DHAKA, Nov 18, 2019 (BSS) – The number of Bangladeshi students studying in
the USA reached all time high as it increased to 8,249 during the 2018/19
academic year reflecting a 10 percent rise compared to the last academic
year.
According to the 2019 ‘Open Doors Report on International Educational
Exchange’ the number is an all-time high for Bangladeshi students in the USA
that is more than tripling since 2009, a press release issued by the US
embassy said here today.
In celebration of International Education Week (IEW), a joint US Department
of State and US Department of Education initiative, the USA Embassy Dhaka
revealed the report.
The report said Bangladesh is among the fastest growing countries of origin
for international students in the United States while it is the highest in
the South Asian region.
Bangladesh now ranks 20th in the world for countries sending students to
the United States for higher education, and the only country in the top 25
list to have a double-digit increase since the 2018 report, it added.
Out of total 8,249 Bangladeshi students studying in the United States,
5,278 study at the graduate level; a 13.5% increase over 2017/2018 academic
year.
As per the report, nearly 75 percent of Bangladeshi students currently on
US campuses study STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
fields. Of them, over 40 percent (40.4%) study Engineering, nearly 18 percent
(17.7%) Math/Computer Science, and over 15 percent (15.3%) Physical or Life
Sciences. Nearly eight percent (7.8%) study business or management.
For the past four years, U.S. colleges and universities have hosted more
than one million international students, reaching a record high of 1,095,299
this school year, said the report.
Promoting educational exchanges between Bangladesh and the United States is
a strategic priority for US Embassy in Dhaka, the release said.
“International education exchanges benefit both our nations and peoples,
boosting intellectual and cross-cultural capital as well as business and
professional networks, and helping prepare students to enter the global job
markets and solve the world’s toughest challenges,” it added.