Global Presence

Kent State University is reaping the rewards of its expanding global presence. Through its partnerships with institutions outside of the country, the university is generating additional revenue and recruiting more international students to Kent State. In particular, the university's presence in China has led to an increase in the number of Chinese students applying to and attending Kent State.

From fall 2008 to fall 2009, the number of Chinese students enrolled at Kent State has risen to 152 students from 112, an increase of 36 percent. The university estimates that the 152 Chinese students enrolled this semester will generate more than $3 million a year to the university. This figure is based on a calculation that each international student brings $20,000 of revenue to the university each year.

"If you factor in tuition, fees, room and board, as most of the new Chinese students choose to live on campus, this number goes up to more than $3.7 million a year," says Ted McKown, Kent State's associate director of the Office of International Affairs. "This is a conservative estimate since these numbers do not take into account the economic impact to the surrounding community. These international students will buy clothes, purchase food and household items, and eat at restaurants, spending additional dollars that will benefit the local area as well as the university."

In China, Kent State's presence includes multiple sites. Kent State currently engages in 11 exchange programs with Shanghai International Studies University (SISU). Shanghai Normal University is Kent State's partner in an application as a Confucius Institute. Xiamen University is where Kent State and the Wang Yanan Institute of Xiamen University offer a collaborative Master of Science in Financial Engineering Program. Finally, Renmin University of China is recognized as one of the top five educational institutions in China and is a potential partner for collaborative programs with Kent State.

Another international area that the university is targeting for partnerships and student recruitment is the Middle East. The university has an agreement totaling $3.4 million for Kent State to provide entrepreneurial instruction, curriculum development and technical advising at King Saud University, Saudi Arabia's largest, oldest and most respected university. The agreement connects Kent State with the Middle East and allows for the development of further collaborations with leading universities in the region. The $3.4 million grant and the proposed $10 million successor grant involves Kent State's College of Business Administration and College of Arts and Sciences.

The university offers study-abroad programs in several locations, including China, England, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Northern Ireland, Russia and Switzerland.

For more information about Kent State’s international presence and opportunities, visit the Office of International Affairs online at http://www.kent.edu/oia/.