An offshore educational experience
By Scott Waldman Staff Writer
Published: 01:00 a.m., Friday, November 27, 2009
Asil Ozdogru has a lot of company.
The University at Albany doctoral student moved here from Turkey seven years ago to pursue his degree. He's enjoying the small classes and personal attention he gets from the professor as he finishes his Ph.D. in educational psychology. Someday, the 28-year-old will take that experience back to Istanbul.
"In my country, it's prestigious to get a degree from the United States, England and other developed countries," Ozdogru said.
The number of foreign students in the United States reached a record high, 671,616, in the 2008-2009 academic year, according to a new report from the Institute of International Education, a nonprofit group that tracks international enrollments for the State Department. The 8 percent jump is the largest percentage increase in more than 25 years, the report found.
New York state hosts 74,934 foreign students, an increase of 7 percent. New York City accounts for about 60,000 of those students and is the top metro area draw for foreign students, according to the report. The report found that business and management are the most popular fields of study for foreign students, followed by engineering and computer science.
In tuition and living expenses alone, those students contributed nearly $2 billion to the state's economy.
Locally, the University at Albany has the most international students. There were 1,135 foreign students working toward a UAlbany degree last academic year. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute says it had 708 international students last year.
Raymond Lutzky, director of outreach and associate director of enrollment at RPI, wants to see more students from abroad studying upstate.
RPI, which has a total enrollment of about 6,500, has joined a new statewide effort to attract more international students. The school has joined with Study New York, a consortium of private and public colleges and universities, to promote the state as a destination for foreign study. The schools will meet annually and share information on recruitment strategies and research.
"Our students are competing globally and it's important our student body be reflective of the world," said. "It's a cultural exchange."
There were 65 international students in this year's RPI freshman class of 1,300, Lutzky said. He hopes to increase that number in the future.
Lutzky said increasing the number of foreign students at a school also creates a network of alumni and boosters who can promote it in their home countries. He said alumni in South Korea, Switzerland and Venezuela all recruit future RPI students in places where the admissions staff can't reach.
The transition to another country isn't always easy, especially when you're used to the bustle and heat of Istanbul. Ozdogru has struggled to get around town because the bus system is so much better in his home country. He doesn't mind the snow as much as he does living in a town where there are not so many social options for a young man.
Still, Ozdogru said he'll recommend the University at Albany to other students in Turkey. He can envision the advice he'd give another young man if he was curious about studying here.
"If he wants to focus on his studies," Ozdogru said, "if he wants a small program where he can get to know people and be an individual rather than a number."
Scott Waldman can be reached at 454-5080 or by e-mail at swaldman@timesunion.com.
Published in print and online
in Times Union Newspaper
http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/An-offshore-educational-experience-560200.php
By Scott Waldman Staff Writer
Published: 01:00 a.m., Friday, November 27, 2009
Asil Ozdogru has a lot of company.
The University at Albany doctoral student moved here from Turkey seven years ago to pursue his degree. He's enjoying the small classes and personal attention he gets from the professor as he finishes his Ph.D. in educational psychology. Someday, the 28-year-old will take that experience back to Istanbul.
"In my country, it's prestigious to get a degree from the United States, England and other developed countries," Ozdogru said.
The number of foreign students in the United States reached a record high, 671,616, in the 2008-2009 academic year, according to a new report from the Institute of International Education, a nonprofit group that tracks international enrollments for the State Department. The 8 percent jump is the largest percentage increase in more than 25 years, the report found.
New York state hosts 74,934 foreign students, an increase of 7 percent. New York City accounts for about 60,000 of those students and is the top metro area draw for foreign students, according to the report. The report found that business and management are the most popular fields of study for foreign students, followed by engineering and computer science.
In tuition and living expenses alone, those students contributed nearly $2 billion to the state's economy.
Locally, the University at Albany has the most international students. There were 1,135 foreign students working toward a UAlbany degree last academic year. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute says it had 708 international students last year.
Raymond Lutzky, director of outreach and associate director of enrollment at RPI, wants to see more students from abroad studying upstate.
RPI, which has a total enrollment of about 6,500, has joined a new statewide effort to attract more international students. The school has joined with Study New York, a consortium of private and public colleges and universities, to promote the state as a destination for foreign study. The schools will meet annually and share information on recruitment strategies and research.
"Our students are competing globally and it's important our student body be reflective of the world," said. "It's a cultural exchange."
There were 65 international students in this year's RPI freshman class of 1,300, Lutzky said. He hopes to increase that number in the future.
Lutzky said increasing the number of foreign students at a school also creates a network of alumni and boosters who can promote it in their home countries. He said alumni in South Korea, Switzerland and Venezuela all recruit future RPI students in places where the admissions staff can't reach.
The transition to another country isn't always easy, especially when you're used to the bustle and heat of Istanbul. Ozdogru has struggled to get around town because the bus system is so much better in his home country. He doesn't mind the snow as much as he does living in a town where there are not so many social options for a young man.
Still, Ozdogru said he'll recommend the University at Albany to other students in Turkey. He can envision the advice he'd give another young man if he was curious about studying here.
"If he wants to focus on his studies," Ozdogru said, "if he wants a small program where he can get to know people and be an individual rather than a number."
Scott Waldman can be reached at 454-5080 or by e-mail at swaldman@timesunion.com.
Published in print and online
in Times Union Newspaper
http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/An-offshore-educational-experience-560200.php
