Public Opinion Supportive of International Education, Says Recent Survey

Americans view foreign languages and global knowledge as important to future careers

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Despite deep concerns about jobs and the state of the economy, Americans consider international education to be essential to the educational experience of today's students, and they connect foreign-language learning and study abroad with improved prospects for success in the global marketplace, according to a public opinion poll recently commissioned by NAFSA: Association of International Educators. The findings suggest that even as budget cuts and belt-tightening continue to preoccupy the nation, investments in programs that prepare the next generation with international skills and support the ability of the U.S. economy to be globally competitive are likely to have robust public support.

On the eve of the mid-term elections, a NAFSA public opinion survey asked likely U.S. voters about their views on a range of international education programs and priorities. Seventy-five percent of those polled agreed that "unless our colleges and universities do a better job of teaching our students about the world, our children and grandchildren will not be prepared to compete in the global economy." Nearly two-thirds agreed that without foreign-language skills, young people will be at a "competitive disadvantage in their careers." And the majority of survey respondents consider study abroad a "vital component of an education that prepares [students] for success in the global workplace" and believe international education is "very or moderately essential to the educational experience" of American students.

The NAFSA survey included one question related to immigration, a contentious issue nationwide on which Americans appear to be deeply divided. When told about the benefits of attracting foreign educational professionals to the United States, nearly fifty percent of respondents said it should be easier for them to come here; those who ranked the importance of international education highest elsewhere in the survey were particularly strongly in favor of facilitating the ability of educational professionals from other countries to come to the United States.

For the full report, visit www.nafsa.org/OpinionSurvey. Visit Connecting Our World to see our grassroots campaign page on the survey and other resources.

NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the world's largest nonprofit professional association dedicated to international education. Learn more about our work at Connecting Our World, and find us on Twitter, Facebook, and the NAFSA blog.

SOURCE NAFSA: Association of International Educators

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