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Email03/05/07: Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Maura Harty Remarks to International Student Advisors and the Summer Work and Travel Community, Istanbul, Turkey
As Prepared for Delivery
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs
Maura Harty
Welcoming International Students to the United States
Remarks to International Student Advisors and the Summer Work and Travel Community
Istanbul, Turkey
March 5, 2007, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
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It is a great pleasure for me to be here today, to talk to you about the value of international student exchange to the United
States, and to invite Turkish students to consider furthering their education in my country. In support of my country’s invitation,
I would like to discuss the efforts of the Department of State to maintain the warm welcome we have traditionally offered
to international visitors, especially students and exchange visitors.
I came to Istanbul to take part in a conference of consular officers working throughout the region. Tomorrow I’ll travel
to Ankara for bilateral meetings. But I also wanted to take the opportunity to meet with you here. I believe strongly in
the value of international education, and I appreciate opportunities such as these to hear what’s on your minds and to talk
about the ways we can build bridges between our two countries.
Your presence at this kickoff event for the Istanbul Consulate’s summer student visa season is a sign of the close cooperation you have established with our Consulate General here, as well as our Embassy in Ankara. I want to thank the members of the Organization of International Education Advisors (UED) and the Summer Work and Travel (SWT) agents for the vital role you play in promoting international exchange.
The cooperation between the UED and SWT agents, and the Consulate General and the Embassy, has produced impressive results. According to the Institute of International Education, in 2006 over 11,000 Turkish students were studying in the United States, making Turkey the 8th largest source of students and the 1st among European countries (over 13 percent of the total number of European students). In 2006 Turkey was the 8th largest participant in the Department’s Summer Work and Travel (SWT) program. In each of the past three years we’ve seen 100 percent growth in Turkish SWT applicants. We foresee the same in 2007, when we estimate 12,000 Turkish students will apply for summer work and travel, which would make Turkey potentially the 3rd largest participant worldwide in 2007.
I like those numbers. But I’d like to see even more Turkish students choose to study in my country. I’d like to ask for your help in getting them to consider the option of studying in the United States.
International education is important to America in so many ways. It is an expression of America’s fundamental character. America is a nation of nations. We have always welcomed immigrants and visitors of all cultures, all races, and from all corners of the globe.
I know that Turkish students are in the fortunate position of having many options, and many places to pursue their education. Many may have asked you the question, “why should I study in the United States?”
There are lots of reasons. One is the immense choice available. There are some 4,000 institutions of higher learning in the United States. The sheer variety – in size, location, type of institution and academic programs offered – is immense. Whatever a student’s interests, whatever they’re looking for in a study abroad experience, there is a program and a place for them in America.
The quality of American higher education is unparalleled. American colleges and universities across the country have world-renowned programs. Many boast faculty who are at the top of their field, and among the brightest minds and researchers from all over the world. Many have state-of-the-art academic, research and athletic facilities, and libraries with internationally recognized collections. Accreditation ensures that these institutions continue to maintain these standards and quality.
Along with choice and quality comes flexibility. Students can, for example, start at a two-year community college and then transfer to a four-year institution. Students can change programs relatively easily. Many institutions have arrangements that allow students to take classes at and use the resources of other colleges and universities.
In the United States, students are encouraged to tailor their program and studies to their individual desires, interests and goals. Students are expected to explore, question, and participate actively in shaping their learning process. These are the skills today’s graduates need to succeed in today’s dynamic, competitive job market.
But perhaps the greatest reason is the incomparable experience of life on a college campus in America. There is a vibrant student life, with a wide range of activities – clubs, internships, social, cultural, and athletic events. With students from across the country and around the world, you can find that “nation of nations” I spoke of on virtually any college campus in America. On a college campus students find a community, make friends, and develop professional and personal contacts that will stay with them the rest of their lives.
The best way to get to know and understand America and Americans is to spend time with us, to work and play and study and live with us. To experience America for oneself and with one’s own senses, rather than through media reports, word of mouth, or someone at a podium telling you what America is like. The best advertisement for America is America. And one of the best ways I know to experience America is through international exchange.
In addition to promoting education and exchange programs, the organization in the Department of State that I lead – the Bureau of Consular Affairs – has another major responsibility regarding international education. Our bureau is responsible for the adjudication of student visas.
I can imagine that you get a lot of questions from students about U.S. visas. I hope that my message to you today is unambiguous: the United States welcomes international students, and we will help them get there.
A moment of background, if I might. I’m sure you all will understand that the context for all of our work regarding all types of visas is, quite simply, September 11, 2001. Without question, the United States changed irrevocably on that day, when citizens from my country and more than 90 others – including Turkey – lost their lives in a brutal act of terrorism. On that day, terrorists attacked not only buildings and airplanes and people, but universal values and principles. All cultures teach that life is precious, and none condones the deliberate targeting and killing of innocents.
You might have heard that, since September 11, the changes to visa policy that the U.S. Government has implemented make it more difficult to travel to the U.S. You may have heard some say that these changes have made it harder to get a visa, or that we somehow discourage students from coming to America. I deeply regret that some people have that impression. I am here to say, emphatically, that it is false.
In the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks, we moved quickly to protect our nation and address our security concerns. I think that all persons of good will can appreciate that we needed to do the right thing to reassure American citizens and international visitors alike that the United States was safe and secure.
After all, if I ask a parent to send his or her child to study in the United States, I want to be sure that their child will be safe. It’s our responsibility do everything possible to ensure that they are.
Although security must always be our first priority, we also work every day to see that access to our country remains possible for legitimate travelers whose presence we encourage and value. Our actions are guided by a deep and abiding commitment to maintaining the openness of the United States, a commitment founded in the history of our nation. This fundamental commitment to maintaining the essential openness of the United States underpins our approach to border security and immigration.
There’s a powerful reason why we in the State Department are such strong supporters of international education. You may not have heard it put this way, but international education is just as much a national security issue as borders and visas and passports are. The 500,000 international students in the United States right now are contributing $13 billion to the academic institutions they attend, and the surrounding communities, in the United States.
But of course it’s about much more than money. It’s about fostering exchange and building ties of understanding among members of the next generation. So that when Turkish students finish their study, come home and become social, civic, political or business leaders – and parents – they continue engaging internationally with the United States. It is good for both nations.
And you never know where such students will end up. Worldwide, more than 200 alumni of U.S. exchange programs have become heads of state or government, or influential leaders in their home countries. Did you know that here in Turkey, former President Suleyman Demirel and former Prime Minister Tansu Ciller studied in the United States? We want more Turkish citizens to join that prestigious honor roll.
We have made sure that students and exchange visitors around the world receive priority scheduling for visa appointments and that their applications are processed promptly – the overwhelming majority within days. Here in Turkey, applicants for student visas are given expedited appointments, and during peak season both Ankara and Istanbul make use of group appointments to handle the large volume of visas for SWT applicants.
I am happy to tell you that we are seeing the positive results of our efforts. In 2006, we issued 591,000 student and exchange visitors worldwide – an all-time high, and almost 14 percent more than 2005. In Turkey, the numbers were up by 18 percent. The overwhelming majority [85 percent] of student visa applicants in Turkey receive their visas.
I invite you and potential students to consult the website, www.educationusa.state.gov, which has a wealth of information on educational and SWT opportunities in the United States for students at all levels. The U.S. Consulate in Istanbul and the Embassy in Ankara are also excellent resources for you to learn more about the educational and cultural opportunities available in the United States. Our colleagues are readily available and try to attend student fairs and other events whenever possible.
My hope is that, for students considering a college or university outside Turkey, they will consider the United States, and that they will, in fact, choose an American college or university. My pledge is that our door will be open, and we will support them by giving them prompt, courteous and efficient customer service.
Thank you again for this opportunity. I hope this briefing has been helpful. Now, if you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them.
