Last week, Chancellor Phyllis Wise announced preliminary plans to construct a University office abroad in China. Although this move could play an important role in the University’s fiscal future, steps must be taken to ensure that the University’s path toward internationalization is done responsibly.

The University has 3,842 Chinese nationals currently studying on campus, and administrators estimate the number of living alumni in China to be somewhere in the realm of 20,000 to 30,000.

Given these numbers, establishing the office will have obvious advantages. First, it will generate a more diverse student body, involving more international students in the admissions process. Even if the University won’t be explicit about it, this endeavor will help recruit better students; and it adds another dimension to the University’s already-strong pursuit of a global learning environment. Further, the larger applicant pool will result in a more competitive admissions process and higher test scores being admitted, driving up the University’s rankings.

Another advantage to increasing the diversity of students from China is that they pay a significant premium in tuition, which will generate more income for our cash-strapped university. 

Establishing an office in either Beijing or Shanghai will tighten the grasp on the wallets of the thousands of alumni in that country.

Administrators have frequently cited the many research institutions that the University has partnered with and that this plan will enable them to better connect with leaders in Asia. Having a stronger tie to Asian countries like China can provide the University with more research opportunities, establishing a local base to meet with academics on the other side of the globe. 

Under recent leadership, the University has begun distinguishing itself as an international institution, with strong connections abroad. 

There’s a strong rationale to take this path. And while international and out-of-state students do pay a significant premium for not residing in the state of Illinois, the resources they still have access to here would simply not exist from their tuition. 

The University should embrace the role of an international educator — which it has played in part since the beginning of the 20th century – but it still has a distinct responsibility to its intended purpose, which is to train the best and brightest students, especially those who live in the state that funds the school. The University needs to be training and educating students who will first help this state and second this country. 

This is, of course, easier said than done: truly accomplishing that involves cooperation from more than just research universities in the U.S. and foreign nations.

If students come to the U.S. for an education, they may find it difficult to remain in the country because of scholarship restrictions or expiring visas. Without a guarantee from the federal government that our immigration system won’t obstruct employing and naturalizing the students we train here, the University’s primary role of providing education to the students of Illinois cannot be fulfilled.

Despite foreseeable challenges, the benefits of such an office outweigh the negatives, and we look forward to its construction.