Foreign Journalists Tour University of New Haven, Yale and Query International Students, Faculty about their Experiences in U.S.

Twenty-three foreign journalists from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe assigned to cover the United States visited the University of New Haven on Wednesday, October 18, as part of a tour organized by the U.S. Department of State.

The journalists were interested in talking with international students and faculty about their experiences studying and working in the United States. The tour included spending the morning at Yale University and the afternoon at the University of New Haven.

The University of New Haven hosts students and faculty from more than 40 nations and is one of the few colleges of its size in the nation that had an increase in international students this fall. The University has a strong commitment to international recruitment and has alumni from nearly 100 countries.

"All of the international members of our community – students, faculty, and staff – have contributed to and enriched our University in countless ways." President Steven H. Kaplan.

Kaplan continued: "From the insight they contribute to classroom discussions to their leadership on campus to their participation in the Greater New Haven community, our international students help all of us to develop a more comprehensive view of the world and a better appreciation for and understanding of the many cultures, customs, and traditions represented on campus."

The tour was organized by the state department in response to media reports that indicate foreign students are increasingly choosing to study in Canada and other countries, rather than come to the United States, previously considered the premiere place for education. The reports say the students are intimidated by anti-immigration rhetoric and worried about their safety.

The journalists talked with students and faculty from their home countries, toured the campus, and listened to remarks from President Kaplan, Walter Caffey vice president for enrollment management, Kevin Phillips, associate vice president for enrollment management, and Shobi Sivadasan, senior associate vice president for graduate and international admissions.

The University of New Haven is committed to providing all of its students with a global experience, Kaplan said.

"Beyond opening our doors to and welcoming scores of international students, our global culture is very much a part of who we are as an academic institution," he said. "Our students are afforded a number of intercultural experiences that add depth to their education. We offer more than 500 different study abroad programs; rich programming in our Myatt Center for Diversity and Inclusion; and our very own campus in Prato, Italy, where students can study any number of disciplines."