Public Policy Benefits of Study Abroad

Why is study abroad important for our country?

Today's global challenges demand international competence. Americans who study abroad in quality programs for academic credit; engage in service and experiential learning, internships, and research; and study foreign areas and languages are far better prepared for the demands of the twenty-first century.

National Security

Americans all remember the desperate search for Arabic, Farsi, and Pashto speakers following September 11. Our leaders have stated time and time again the lack of language and cultural skills among our citizens to effectively serve our national interests. According to an August 2006 U.S. GAO Report, almost a third of all State Department officers in language-designated positions overseas do not meet the necessary foreign language requirements. The report issued by the Iraq Study Group in December 2006 cited a severe handicap in lack of language and cultural understanding in the military and civilian efforts in Iraq. Nothing can better demonstrate the need for or importance of study abroad. Study abroad starts the learning process in a way that allows one to really see the world, hear the world, communicate with the world, and understand the world. These experiences afford students the cultural and linguistic education beyond what is available in U.S. classrooms. The most effective thing we can do, as a nation, to ensure that when tomorrow's crises arise we have the cultural and communication skills vital to our national security, is to have more American students living in and learning in the rest of the world.

Economic Security

Currently, one in six U.S. jobs is tied to international trade^¹, yet U.S. companies lose an estimated $2 billion a year to insufficient cross-cultural guidance for their employees in multicultural positions.^² The truth is, we don’t have the global know-how we need to advance in the world economy to our full potential. Today’s workforce requires a depth of international expertise and language skills lacking in most U.S. graduates. Students living and learning in countries and cultures other than their own learn important skills enabling them to acclimate in today's global workplace of constant change. Opportunities for study abroad facilitate a net gain of insightful cultural awareness, an affinity for the people and cultures in countries around the world, and the ability to hone essential foreign language skills through cultural immersion unavailable at home.

Foreign Policy

Generations of U.S. foreign policy leaders have lamented the absence of a domestic constituency for public diplomacy. Those who have never been abroad except on guided tours to tourist attractions cannot be the foreign policy constituency that our leaders seek. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of State, only about 27 percent of Americans hold passports. Those who have spent time studying and living abroad, who have developed an interest in a foreign country or region, who have friends there, and who speak their language, can and will be. We need to ensure that our graduates step into the world with knowledge about and sensitivity to the rest of the world. As we become a nation whose citizens are globally educated, we will become a nation whose root of knowledge and understanding enhances our contribution on the global stage.

Resources on Study Abroad

NAFSA has collected a variety of materials that outline and analyze trends and statistics common in current study abroad programs.

NAFSA Reports

October 2007
An International Education Policy for U.S. Leadership, Competitiveness, and Security
This policy statement reflects the critical importance of international education and sets forth concrete steps to achieve important national interests through a comprehensive international education policy.

January 2006
Americans Call for Leadership on International Education
The findings of this national survey conducted by Lake Research Partners suggest strong support for international education among the American public.

November 2003
Securing America's Future: Global Education for a Global Age
A Blue Ribbon Task Force warns that Americans' lack of knowledge of the world represents a "national liability" in the war on terrorism, and lays out a blueprint for reducing barriers to study abroad.

Articles

May/June 2006
Open Doors Secure Borders: Advantages of Education Abroad for Public Policy (477kb )
By Victor C. Johnson and Janice Mulholland
This article explores what study abroad means in the context of national interest and our nation’s ability to reach its short- and long-term goals.

Jan/Feb 2006
The Lincoln Commission and the Future of Study Abroad (172kb )
By Senator Richard J. Durbin
Senator Durbin talks about the legacy of the late Senator Paul Simon, whose vision inspired the creation and work of the Lincoln Commission, and the impact the commission’s recommendations will have on our nation.

Statistics and Resources

Demographics of Study Abroad

Study Abroad Participation by State

Health and Safety in Study Abroad

Curriculum Integration for Study Abroad

Other Reports

February 2006
Education for Global Leadership (982kb )
Committee for Economic Development
This report outlines the state of U.S. global competence as well as what it means to be an educated American in a changing world.

November 2005
Global Competence and National Needs: One Million Americans Studying Abroad
Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program
The commission, based on the vision of the late Senator Paul Simon, outlines recommendations for a national undergraduate study abroad fellowship program to dramatically increase and diversify study abroad participation in the United States.



^{1 Asia Society "Why does international education matter?" www.internationaled.org
2 Committee for Economic Development "Education for Global Leadership," Feb. 2006. www.ced.org}