The University of Hawaiʻi continues to be a highly sought-after destination for international students. Thirty-three additional international students have committed to UH as of April 20, 2017. The university is committed to being a preeminent international center of learning, discovery and service.
“It is our responsibility to prepare our students to be global citizens, and having international students on our campuses and in our classrooms is one of the best ways to help our students develop an understanding of what this means,” said UH Vice President of Academic Planning and Policy Risa Dickson. “I think this commitment rings especially true here in Hawaiʻi—one of the most diverse places in the country and among the most diverse in the world—where the variety of cultures and people living together in harmony defines us and where we are positioned as a gateway to both the Asia and the continental U.S.”
The UH reach is indeed global. Eleven of the international graduate students who have pending offers for the 2017–18 academic year are from the six countries identified in the March 6, 2017 presidential Executive Order. Another 21 graduate student applicants from those six countries are still being considered for admission.
An example of the negative impact of the Executive Order is that a UH graduate student from one of the six affected countries is unable to attend a conference abroad in the summer, and unable to visit family and friends out of concern that he will not be allowed to return to the United States.
There are 2,357 international students enrolled at the 10 UH campuses in spring 2017, and they provide a significant contribution to the community and Hawaiʻi’s economy. As stated in the University of Hawaiʻi’s Mission Statement and Strategic Directions for International Engagement, the university’s commitment, “fosters among students and faculty global perspectives and attitudes, and adaptability to a rapidly changing environment.”
