The number of international students attending UNM is on the rise.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, universities across the country have reported declining numbers of international applicants. But a report released by the Office of International Programs and Studies at UNM showed an attendance increase of 8.7 percent from last year.
UNM saw 900 international students and 200 visiting scholars representing 85 different countries during the 2003-04 school year.
"So far, UNM hasn't seen a real downturn in the numbers of international students, but other U.S. universities have," said Ken Carpenter, associate director of OIPS. "Over the long run, we could see our numbers begin to decline unless we decide to do more active recruiting or unless some of our government policies begin to change."
Ben Masefield, a senior from Switzerland, said he is frustrated with being treated like a criminal every time he leaves the United States.
"I enjoy being where I am despite some deficiencies, but I have serious doubts whether I want to stay after my graduation if the way international students and foreign nationals are treated continues," Masefield said.
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Gil Greengross, a graduate student from Israel, said the restrictions on international students have discouraged foreigners from studying in the United States, which is unfortunate for international students and American students alike.
"It should become easier for students to come here since it is a great opportunity for American students - who compared to other countries are much less traveled - to learn and interact with other cultures and maybe learn something from them," Greengross said.
More than 74 percent of all international students at UNM are graduate students studying engineering, computer science, chemistry or are in an MBA program, according to the report.
The culture and climate of New Mexico as well as a number of well-known programs, make UNM very appealing to students from all over the world, Carpenter said. Most international students come into the United States from India, China, Japan, Canada, South Korea and Mexico.
"We have some academic programs that are very well known around the world - things like engineering, computer science, physics, Latin American studies, Spanish and Portuguese, art history and others," he said. "Students from other countries are also very interested in our multicultural environment and the Hispanic and Native American cultures in New Mexico."
Anup Sreedharan, a first-year graduate student from India, is one of those students.
"I was always fascinated by New Mexico and the culture, and it seemed really exotic," he said. "Also, the Southwest is known for activities like hiking and camping, which are plentiful here. All these factors made me favor New Mexico over New York, the Carolinas and Tennessee."
The number of UNM students studying abroad has also increased dramatically over the past two years. About 250 students are sent each year on either short-term or semester exchanges.
"The political events of the past three years have made students wake up and realize there is a whole world out there that we have to live with, and they better learn something about it," Carpenter said.
