The San Francisco Chronicle has an interesting article regarding the burgeoning number of international students at California universities -
When Rebeca Ponce signed up for summer classes at UC Berkeley through her university in Mexico, she knew she was in for an experience that would broaden her view of the world.
She had no idea.
The 20-year-old business administration student from the Tecnológico de Monterrey soon found herself sitting in a classroom where she and students from India, Germany, China, South Korea, Australia, her
own country and countless others are the overwhelming demographic.
“Studying at UC Berkeley has been a really rewarding experience. I have made many friends from different countries,” she said. “I wish there would have been more U.S. students to get to know more about Berkeley’s lifestyle, but I loved interacting with people from all over the world, learn from their cultures … and see life from other perspectives.”
The result of a concerted outreach effort, the number of foreign students attending classes in UC Berkeley’s summer program this year has climbed 50 percent over last year. The 2,356 international students make up 16 percent of the 15,000 total students enrolled, said UC Berkeley summer sessions director Rick Russo.
The infusion of international students is evident in the Negotiation and Conflict Resolution course Ponce is taking. About 98 percent of students in the class are from abroad, said Haas School of Business Professor Eli Kass, adding that such diversity cultivates a classroom dynamic distinct from what students would find during the regular school year… Read more here
