Nearly 1,700 international students from 80 countries attend Wayne State, making up about 6% of the university's enrollment. Nearly three-quarters of international Warriors are studying at the graduate level, and WSU wants to stay at the top of the consideration list for prospective students. In order to meet students where they are, staff from the Office of International Students (OIP) recently participated in recruiting fairs in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Fareed Y. Shalhout, associate director of student programs for OIP, estimates he met with more than 200 prospective students at Q8 EduEx, Kuwait's International Higher Education Expo in Kuwait City, and over 400 at the International Exhibition & Conference on Higher Education in Riyadh this spring.

Shalhout worked with alumni ambassadors Essam Qattan, (PhD industrial engineering 2019) and Sara Kadeeb (MBA Mike Ilitch School of Business 2011) in Riyadh and Hassan Ashkanani (MA in anthropology 2009) in Kuwait, who helped answer questions and describe the WSU experience for prospective students who visited the university's booth.

"It was a very productive trip," Shalhout says. "Our recruitment efforts definitely show in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. We are really well-known in that region."

Both countries are among the top 10 nations that send international students to WSU, and students from the Middle East comprise about 16% of the university's overall international enrollment.

Shalhout says Wayne State's English Language Institute (ELI) attracts many international students who want to rapidly improve their English language abilities and qualify for regular admission to an academic program. Shalhout says that when he shared information about the ELI with a prospective student, she was on board.

"She came on the first day of the fair and she told me that she was on the fence," Shalhout says. "We gave her more information, and then the next day she actually came and she committed to the program. She bought her plane ticket, so she should be here in the next few days. I think that was a very reassuring process."

Shalhout says the international presence and diversity on campus is another factor that attracts many prospective students.

"They consider it a safe zone," said Shalhout. "They feel welcomed here, safe, happy and supported."

While in the Middle East, Shalhout also met with Lan Hanghang of longtime academic partner Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China, and senior leaders from the American International College in Kuwait.

-- OIP communications associate Jack Thomas contributed to this story

The Office of International Programs leads Wayne State's global engagement by creating opportunities that foster international education and research, facilitate the exchange of individuals and ideas that promote global competencies and citizenship, and provide resources that support the expansion of the university's global agenda. Follow us @WayneOIP.