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6 ~ Global PerspectivesAugust 2013

4INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

The Commonwealth o Massachusetts has been a gateway to oreign-born immigrants or almost 400 years. Today, a

signicant number o those new arrivals are students. Because it was one o the earliest settlements in what is now the United

States, Massachusetts is home to some o the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world. Foreign students have come

to schools like Harvard, MIT, Smith and Amherst or generations. Today, international students have become so essential to

higher education that colleges, universities and community colleges across the state are vying or their share.

University-related opportunities are easy to nd in Massachusetts. In act, Boston has a higher concentration o colleges anduniversities than any other city in the country, and education is an important driver o the states economy. Every autumn

Boston, Cambridge and the surrounding communities see a huge infux o students o all nationalities. Scientists fock to the

areas hospitals and research institutions, and technology graduates are drawn to the high-tech corridor that curls around the

outer rim o the metropolitan area.

A Study in Student Opportunities

MASSACHUSETTS

International presence

According to the Institute o International

Education (IIE), universities and colleges

in Massachusetts enrolled 41,258 oreign

students in the school year 2011-12, the

ourth largest student population o any

U.S. state. Northeastern University and

Boston University each drew over 6,000

students, ollowed by Harvard with

5,453 and the Massachusetts Institute o

Technology with 3,833.

Together these our schools bring

over 21,000 students into the Boston/

Cambridge metropolitan area, about hal

o the international enrollees in the state.

However, in the central and western parts

o the state, as well as Cape Cod, youll

nd students rom all around the world.

While in Massachusetts, oreign student

expenditures totaled an estimated $1.489

billion during the 2011-2012 academic year.

An eclectic mix

Massachusetts presents a unique set

o opportunities. The schools in Boston

coexist in a major metropolitan setting.

Moving west, much o the rest o the state

is classic small-town rural New England.

Boston is a major magnet or international

students. Its a world-class city with direct

fights to many countries and most major

American cities. It also has a rich heritage

and cultural arts scene and is an easy drive

to New York City and most spots in

New England.

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Global PerspectivesAugust 2013 ~ 7

Boston is also a mecca or oreign students

rom wealthy amilies, who are recently

trending toward renting or purchasing

luxury residences or their student children.

I you want to assist oreign students in the

Boston area, make sure youre amiliar with

university housing and popular o-campus

rental options, but also:

Know the luxury market in upscale areas

near large universities, like Beacon Hill

and the Back Bay;

Look or ully urnished luxury apartments

with amenities like concierge service,

even those that do not typically rent to

students; and,

Be acquainted with the luxury

condominium market in case parents

are looking or a second home or pied-

a-terre in Boston.

Western Massachusetts actively

recruits international students through

a consortium called Study Western

Massachusetts, a diverse group o

institutions including public and private

colleges and universities and community

colleges. Go to studywesternmass.orgto locate participating colleges. Beyond

education, the consortium supports the

growth o international trade in the region,

oering another way to expand your global

connections. Contact them to see where

you can be o assistance in relocating

students and international workers.

The Brazilian immigrant communityin

Massachusetts has skyrocketed in the last

30 years, while in the last decade Brazilsmiddle class has grown as the economy

took o. Brazil now sees Massachusetts as

one o its strongest partners in the United

States. The president o Brazil, Dilma

Rousse, made only two stops during

her 2012 trip to the U.S.; one to President

Obama and one to Massachusetts

governor Deval Patrick.

Brazilian students will be coming in greater

numbers to the state under several new

academic partnerships with the U.S. Brazil

will be sending 75,000 students abroad

to study in the STEM elds (science,

technology, engineering and mathematics).

Massachusetts is well positioned to capture

several thousand o these students. Agents

with a knowledge o Brazilian communities

in eastern Massachusetts can assist these

students when they arrive.

Dont forget visa workers at universities

and teaching hospitals. Major universities

are among the top area employers o H1-B

visa workers in the Boston area. Investigate

ways you can assist in relocating their

incoming oreign employees; this may

mean tapping the same contacts handling

university student housing, or you may need

to establish other administration contacts

or aculty services.

Institution Location International Students

in 2012

1Northeastern

UniversityBoston 6,486

2Boston

UniversityBoston 6,041

3Harvard

UniversityCambridge 5,453

4Massachusetts

Institute o

Technology

Cambridge 3,833

5University o

Massachusetts,

Amherst Campus

Amherst 1,649

Leverage opportunities to

expand your business

I youre able to cultivate a niche working

with oreign students rom a particular

country, use what you learn to develop

additional business with nearby immigrantcommunities rom the same country. Or

watch or opportunities to travel with your

university connections on a trade mission

to meet with prospective students and

their amilies on their home tur.

The more you learn and the more

contacts you make, the wider your global

opportunities will become. The university

market in Massachusettsand in many

other statesoers a wide array o choicesor targeting global buyers. There is no

best choice, only many good options

or starting, and growing, your own

global niche. GP

Top Five Massachusetts InstitutionsHosting International Students

Source: Institute o International Education (2012)

Rank