In the midst of the most recent and historic political change, Tao Tao, an electrical engineering graduate student from China, eagerly watched the election night totals with his American friends, even though neither candidate would be his president.

Many international students like Tao took the recent election seriously, following the news and voicing their opinions, even though they would not be able to vote.

Many students coming through the International Students and Scholars Office are "really interested in politics," said Matthew Sokoloski, the UA office program coordinator. "My graduate assistant, [an international student] is very politically involved."

Because of the role politics play in the lives of international students, it should come as no surprise that the new administration is predicted to have a direct effect on the international student population.

The number of international students studying at the UA will continue to increase as recent trends are reinforced by the changing political atmosphere, said Susan Byram, the assistant director in the UA International Admissions Office.

The international student population has experienced a lot of ups and downs in the last decade.

In fall 2001, enrollment began to make a comeback from a slump in the 1990s, Byram said, with a record number of applications from international students.

But, after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, she said, the whole country experienced a sharp decline in the number of students applying to study at U.S. universities.

Following the attacks, undergraduate international student enrollment in the United States dropped by almost 1,000 students, according to the Open Doors report by the Institute of International Education.

By 2004, according to the report, the undergraduate numbers were down by almost 25,000. The fewer than 573,000 undergraduate and graduate international students in that year showed the first overall decline in numbers since 1971.

The attacks caused a lot of fear and worry, especially for the parents of undergraduate international students, Byram said.

The decrease in the desire of international students to study in the United States because of the stricter regulations meant a loss of revenue, Byram said.

"The competition for international students is high because they bring in a lot of [money] to the state they study in," she said.

In the past few years, enrollment has begun to increase again as regulations have become less of a constraint, Byram said. As restrictions are backed away from, she said, it's easier to compete with other countries because the regulations are more similar.

There were 1,040 international students on the UA campus this fall, according to the ISS Web site. This number is higher than before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

If the new administration continues to create policies that make it easier for international students to study here, Sokoloski said, then the enrollment numbers definitely will continue to increase.

International students see the promised change of Obama as something that will encourage even more international cooperation and that will open the doors for more students.

Obama "seems to have good reception among international students," Sokoloski said.

The election of Obama demonstrates the ability of the United States to change, said Catalina Gutierrez, an economics student from Bolivia. This proves that diversity is acceptable and welcome, she said, if simply for the reason that Americans can support someone who is not the "stereotypical white man."

The expectations that Sayra Rodriguez, an international relations major originally from Mexico, has for the new administration include addressing some of the problems between the United States and other countries.

"There are so many countries that don't like the U.S.," Rodriguez said, "so hopefully [the new image of] Obama will change those relations."

Tao also expects Obama's presidency to affect more than just the lives of U.S. citizens.

He holds out hope that the new administration "will have more favorable policies for foreign students [trying to get] working visas." Not only can Obama change the "way the U.S. is viewed in the world," Tao said, but he can influence "China's human rights situation and will have breakthrough approaches on how to deal with racial issues."

Because international students understand that the election of any U.S. president will have far-reaching ramifications, the events surrounding the election were for more than just students who could vote.

"I researched the issues, watched the debates and watched the news on election night," Tao said.

"I did get involved ... in the ... election," Martino said, "[but] because [it] seemed to be a very sensitive topic, I only shared my opinion when asked."

The UA international student offices will take advantage of the county's favorable conditions by continuing to recruit international students in ways that don't cost a lot of money, Byram said.

Many students choose Arkansas because of an agreement the university has with countries like Bolivia and Caribbean countries that exempt those students from out-of-state tuition, she said.

The offices also pride themselves on a "quick turnaround" with student applications, Byram said. Often times, she said, students choose the university that responds first.

Source: The Traveller Online

Release date: 2 Sept 2009