the briefing room

Few men studying abroad: In the 2009-10 academic year, women accounted for close to two-thirds of 270,600 US students studying abroad, while the proportion of men going overseas has remained the same for over 2 decades. Some people attribute the trend to the predominance of women majoring in the fine arts, foreign languages, and other humanities heavily represented in study-abroad programs, while others note that more women than men are enrolled in PSE in the first place. Whatever the cause, the trend is a concern for many in the field, who believe that having an international experience is key to understanding and working with individuals from other cultures, a crucial skill set in an increasingly global and interconnected workplace. To ensure men are getting the message, a number of US institutions are expanding their study-abroad marketing with male students in mind. For example, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities advertises study-abroad programs in publications with a heavy male readership, such as the sports section of the college newspaper and the satirical tabloid The Onion (Academicagroup) Read More