By: Reggie Horne, IU Kelley School of Business Indianapolis associate faculty in management, Frito Lay Traffic Network Manager

According to InternationalStudent.com, “international students who study international business practices in the U.S. are positioned to enter the global marketplace with strong foundations in both classic business skills and international business skills necessary to flourish in the 21st century.”

In the 2014-2015 school year, the Institute of International Education (IIE) reported that 975,000 international students studied in the U.S. According to IIE.org, “students from around the world who study in the United States…bring international perspectives into U.S. classrooms, helping prepare American undergraduates for global careers, and often leading to longer-term business relationships and economic benefits.”

First, understand that more than 50% of all international students are from China, India, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia. Increasing our knowledge of these business markets will increase the rate of market penetration that U.S. firms can achieve in the next 10 years.

Secondly, 20% of all international students study business. Thus, nearly 200,000 global business leaders are here as educational ambassadors. The international student broadens his horizons while sharing his language and culture with U.S. students in his “friend community.”

So, I ask the following question: How well is IUPUI capturing the perspectives of our international students on campus and in the classroom? How can we do better?

IUPUI’s Strategic Plan reaffirms the campus’s commitment to the city of Indianapolis and the state of Indiana, as well as to continued national and global engagement to improve the quality of life in communities worldwide.

The IUPUI Office of International Affairs (OIA) is the hub of international activities at IUPUI. Among other things, the OIA works with people and organizations on campus, in Indianapolis, and throughout the world to:

1. Develop IUPUI students into global citizens

2. Facilitate international engagement and partnerships

3. Recruit and enroll international students

With 2,000 enrolled international students, IUPUI is uniquely positioned to transform our campus into a global studies community. IUPUI alumni will be sought as global leaders who have the ability to act locally.