Global Challenges in U.S. Higher Education:Minorities and Underrepresented Groups in International

Affairs and the Foreign Policy Establishment

Mark Chichester, IIPPSoji Akomolafe, LeMoyne-Owen College

Duke University, Jan. 23-25, 2003

Statement of Problem

• Link enrollment in international education to underrepresentation in foreign policy establishment

• The role of ethnic politics in foreign policy

• Systemic shortage of minorities in foreign policy establishment

Definition of Terms

• International education: A contextual definition

• Group classifications

Defining International Education

• College curricular studies in the following areas– International studies

• Foreign policy, strategic studies, international organizations,

diplomacy, international business, etc. – Area studies

• Africa, Asia, South America, Europe, Middle East

– Foreign languages

– Overseas studies• Study abroad, internships, exchange programs, etc.

Group Classifications

• African American: A person having origins in any of the black racial groups in Africa, excluding persons of Hispanic origin

• Hispanic: A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, central or south American or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race

• Asian: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the far east, southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent or the pacific islands. This are includes for example, Japan, China, India, Korea, the Philippines and Samoa

• Native American: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of north America and maintaining cultural identification through tribal affiliation or communication recognition

• Arab Americans: A person having origins in North Africa or the Middle East excluding the state of Israel

Significance of Study

• Understand the causes and effects of minority

shortage in international education

• Provide the foundation for future planning and

effective deployment of resources

Purpose of the Study

• Draw attention to the paucity of statistical data on minorities in international education

• Stimulate an empirical analysis based on collection and interpretation of statistical data

• inspire college administrators to strengthen their institutional commitment to increasing minority participation in international and foreign area studies

Paucity of Literature: A Systemic Problem

• Extracting statistical data related to minority enrollment

• Review of selected statistical data: NCES, ACE, IIE

• Data related to study abroad and foreign languages• Data related to international studies and area

studies

Observations

• Absence of category for international

education

• Difficulty in extracting minority enrollment in international education

Recommendations

• Undertake a comprehensive study of minorities in international education

• Undertake a related study of minorities in the foreign policy establishment

• Leverage existing research infrastructure, expertise (i.e., Do not reinvent the wheel)

• Include minority perspective in the process of addressing this task