UW-Madison maintains accord in study abroad programs

The worldwide economic downtown hasn't put a big dent in college study abroad programs. An annual study shows a slight decline in U.S. students participating; however UW-Madison ranked eighth for participation.Students coming to the U.S. and those going abroad can be a barometer for how good or bad the economy is; it costs money to travel. For that reason, this year's Open Doors report released by the Institute of International Education was eagerly anticipated.
UW Madison didn't have double digit increases as in years past, but the number of those studying abroad did go up by .6 percent when comparing last academic year (2008-09) to the one before. Money is just one potential deterrent, says Rob Howell, who directs International Academic Programs at UW Madison. He says they’ve had to contend with the H1N1 outbreak in Mexico, and also the violence related to the drug cartels in the country’s northern provinces.

But, despite all of this, students seem to be participating in larger and larger numbers.The reason they go isn't just to learn a new language. Howell says only 40-percent of the study abroad programs on campus require language preparation.Students are more and more aware of the necessity of developing global competence because when they head out to the real world, they're really dealing with a global economy.European countries are the most popular destinations for UW-Madison students to study abroad. However, there was a significant increase in the number of students going to China. As for those coming here, China now sends more college students to the U.S. than India.