By Rick Vacek | August 1, 2024
The University of Texas at Dallas is planning a celebration this year to mark the 40th anniversary of admitting its first international student, but the party started halfway across the world on July 18 when the UT Dallas Africa Office opened in Lagos, Nigeria.
It’s another step in a new world for higher education in general and UT Dallas in particular. Only a few U.S. universities have established connections in Africa, and UT Dallas has been among the most successful in attracting international students.
The contingent of UT Dallas leaders who traveled 28 hours to be at the ribbon-cutting included Dr. Inga H. Musselman, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. What she experienced in her first trip to Nigeria was moving.
“It is such a fast-paced environment filled with energy and enthusiasm, and we met so many hard-working people who were welcoming and engaging,” she said. “I envision the products of that positive environment – the students – coming to UT Dallas and prospering in the equally energetic culture we have created here.”
It was a dream fulfilled for Dr. Juan González, Vice Provost for Global Engagement and dean and Francis S. Johnson Chair for Graduate Education.
“The office I always wanted to open was the one in Africa because that’s where the greatest potential is,” he said.
The potential goes beyond the fact that Nigeria’s population of more than 229 million ranks No. 1 in Africa, approximately 100 million more than second-place Ethiopia, and sixth in the world behind India, China, the United States, Indonesia and Pakistan.
It goes beyond the 375 million threshold Nigeria is projected to reach by 2050, per a United Nations study.
Yes, this people story goes beyond mere numbers, no matter how large.
“I’ve never seen more enterprising people,” González said. “They are really go-getters. And then they come here and do really well. I think we’re going to benefit immensely from this.”
UT Dallas already enjoys considerable benefits from its worldwide appeal. Its total of 9,582 students ranked 14th among U.S. institutions in a 2022-23 study by Open Doors, and González saw what happened last year when a recruiting trip to Nigeria resulted in huge application increases, particularly in biology – just one of their diverse interests.
The UT Dallas Asia office was established last year in New Delhi, India, and has proved so successful, González said a second employee is being hired.
UT Dallas’ location in the fourth-largest metropolitan market in the U.S. is a major attraction for international students.
“They come here because graduation rates are good and there are a lot of jobs in Dallas,” González said. “It’s a no-brainer, as far as I’m concerned.”
The recruiting offices are just one way the UT Dallas International Center serves students, both current and future.
It also manages international education programs, which have become increasingly popular in recent years; assists in developing international opportunities on campus; and provides immigration, citizenship and passport services. It became an official passport facility less than two years ago and already has facilitated over 9,000.
That’s a lot of progress from what began four decades ago.
“The decision to admit international students is one that panned out beautifully,” González said. “We’re better because of it. If I want to send my kid to a university, I want to send my kid to a place where they’re going to learn about the world and interact with people from different countries and benefit from that.”