A Mapping Sentence Mereology for Understanding the Mobility of International Students

Background: The Increasing Number Of Study Abroad Students

Since the latter part of the twentieth century, international students have become a greater presence on university campuses across the globe. By the 1990s Asian students made up more than 10% of the student population in the United States (Heggins & Jackson, 2003) and the numbers continue to grow. For example, Christ (2008) stated, that during a time when one East Coast college in the US was experiencing strong overall recruitment, international students were still the fastest-growing segment. She specified that over the previous 15 years applications from international students nearly doubled. Students at this college were from 26 countries, most noticeably Korea, China, India, Canada, Greece, and Pakistan.

In 1919 the Institute of International Education (IIE) was established to promote a worldwide interchange of people and knowledge. As a not-for-profit private institution, the IIE develops study programs and training courses for students, faculty, and professionals, including the Fulbright Program and Gilman Scholarships. In 2013 the Open Doors report of the IIE stated that 2012/13 was the seventh consecutive year that demonstrated a growth in international students in the US; 55,000 more international students enrolled in US colleges in 2012/13 compared with 2011/12; students from China and Saudi Arabia were responsible for most of this growth; there has been a 40 percent growth in international students in the US over the last decade with the rate of increase steadily rising over the past three years; international students represent just under four percent of graduate and undergraduate student enrollment in the US; international students’ spending in the US contributed approximately $24 billion to the economy; international students, both students studying in the US and American students studying abroad, were at the highest number ever recorded.