The University of Mary Washington participated in the fourth annual EducationUSA Forum in Washington, D.C. from June 26 to 28. The EducationUSA Forum brought together 500 college and university recruitment and admissions professionals with nearly 60 EducationUSA regional educational experts and advisers from around the world to discuss strategies for helping international students to study in the U.S. and for U.S. students to study abroad.

Shelley Hillberry, international admissions representative and 2010 alumna, represented UMW at the conference. The forum was sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Colleges and universities, including the University of Mary Washington, play an important role in strengthening ties between the United States and countries around the world.  By welcoming international students and encouraging U.S. students to study abroad, we enhance the competitiveness of the U.S. educational system.  Not only do higher education institutions connect future global leaders with the American people, foreign students also have a positive economic impact on the United States.  As the premier study destination for international students, the education sector represents the fifth largest U.S. services export and added nearly $23 billion to the U.S. economy in 2011-12.

The EducationUSA Forum offers practical information and strategies to help internationalize U.S. campuses. Workshop sessions, presented by international education experts, U.S. higher education representatives and government officials, will offer unique and valuable information on recruiting and enrolling international students.

EducationUSA is a U.S. Department of State-supported network of hundreds of advising centers around the world.  Each year, EducationUSA advisers provide millions of international students with accurate, comprehensive and current information about how to apply to U.S. colleges and universities.

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs promotes mutual understanding between Americans and people from around the world through a wide range of academic, cultural, private sector, professional and sports exchange programs. These international exchanges engage youth, students, educators, artists, athletes and emerging leaders from the United States and nearly 170 countries. Alumni of these exchanges comprise over one million people around the world, including more than 50 Nobel Laureates and more than 350 current or former heads of state and government.