ST. CLOUD -- While many colleges fear that Chinese international student enrollment will decline, St. Cloud State University is hopeful this won't be the case.

U.S. colleges are already looking to recruit students from other regions such as the Middle East, South Asia and Latin America in fear that  enrollment of Chinese students will fall due to China's declining economy.

St. Cloud State is predicting the struggling economy won't effect the number of Chinese International students enrolled at the university. Interim Associate Vice President for the Center for International Studies, Shahzad Ahmad says SCSU has created a program that has increased the Chinese international student enrollment.

"With the Chinese student population, while the rest of the country may have seen decreases, at St. Cloud State we have seen an increase because of our 2+2 program."

The 2+2 program is a partnership that St. Cloud State has with Nankai University Binhai College in China. Nankai University Binhai College students will study for two years in China and then finish their last two years at St. Cloud State.

There are 68 students in the program with another 11 on deck to join. Ahmad says because of the program the chances that Chinese international student enrollment numbers will decline at SCSU are slim.

"With that pipeline we are in a very good position to continue to attract Chinese students at a number that is very healthy for St. Cloud State."

St. Cloud State is currently working with a number of countries to recruit more international students, Ahmad says the university has increased recruitment efforts in Mexico over the years.

Overall there are about 1,000 international students enrolled at SCSU representing more than 80 countries.

-This story was written with information from the Associated Press-

 

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