On Nov. 12, the United States Department of State released their Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, reporting a 7.2 percent increase in the number of international students at institutions of higher education. In the 2012-13 academic year, there were a reported 819,644 international students studying in the U.S.
Ole Miss, too, has experienced a rapid increase of international student enrollment.
Since 2005, international student enrollment has increased by 74 percent, and since 2008, that number has increased by 43 percent, according to Greet Provoost, the director of the Office of International Programs.
The reason for this increase is a university-wide commitment to campus internationalization. Ole Miss has placed a priority on increasing enrollment of international students, according to Provoost.
International students at Ole Miss fall under the newly established Office of Global Engagement, which includes the Office of International Programs, the Office of Study Abroad and the Intensive English Program.
As of fall 2013, there are a reported 911 international students attending Ole Miss. Of these students, 102 are participating in post-graduate optional practical training with the Office of Global Engagement, Provoost said.
Ninety-three countries are represented by these diverse students, coming from seven regions of the world including Asia, Europe, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, North America and Oceania.
One hundred fifty of these students are exchange students who will be staying at Ole Miss for one term or one year. Sixty-four other students are enrolled in the university’s Intensive English Program and 595 are enrolled in regular degree programs. Of those, 289 students are enrolled in undergraduate programs and 306 in the graduate school.
Tamar Karakozova is a current Ph.D. candidate in secondary English education. In the myriad of countries represented here at Ole Miss, she hails from Tbilisi, The Republic of Georgia.
Karakozova came to Ole Miss in 2006 through the Edmund Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program, a graduate exchange program funded by the U.S. Department of State.
Many international students have to work hard to attend Ole Miss, and Karakozova is definitely one of them.
“In order to receive the fellowship, I had to go through a number of competitions, pass TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and the GRE, as well as an interview,” she said. “The whole process took about a year.”
After arriving in Washington, Karakozova was flown to Memphis, Tenn., after being told she was to attend The University of Mississippi. She was greeted by a group from the Office of International Programs here at Ole Miss.
“I was not the one who made the choice of my U.S. location for my academic program, but I am very glad I got to be in Oxford” she said.
So what persuades these students to embark on long journeys to come attend Ole Miss?
“Great academic programs, competitive costs, location, attractive climate and academic and institutional collaborations draws international students to Ole Miss,” Provoost said. “Many students find us via internet searches, partners and recommendations.”
Karakozova’s experiences in Oxford have proven the town to be an inexhaustible resource to her as an international student, and she has found her hobbies and her niche in the diverse edges of the community.
“This place is historical. I love it,” she said, “Oxford has a great community of students and scholars from all over the world. I think it is an exact definition of America — a tossed salad rather than a melting pot.”
Despite the fact that she is from a much larger city, Karakozova believes Oxford has enough pluck to compete.
“I am from the capital city in the Republic of Georgia, with a population of over 1 million people. Even though I have many opportunities to attend events at home, I think Oxford has just as much to offer,” she said.
Hollywood also helped bring Ole Miss to the global stage when it comes to higher-level education opportunities for international scholars.
“A few years back, ‘The Blind Side’ helped us gain name recognition in many corners of the world,” Provoost said.
The departments involved with international students work to “bring the world to Mississippi” and use this concept for the UM 2020 plan, according to Provoost.
Karakozova believes Oxford is a great town in which the world can find a home.
“Oxford for me has never been too ‘foreign’ to adapt,” she said. “The major resource of this town is its people.
“Although international students may be shy at first and stick together, they do need someone local to hang out with to make friends and share experiences.”
The university is working to bring more global citizens to both campus and the local Oxford community.
The UM 2020 plan suggests a focus on global marketing, recruiting international students via various means such as developing academic partnerships with higher education institutions around the world.
“I see a bright, diverse, engaging and ever-growing international student population,” Provoost said. “They will be fully integrated in our campus community and crucial to internationalizing the comprehensive learning experience of all UM students.”
-Amina Al Sherif
aalsher@go.olemiss.edu
