Kelly Barah came to Kansas University from Cameroon to become a doctor.

âÂÂItâÂÂs small, and itâÂÂs conducive to education,â he said. âÂÂItâÂÂs like a family.âÂÂ

A pair of studies by Kansas researchers show students such as Barah may be giving back to the United States as much as Barah will take home to Africa.

The studies show international students at KU contribute more than $24 million annually to the Kansas economy. And they teach American students in ways that canâÂÂt be measured.

The studies stress the importance of attracting international students while post-9-11 visa restrictions and paperwork threaten to deter foreign students from entering the United States.

âÂÂI think the primary benefit, by far, is the educational dimension,â said Joe Potts, director of international student and scholar services at KU. âÂÂHaving international students in the classroom with domestic students provides dialogue about the issue that just wouldnâÂÂt be possible if they werenâÂÂt there. And the financial stuff is great, too.âÂÂ

Economic impact

Overall, international students brought more than $113 million to the Kansas economy during the 2000-2001 school year, according to Keith Geiger, a former visiting professor at Emporia State University who released a study on international education last week.

KUâÂÂs share of that total was $24.2 million. There are 1,677 international students enrolled at KU this year.

Tracie Souter, a KU graduate student in international affairs from Derby, cited similar statistics in the dissertation she defended last week. She said international students were likely to make large purchases, including cars, when they moved to the United States.

âÂÂMost of the money is from out of the country, so itâÂÂs totally new money coming in,â she said.

And students often bring visitors to the area, helping the tourism industry.

Souter said the university also benefited from tuition money – students from other countries pay out-of-state tuition – and add to the labor pool. They make up 25 percent of graduate teaching assistants and often take on-campus jobs that American students would be reluctant to take, including dining services and custodial work.

Culture

Geiger, a former deputy assistant secretary in the U.S. State Department, said the financial impact of international students was small compared to the cultural impact.

âÂÂThese students bring a lot of money into the community, but what these students bring over and above the money canâÂÂt be measured with a tape measure,â he said. âÂÂItâÂÂs so much more than the money.âÂÂ

Still, some international students feel they could be doing more.

âÂÂThe cultural part, students arenâÂÂt using it as well as they should,â said Barah, a junior. âÂÂNot many people know about the African or Asian culture.âÂÂ

Barbara Alves, a sophomore from Brazil, agreed. She said American students often didnâÂÂt seem interested in learning about her country.

âÂÂThey say, âÂÂ’YouâÂÂre from Brazil, you have Carnival,â and they donâÂÂt want to learn more,â she said. âÂÂI think itâÂÂs always good to have more people from different cultures to learn from. ItâÂÂs not that they donâÂÂt agree with that, but they donâÂÂt take advantage of it.âÂÂ

Souter said only 37 percent of the 204 international students who took a survey for her dissertation had been asked by professors to talk about their countries or perspectives on issues. Fewer than 10 percent reported being asked once a week or more.

Poised for growth

Geiger said the Midwest was poised for success in attracting international students in the future.

He said many of the students he interviewed for his study said their families felt safer with them studying in Kansas rather than on the East or West Coast.

âÂÂIâÂÂm guessing the numbers of international students in the heartland will increase,â he said. âÂÂThey associate the center part of the United States with laid-back, caring people and security.âÂÂ

Geiger also said the number of community college students in Kansas from other countries had been increasing during the past 10 years, while the number of students in four-year universities had decreased. Kansas needs better transition programs between two-year and four-year schools, he said.

Potts said he wasnâÂÂt sure what long-term effects 9-11 would have on international recruiting. KUâÂÂs international numbers decreased by 43âÂÂ’ or 2.3 percent, this year.

KU still has about 20 students who went home during the summer to the Middle East and werenâÂÂt allowed back into the United States this fall because of slow visa processing. That could deter even more students from applying here, he said.

âÂÂIt may be true that in the long run the Midwest does better than the coasts, but weâÂÂre not going to know that for awhile,â he said. âÂÂThereâÂÂs too much instability in the world right now.âÂÂ