(Please note: I am submitting an additional blog post for Week 12 here, in lieu of posting the 3 comments on Week 12 blogs – I will be on medical leave 5/5/-5/19)

For my additional blog post, I wanted to write about a very interesting article that I came upon during my Week 12 research. After reading both articles for this week, I found myself searching deeper into internationalization in our home country. While I love reading about the education systems in other countries, I find myself most compelled to read about studies in the U.S because it is the easiest for me to conceptualize.

Found on HigherEdJobs.com, I really liked a piece titled “US Losing its Domninance in Global Higher Education Market.” Because this week’s readings were all about the internationalization of Higher Education and the many things to consider/challenges we face in this unique field, I found it most relevant to discuss another article about our home country.  In this piece, author Jason Lane explains that while most Americans assume students from other countries come to us to study abroad, statistics are starting to show otherwise! In fact, many U.S students are compelled to travel abroad for their education. In our class, we have discussed Internationalization at Home, and previous readings have provided statistics that show the U.S is a primary destination for international study. Yet, he elaborates, “Germany alone, with its essentially free higher education system, is drawing a fair number of prospective US college students. Some 4,660 US students were enrolled in German universities last year – a number that has increased by 20% in three years” (Lane, 2015, p.1). I found this extremely interesting because as an American who has gone through all stages of education here (never having studied abroad) I am only familiar with the concept of friends leaving the U.S to study abroad for one semester, or going to a Caribbean medical college.

Yet, this article brings up the controversial notion that U.S students may be compelled to seek their education elsewhere, contrary to the many discussions we have had about the U.S being the most desirable place to learn! He explains, “We can confidently say that the United Kingdom was the leading destination for US students. Most US students (72%) in this data set head to anglophone countries. Master’s degree programs are the most popular option (followed by undergraduate programs and then doctoral)” (Lane, 2015, p.1). I was not very surprised to see that the U.K would be the most popular destination, followed by a majority of English-speaking countries. Although American students may wish to study abroad, I can completely understand wanting to stay somewhere that is relatable and familiar while still achieving a new experience.