WKU President Gary Ransdell is confident the school will be able to grow its international student body over the next several decades.
But he admits it will become more difficult to do so as countries such as China and India become wealthier and begin to build more of their own universities.
“There are not enough colleges and universities to meet the needs in an awful lot of the countries that have growing economies and growing populations. Therefore, we’re a solution," the WKU President said. "Now, in another generation—in another 25 or 30 years—they may have built enough universities to meet their needs.”
Dr. Ransdell says WKU is actively recruiting in several countries where the school has previously not had a presence.
“South America is really an emerging market for higher education," Ransdell said during a break in Friday's Board of Regents meeting. "We’re looking at as many as 90 students from Brazil next year. We’re always looking for new markets. Turkey is an emerging market for us. Their economy is doing great, and their families are looking for a place to send their sons and daughters.”
President Ransdell says Saudi Arabia, China, and India currently send the most international students to WKU. He believes the school can continue to grow its Indian and Chinese student populations in the coming years, while doing the same will be difficult in Saudi Arabia, due to its relatively small population.
