Executive Director of West Virginia University International and Global Relations Dr. Tom Sloane has been invited to participate in the U.S. Departments of State’s sixth annual EducationUSA Forum in Washington, D.C. set for today (June 30) to Thursday (July 2).

Approximately 575 university representatives and more than 60 EducationUSA regional educational experts and advisers from around the world will convene to discuss strategies for attracting international students to U.S. campuses, and the importance of study abroad.

Sloane will present as part of a panel discussion entitled “Expand Your Global Reach: Engaging Alumni to Support Outreach and Recruitment”.

“West Virginia University, along with other colleges and universities, play an important role in strengthening international ties,” Sloane said. “Our campus has a long history of welcoming students from around the world and we are committed to enabling our students to study and volunteer abroad. I believe we are making every effort to provide our students with the knowledge and skills needed to complete and collaborate in the global workforce.”

The forum will focus on traditional, as well as virtual recruiting strategies, improving international student services on campuses, handling student visa issues, accessing foreign government scholarships and partnering with EducationUSA advising centers around the world to develop comprehensive and innovative strategies for recruiting and retaining international students.

The State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs partners with accredited U.S. colleges and universities to help maintain the United States as the world’s top destination for international students and scholars, and to promote diversity in international education.

The EducationUSA advising network includes more than 400 advising centers located in 170 countries around the world providing international students with accurate, comprehensive, and current information about student opportunities in the United States.

For more than 35 years, Sloane has been the driving force behind WVU’s international outreach, serving in numerous leadership roles with international and multicultural programs. He was honored last year as the 2014 Outstanding Alumnus.

You can follow the Forum conversation on Twitter at #EdUSAForum.

-WVU-

ta/06/30/15

CONTACT: Sabrina Cave; WVU Office of Student Life
304.293.2506; Sabrina.Cave@mail.wvu.edu

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