CAN STUDENTS BE THE LINK TO REDUCING WORLD TENSIONS? STUDY ABROAD STILL SOUGHT AFTER, DESPITE WAR AND TERRORISM

According to the Institute of International Education, studying abroad today has become more popular than ever among U.S. students in the years since September 11th.

Open Doors 2002, the annual report issued by the Institute of International Education (IIE), revealed that studying abroad has increased 55% since 1997. For the 2000/01, there was a 7.4% increase in students studying abroad as compared to the previous year, reaching a record of 154,168 students. Last year campus administrators reported a 45% increase in the number of students studying abroad for the fall season.

With new statistics being published in November 2003, officials say that they expect the numbers of students studying abroad to continue this trend, despite the recent war in Iraq and furthering tensions concerning terrorist attacks.

According to Heykyung Koh, a research officer at IIE, "Right now it looks like we could have a slight increase. September 11 convinced people there's a world out there that we need to understand better, and that has translated into increased interest in studying abroad.'

Like many officials concerned with safety of those traveling abroad, Cultural Experiences Abroad (CEA), a study abroad provider found online at www.GoWithCEA.com, encourages their students to exhibit caution when studying abroad.

According to Caroline Walsh, Director of Onsite Operations, "Safety precautions include traveling in groups, locating American embassies and staying on top of current events in both America and the host country. Students are also encouraged to blend into the culture, by adopting their clothing styles, gestures, and language. Overall, we encourage students to be aware of their surroundings.'

Safety tips such as these should not deter students from studying abroad. They should provide a reminder to students to be wise on their adventure and not forgo the experience of studying abroad because of lingering doubts about terrorism and war.

Libby Rittenberg, professor of economics at Colorado College, declares: "Americans studying abroad and foreigners studying in America build cross-cultural understandings that cannot be achieved by other means. It would be a great loss if the movement of students in either direction becomes another fallout of the war on terrorism.'

According to the Associated Press, professors also say that any hesitation is unfortunate since understanding global issues through foreign study becomes increasingly important during times of world conflict.

When asked how September 11th affected students' experiences abroad, BreAnne Benzel, studying in Adelaide, Australia with Cultural Experiences Abroad (CEA) at the time of the attacks remarks, "The attacks didn't really change my outlook on my study abroad experience, but it did change my outlook on being an American. When the attacks happened I felt a close bond with the other American students studying at Flinders (University) and I feel that we all came together.'

To further emphasize the need for students to study abroad, The Fulbright Foundation, which supports an array of programs for foreign exchange and study abroad,
offers a scholarship designed to increase international understanding and to diminish world conflict.

According to J. William Fulbright, the former senator for whom this foundation was named, "The Fulbright Program aims to bring a little more knowledge, a little more reason, and a little more compassion into world affairs and thereby to increase the chance that nations will learn at last to live in peace and friendship."

Given the continuing tensions around the world, one might expect students to feel more rather than less reluctant to study abroad. Fortunately, the trend indicates that students are in fact studying abroad in larger numbers.

To learn more about study abroad, visit:
www.GoWithCEA.com

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