on job interviewing skills!)

4) Read that book that you’ve been wanting to read (or that has been recommended to you).

In between assignments and examinations, it is often difficult for a college student to find time to read additional books during the school year. After all, if we are honest with ourselves, most of us in college would rather be doing something less “mentally” grueling when we have time off. However, the summer provides an entirely different dynamic – there may not be anything around you available to stimulate and engage your mind. In order to keep your intellect well-oiled, find a good-read. There must be some book that may have interested you during the course of the semester that you just couldn’t find time to flip through – it could even be a textbook that you used during the previous semester that seemed to have beneficial information on your field (Yes, textbooks have useful information I promise). Furthermore, I would greatly recommend picking up a book on the art of interviewing for a job. When I attended a leadership and networking conference last summer with Monster.com, a leading job-search website, the human resource personnel conducting our workshop told us that he was appalled at how so many jobseekers lack the proper skills required to do well in a job interview. Do not underestimate how important it is to start considering these things while you are still in college. Please – read a book – especially one on the art of interviewing.

5) Start thinking about your capstone/senior year final project.

Most universities require a capstone project or its equivalent as a prerequisite for graduation. For some majors, it may involve writing an extensive research paper on a topic within your field while for others it may be a group presentation as assigned by the professor. Whatever it may be, capstone projects usually require a lot of time and effort to complete seeing that it serves to synthesize what you have gained from your college career. For that matter, it is important that you approach this with great thought and creativity.  Take time out in the summer to consider possible topics that you would like to research. Feel free to brainstorm, create a shortlist and look up various resources. You might even compile a binder with material that you think would be useful when you get down to writing your capstone paper. I’m not suggesting that you spend 20 hours a week during the summer on something that you will be working on all through your last semester. All I am saying is that by laying some groundwork during your free time this summer, you might be able to survive even the most “lethal” bouts of “senioritis” prior to graduation.

Dr. Lanny Hall, the 13th and now 15th President of Hardin-Simmons University.

Dr. Hall, serving his second tenure as the President of HSU was inaugurated, again, on November 23^rd, 2009 – which also happens to be his 60^th birthday – as the 15^th President in HSU’s 118 year history. Prior to this, Dr. Hall served as the President of Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas from 2003 to 2009. He is a proud alumnus of HSU and received his doctoral degree in educational administration from University of Texas in Austin in 1985. Hall was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1979 to 1984 and served in key government leadership positions at the national level.

For many of the international students gathered outside the house of the HSU first family, there was a sense of eager anticipation mixed with awe as they awaited meeting the top administrator of their institution. After all, this was the first time in the International Student Fellowship’s brief history that members had been personally invited to the President’s home for dinner.

The international students, along with their advisor, Ms. Terry Minami, were greeted by the warm smiles of Dr. Lanny Hall and his wife Mrs. Carol Hall upon entering the doorway of their home. After a quick tour of the Presidential House, members of ISF were treated to a home-cooked meal consisting of seasoned pork tenderloins, creamed corn casserole, green beans and Mrs. Hall’s famous poppy-seed chicken. The students were greatly impressed by the Halls’ hospitality, as Dr. Hall and his wife served them rolls and refilled their teas.

The ladies of ISF with the First Lady, Mrs. Carol Hall. From left: Janet Case, Sing Rou Lee, Caryn Wang, Grace Lee, Mrs. Carol Hall, Yen Ting Chew, Alexis Kuan, Stephanie Teoh and Amanda Stark. Photo courtesy of Stephanie Teoh.

After dinner, the students were asked to introduce themselves, stating first their names, countries of origin and a favorite dish from their hometown. Being on the topic of food, Dr. Hall then took this opportunity to tell a story about his time as a representative of the state of Texas. On this particular occasion, Dr. Hall was traveling with eleven other U.S. state representatives to visit a cabinet minister in Japan. One evening, while he was at dinner with the cabinet minister, Dr. Hall was sitting at the hibachi when raw fish was served before him. Knowing that the Japanese had a reputation for eating their fish raw, Dr. Hall thought it would be polite to consume what was set before him without much question. Dr. Hall recalls, “I was dowsing the fish with sauce since I did not care too much for raw fish when the minister’s wife, who was seated next to me turned to me halfway through dinner and said, ‘You know, I like to cook my fish before I eat it.’” This story was greeted with laughter by the members of the ISF, to which Mrs. Hall added, “We all sometimes find ourselves in a different culture, and we really don’t know what to do except to try our best to adapt just as Dr. Hall was trying his best in this story.”

Dr. Hall’s story, coupled with his wife’s remarks must have subconsciously endeared the international students to the couple, since it was not difficult for them to relate to his experience in Japan. This “breaking of ice” was evident throughout the rest of the evening as the students interacted and dialogued freely with the first family, including Dr. Hall’s daughter Lana, son-in-law Jonathan McCutchen, and their two granddaughters Lilly and Ada.

"Hello Mr. President, you can address me as Mr. President." The President of HSU Dr. Lanny Hall with the President of ISF, Roshan Guharajan joined by Mrs. Hall. Photo courtesy of Stephanie Teoh.

In addition to celebrating the ISF President, Roshan Guhurajan’s 22^nd birthday, the Halls also took time to listen to the students share the challenges they faced as a result of living in a foreign culture. Overall, it was a great experience for the international students whose importance to the HSU mission was both acknowledged and affirmed by the President himself.

This event serves to highlight but one of the many advantages of attending an ELI 360 partner university. ELI 360 would like to take this opportunity to emphasize once again that student-friendly environments are a hallmark of these universities’ campuses. The administrators and educators are personally invested in the lives of these students and are sincere about developing the potential in them – a fact that the international students of Hardin-Simmons can now undoubtedly testify to.

The International Students in a group picture with Dr. and Mrs. Hall. Photo courtesy of Stephanie Teoh.

* ELI 360 would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr Lanny Hall and Mrs. Carol Hall on behalf of the International Student Fellowship of Hardin-Simmons University for their hospitality and generosity. Your warmth and kindness are definitely reflective of the values of the Hardin-Simmons family. We continue to offer you our prayers and support as you lead this fine institution. God Bless!

"International education cannot be seen as an add-on," Martha J. Kanter, U.S. under secretary of education, told college international-education officials.

Over the past few decades, the movement towards “globalization” has been spearheaded by the corporate world of business through the increase of international trade. However, our world is beginning to see how this movement is impacting the international community at all levels. After all, the influence of commerce on society is often far-reaching. Along with the rise of the international business market comes the need for individuals who are well-versed in the international culture. This in turn leads to the emergence of a globalized version of higher education – a trend that has been observed especially in the status of American higher education today.

In the world of politics and policy making, the Obama administration has caught on that the internationalization of American higher education is indeed inevitable. In fact, the internationalization of education has become so crucial that it has begun to trickle down into the secondary and lower education in the United States. Martha J. Kanter, U.S. under secretary of education assured the attendees at this year’s annual meeting of the Association of International Education Administrators that internationalization of education at all levels of education is a key priority of the Obama administration. She told the college international education officials present that “international education cannot be seen as an add-on. It’s not an extra in higher education or K-12.”

The Obama administration is highly aware of the importance of internationalizing education for the American society as they understand that the skills and knowledge acquired in international education are the same skills that graduates need to succeed in a global economy. Ms. Kanter also took the opportunity to remind that attendees that the U.S. Education Department’s proposed overall budget increase was 7 percent, even as other federal departments were likely to see their budgets cut. This is a huge indicator of the priorities of the Obama administration, and should be taken by education administrators as a serious encouragement that they indeed play a crucial role in the continual development of the nation.

Unbeknown to many, ELI 360 has been working to increase awareness globally towards the importance of internationalization of education at all levels. Our efforts extend beyond bringing college students from foreign countries to our partner universities here in the US in that we are also actively recruiting high school students to consider completing part of their secondary education studying abroad. In addition, ELI 360 is also consistently networking with high schools in the countries we are currently involved in to help them develop a model of globalized education. While this project is still in its developmental stages, ELI 360 is also working towards developing a mentoring program for students in Malaysia starting at age twelve and up to help them discover early on the many opportunities available to them in today’s global economy. These efforts should reiterate to our members our desire to make the globalization of all levels of education a reality in the near future.

* This news release is based on the article “Campus Officials: Globalization is Inevitable, Whatever the Path” by Beth McMurtrie and Karin Fischer published in the February 26 2010 edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education, page A32.

Roshan will graduate in December 2010 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and believes that his time at HSU has equipped him to be a exceptional not just professionally but in every other aspect of life.

He chose Hardin-Simmons University because of the small class sizes and dedicated faculty, a choice that has reaped significant benefits. When asked about his experiences on the academic level, he recalls being able to engage in dialogue with professors and learn from them on a personal level.

He appreciates the fact that faculty members know who he is by name. There have been countless occasions when Roshan, as he described it, would pass by his professors walking down the hallways of the science building and they would stop to talk or joke with him.  Roshan explains that his relationship with his professors extend beyond academics, in that the professors have shown to take serious interest in Roshan’s professional career, advising him on opportunities to learn and grow outside the classroom.

As an example, Roshan participated in a summer wild-life conservation programs through the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) focusing on the Malayan tiger. Upon returning from his trip in Malaysia, he was asked by his professor to prepare and present a slideshow for the students in the school of science.

Through this experience, Roshan was given the opportunity to gain experience and insights into his future career.

Outside the classroom, Roshan is actively involved with the International Student Fellowship. He is the current president of the organization for the 2009/2010 school year. He views this extra-curricular activity as an avenue to enhance his social and conflict-resolution skills. Being president of an international student organization has helped Roshan, in his own words, “to understand and gain deeper respect for all peoples.”

Roshan is also an active member at University Baptist Church (UBC), located right across the street from the HSU’s campus. He has been attending UBC since his freshman year and now serves as a piano player for the worship band. Working with the worship band, which practices twice a week, Roshan has seen his piano-playing skills significantly enhanced, and as he enjoys every moment of it.

These are but a few of the many opportunities for holistic growth and education which Roshan has gained during his time at Hardin-Simmons University.

Roshan is confident he has been enriched by the warmth shown on this campus and will leave as a more mature person than when he first came to the “Forty Acres” almost three and a half years ago.

The 2009-10 Officers of Abilene Christian Universities' International Student Association.

University-bound students today find themselves in a world much different from the one that their parents experienced twenty or thirty years ago. Not only are most university campuses today more equipped and technologically savvy, the student bodies’ themselves have become increasingly diverse and integrated.  Particularly in the case of American Universities, where enrollment of international students has grown steadily over the past five years, university officials have come to accept that globalization is indeed inevitable.

Nonetheless, even though much has been said about the importance and inevitability of globalization in American higher education, a definite model for what this “internationalization” should look like has yet to emerge. Nancy L. Zimpher, chancellor of the State University of New York, one of the country’s largest public-university systems, presented her views on the current state of globalization in higher education at this year’s annual meeting of the Association of International Education Administrators, addressing this issue by emphasizing the importance of vision-setting. She states promptly, “Vision trumps everything.” She argues that strong visionary leadership is required if universities hope to successfully navigate the waters of integrating international efforts in addition to culminating in a globalized model of higher education. Adam Levine, the president of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation echoes Zimpher’s sentiments. In his speech, he said that he foresees “some bold universities” leading, and being “popularizers” while “others will hold onto the past and will be destined to fail.” In view of this, Levine challenged international education administrators to “take a lead” in shaping the concept of today’s university, believing that these administrators have been strategically placed to make globalization in the field of higher education a more concrete reality.

Of all the things that were being said at this meeting, the issues that were of the most interest to ELI 360 was that of the position of international students, and the role they have played and will continue to play in the movement towards the globalization of American higher education. Erik Presley, the President of ELI 360 comments, “Universities that are serious about globalization need to start integrating the international students on their campus more and more. This doesn’t just include changing the students to fit the university but to actively learn from one another. The problems that arise from having international students on campus need not be seen as merely obstacles to globalization but opportunities for the university to change and grow.” Erik’s sentiment is echoed by Steven Gist, the Director of Global Markets for ELI 360. He says, “Globalization is all about conflict and conflict resolution. When you bring people who are from completely different backgrounds, you are bound to have disagreements as they bring varying styles to perceiving and handling issues to the table. It is through this process of engaging, encountering and exchanging ideas that all parties involved grow and learn.” In sum, in order for universities to successfully internationalize, there needs to be a relationship of reciprocity established with its foreign students and partners. Learning has to be seen as a two-way street in order to cultivate a truly globalized environment.

International Students at Oklahoma Christian University.

As internationalization grows as a priority for higher education in the U.S., The role of third-party recruiters of international students, such as ELI 360, become more prominent. Zimpher, who championed a project led by Mitch Leventhal, the SUNY system’s vice chancellor for global affairs, to certify and regulate third-party international student recruiters argues that universities international work had to be done in the context of trade and immigration policy. This focus on consultants such as ELI 360 goes to show that international students seeking to pursue higher education need to engage with third-party recruiters who are experienced and credible; organizations that are sincere in aiding both students and universities adapt to a globalized world. ELI 360 prides itself as a company that has years of experience in cross-cultural relations and projects. It is the goal of ELI 360 to be continually relevant as a company that is “committed to the worldwide development of people and ideas for the increased wellbeing of all nations” especially in a future where a globalized world is a reality.

* This news release is based on the article “Campus Officials: Globalization is Inevitable, Whatever the Path” by Beth McMurtrie and Karin Fischer published in the February 26 2010 edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education, page A32

In fact, in many countries higher education has become million-, even billion-dollar industries, with various institutions drawing crops of intellectually gifted individuals from all continents. Even so, as with most industries, there is a spectrum ranging from leaders within the field to those who have aspirations to follow suit.

One country seeking to emulate the traditional higher education powerhouses is India. Traditionally, the task of educating India’s youth has long been that of the federal government. However, in recent years, the private sector has realized the shortcomings of a federal education system, particularly on the university level. In view of this, a crop of exceptional and accomplished Indian businessmen has risen to the task of increasing the opportunities for and quality of education in India. Fueled by a vigorous sense of patriotism, and well-funded by their years of industrial efforts, these Indian businessmen are setting up universities all over the nation with hopes of raising the current Indian college-going rate of 12% – a rate that is shockingly low compared to most other developing nations.

NIIT University's Campus Wall. The entire campus will cost a whopping $44-million when completed.

What is truly amazing about these business executives is their willingness to “put their money where their mouth is.” Most of them are paying to establish these institutions of higher education out of their own pockets. Pawan Agarwal, a senior civil servant and author of Indian Higher Education: Envisioning the Future, comments, “For these guys, education is not a business, and they would continue to support it even if operating expenses aren’t covered”. Such is the commitment of these businessmen to the cause of educating their fellow countrymen that they would willingly make sacrifices to fund these universities. For example, Rajendra Pawar and Vijay Thandani, the owners of the multinational computer-training and consulting company NIIT have said that they will absorb nearly all the expenses during the first few years of running NIIT university – this project is no small venture seeing that they estimate the cost of completing the university within a decade to stand at an astronomical $44-million.

Rajendra S Pawar, founder of NIIT University and chairman of NIIT Techonologies.

These industrialists see their efforts in developing the private higher education sector as offering “an alternative” to the current public higher education system that they believe is misguided. Graduates from the public universities in India are often encouraged to “think narrowly” and “learn passively”. As a result of this, only 10% of them are employable. To add insult to injury, so to speak, even the better students don’t have a well-rounded university experience. Using the liberal arts model of education, these “university planters” seek to remedy the “maladies” of the public higher education system by offering the students of their universities a holistic education. Mr. Pawar intends to develop a wide range of programs at his NIIT University in order to provide its students with a broad base of knowledge, he says, “A mechanical-engineering student will also study some literature and social sciences. And a psychology student will also study some mathematics and economics because it is important.” He adds, “We believe that in the 21^st century, the distinction between science and the arts has to go”.

As more of our world begins to realize what Mr. Pawar and his associates believe about the importance of gaining a holistic education, ELI 360 is pleased to have championed the cause of liberal arts education throughout the past few years. Our partner universities are some of the most exceptional institutes of higher education, offering an education experience that is founded on a wide-base of knowledge – with a rigorous emphasis on intellectual, professional, psychological and spiritual development. Students that enroll in these universities can count on the fact that they will receive more than a diploma upon graduation, and that they will truly be equipped to face the world, regardless of whatever field they may enter.

Dr. Paul Jhin leads United Nations initiative to improve educational opportunities

Jhin named 2010 Alumnus of the Year