The Foreign Service Journal, September 2022

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2022 41 Challenges to Education Initiatives The United States has a proud history of higher education development projects. The modest investments made in higher education with African partners over the years have contributed to real changes in those countries. Despite this, however, higher education exchange initiatives fail to capture stronger support from the U.S. government and lawmakers. While some growth has occurred in the educational and cultural exchanges budget over the past decade, financial increases are geared toward newer embedded objectives, such as the campaign to com- bat disinformation; though an important initiative, it nonetheless draws from needed increases in the critical people- to-people program budgets. Compounding this, there has been a steady decline of international student enrollments in the United States—even before COVID-19 paralyzed world travel. A survey commissioned by the U.S. Department of State determined that the four years preceding the start of the pandemic saw steadily falling interna- tional student enrollments. The challenges advancing higher edu- cation initiatives at scale are attributed to the following factors: • The gains from international students studying in the United States are not realized immediately. Often, students study abroad earlier in their life before achieving positions of promi- nence in their respective fields. This makes the idea of commit- ting funds to something that will not show near-term returns less desirable. • The positive effects of education exchanges are undercut by the lack of data collection and network engagement . Across all public and private exchanges, there is a need to collect evidence concerning the outcomes of various scholarship and capacity- building programs. Presenting coherent and convincing argu- ments for increased funding for higher education exchanges is not possible without systematic evidence demonstrating the long- term return on investment. The ability to collect data of this nature requires improved tracking and engagement of alumni. • America’s position as the preeminent destination for interna- tional students to study is directly challenged by expanded opportunities to study in other coun- tries. The economic rise of China and Beijing’s outreach through the Belt and Road Initiative is the prime example. Apart from the PRC’s aggressive efforts to recruit them, young people are consciously choosing to study in China as a reflection of where they see their greatest future opportunities. • Visa restrictions to enter the United States act as a deter- rent to facilitating higher education exchanges . Systemic delays in student visa processing and visa denials create insurmountable barriers for some students aiming to study in the United States. The combination of an archaic and tangled bureaucratic process with the negative American messaging toward immigrant visas directly con- tributes to the growing problem. What Can Be Done It is urgent to put more effort into higher education engagements with African partners now, because the increase in human capital from the academic investment in Africa’s youth will directly support the growth and development of partner countries, and forge stronger mutually beneficial relationships with the United States. To achieve these aims, the United States should embed higher education mechanisms and exchanges into existing and new frameworks. Capitalizing on existing structures allows for faster implementation and reduced startup costs. For example, connecting education opportunities with the partnership-building pillar of USAID’s trade and economic investment strategy Prosper Africa would allow for compara- tively easy capacity growth. The shape of these programs can vary in structure and cost; however, at a minimum, the following efforts should be under- taken. U.S. Army Major Ben Showman discusses the process of establishing physical performance goals based on tactical training needs with Nigerien Army Captain Issoufou Abdonlaye Souley at the Nigerien Armed Forces Training School in Niger, November 2017. U.S.ARMY/MAJ.DAVIDMCLEAN T he U.S. is well positioned to benefit from new developments in online education and its potential application in strategically engaging Africa.