For Immediate Release: April 5, 2011
Contact: Lorri Crowley (202) 482-3809
Commerce Education Services Mission Highlights Education Export Opportunities in Indonesia
Jakarta education fair attracts more than 6,000 potential students; mission continues to Vietnam
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam – Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, Francisco Sánchez, and the delegation of U.S. colleges and universities wrapped up the first leg of the International Trade Administration’s (ITA) education services mission in Jakarta, Indonesia, and arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, today for the second of the mission’s three stops.
This is the Department of Commerce’s largest ever education services mission, and focuses on an industry that adds more than $20 billion to the U.S. economy annually. More than 20,000 Indonesian and Vietnamese students currently attend U.S. colleges and universities.
“Expanding the educational opportunities for these students will provide direct benefits to U.S. companies doing business with these critical markets in the future,” Sánchez said. “This is a part of a long-term strategy to set America on strong footing in these emerging global markets.”
ITA partnered with the Putera Sampoerna Foundation in Jakarta to sponsor the ACCESS American Higher Education Fair featuring the 56 U.S. colleges and universities participating in the mission. The fair drew more than 10,000 students and parents interested in pursuing higher education opportunities in the United States. The Sampoerna Foundation provides scholarship, training and support for future Indonesian leaders.
The mission’s first stop also featured a symposium on U.S.-Indonesian Higher Education Partnerships and Exchanges. Delegation members took advantage of one-on-one matchmaking sessions with student recruitment agencies, or met with local universities to explore partnership prospects. Several delegates also visited local high schools to meet with administrators, counselors, teachers, and students.
The U.S. embassy has set a goal of doubling that number by 2014 in support of the U.S.-Indonesia Comprehensive Partnership initiated last year during President Obama’s visit.
While in Ho Chi Minh City, Under Secretary Sánchez will highlight how an education from U.S. colleges or universities benefits Vietnamese students, and ultimately, the Vietnamese economy. Vietnamese institutions of higher learning will meet with mission participants to explore possible partnerships, faculty and/or student exchange programs, and joint research projects.
Vietnam ranks ninth among countries sending students to the United States with more than 13,000 students. Overall, Vietnam has more than 20,000 students studying abroad, paying about $200 million in tuition and fees every year. International students are considered an export to the United States and is a nearly $20 billion industry.
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