VOA慢速英语2021--报道称国际学生返回美国

Report: International Students Returning to US

A new report finds that more international students are coming to the United States after a sharp drop because of the coronavirus health crisis¹ last year.

About 15 percent fewer international students studied in the U.S. or took classes from U.S. universities online during the school year that ended last spring compared to the year before.

Those findings were released recently by the Institute of International Education, IIE, based in New York City in partnership² with the U.S. State Department. The IIE published the yearly "Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange."

In 2021, the group found that students are coming back to the U.S. About four percent more students came to America for the 2021-2022 school year compared to last year.

During a presentation Monday, the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Department of Education said the coronavirus pandemic changed educational exchange a lot.

Matthew Lussenhop is the Acting³ Assistant Secretary for the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. He said he is hopeful about "the strength and resilience" of the world's educational community during the last 20 months. He said the U.S. government knows how important international exchange is to building a more understanding world.

"We will continue to work together to expand access to global learning and engagement⁴ opportunities for international and American students, scholars and researchers."

Fewer new students

IIE research showed that about 55,000 fewer Chinese students studied at U.S. universities last school year. That was the biggest drop. China sends the most students to the U.S. About 30 percent of the international student population in America comes from China. India is second with 18 percent.

The most popular fields of study for international students are engineering, math and computer science. Over 40 percent of international students study those subjects each year.

The pandemic cut by 45 percent the number of new international students studying in the U.S. The report included students taking classes in person and those attending classes by video from home. About 45,000 fewer international students worked on graduate degrees during the 2020-2021 school year compared to the year before. The IIE report showed that the number of students already studying in the U.S. did not change very much, dropping just three percent.

The recent report was not as worrying as some people expected based on the increase in coronavirus infections over the summer. The Associated Press reported that a slowdown in visa processing, vaccinations⁵ and international travel for young people were the reasons for the lower numbers.

For example, Vinh Le is a student from Vietnam studying at the University of San Francisco. He only made it to California on November 1 because of travel restrictions⁶ at home. He was not able to get vaccinated⁷ and to Ho Chi Minh City for a flight to the U.S. Instead, he took classes by computer from home for two months.

He said his professors were "very supportive" and helped him by recording⁸ classes so he could watch them in Vietnam.

Some Chinese students who are supposed to be taking classes at New York University, NYU, but cannot get to the U.S., are using the university's center in Shanghai for study. In normal times, that center is used by NYU's American students studying in China.

NYU is doing better than in 2019. The school said 14 percent more international students are taking classes this year compared to before the pandemic.

At the University of Illinois, the school lost 28 percent of its international students last school year. But this year, student numbers have returned to the level of 2019-2020.

"A return to normal"

Andy Borst is the University of Illinois director of undergraduate admissions. Undergraduates are students who have not yet earned a college degree. He said those students increased the most. India sent 70 percent more students than before the pandemic.

He called the numbers "a return to normal for our international populations." He said the demand for higher education was "pent-up."

Lussenhop, from the State Department, said the U.S. expects the increase in student interest to continue because students "continue to value a U.S. education."

Some people give credit to the administration of President Joe Biden for speaking in support of international students. In July, U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona recorded video messages that welcomed international students to the U.S.

Rachel Banks is director of public policy and legislative⁹ planning for NAFSA, an organization that supports international education based in Washington. She said the new administration is telling the world international students are important for the U.S.

Experts are worried, however, that the increase in students will only help schools that are already popular. They think smaller schools and community colleges may not recover. Across the U.S., the two-year schools suffered a 24 percent loss of international students.

In addition, researchers are still trying to find out if the jump in students will continue past this school year. Universities in Canada, Australia and Great Britain were competing for students with the U.S. even before the pandemic.

Words in This Story

resilience – n. the ability to be strong enough to recover quickly after a crisis

engagement — n. the act or state of being involved with something scholars – n. someone who has been given a scholarship

graduate degree –n. a degree given by a college or university to someone who has already received an undergraduate degree

pent-up – adj. held or kept inside; not released yet

1 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

2 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

3 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

4 engagement   

n.订婚，婚约，约定，约会

参考例句：

• I can't see you on Monday because I have a previous engagement.星期一我不能见你，因为我有约在先。
• It was my mother's very own engagement ring.这正是我母亲自己的订婚戒指。

5 vaccinations   

n.种痘，接种( vaccination的名词复数 )；牛痘疤

参考例句：

• Vaccinations ensure one against diseases. 接种疫苗可以预防疾病。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I read some publicity about vaccinations while waiting my turn at the doctor's. 在医生那儿候诊时，我读了一些关于接种疫苗的宣传。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

7 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

8 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

9 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。