“We understand that study abroad is to change if it is to work in the context of the US,” she told delegates at the Australian International Education Conference this month, adding that traditional models of study abroad are being “questioned” by students.

“We understand that study abroad is to change if it is to work in the context of the US”

“There is no doubt that our students are interested in service learning and being able to combine study abroad with internship opportunities, and so the infrastructure for building internship and service learning is a potential growth for US students to study abroad,” she said.

During a panel discussion on the future trends in international education at AIEC, Aw also outlined a number of other distinctions in the US market.

On the inbound side, Aw noted that international recruitment has “ramped up quite a bit” in recent years but said the over-reliance on China as a source market is a concern, as well as the dependency on overseas government scholarship programmes like Saudi Arabia’s KASP.

“The strategies are not always as intentional as I think many of us would like to see, but there is no doubt… that more and more of our institutions are investing in international recruitment activities in ways that are unprecedented,” she commented.

Aw identified pathways as a key trend in international recruitment, predicting “exponential growth” in the sector.

She said the US government has noted the growth in pathways infrastructure as well, and that regulations to cover the new structures are due “anytime now”.

Meanwhile, diaspora communities from growth markets such as Nigeria, China and Vietnam “will become an asset for us as we continue to think about how US will continue to be an attractive destination”, she said.

Employability and post-study work option will also be a key factor affecting whether US education remains globally competitive, Aw added.

Looking to the election next year, Aw said that NAFSA will work strategically to shape the discourse surrounding international education among the US presidential candidates.

“We’re confident that really for the majority of the candidates… that there will be an openness to international education,” she noted, whether they are driven by the economic competitiveness or “the notion of how the US can re-engage with the world”.

“Where there’s major distinction among the candidates, is whether or not they’re going to go with piecemeal immigration reform, or comprehensive immigration reform,” she added.