Philip Wainwright is the Director of International Programs at Emory University and was secured to speak by John Ingersoll.

Philip has had a storied career and joined the International Program at Emory in 1996. He is the recipient of the Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education and is credited with the launch of Emory’s Pre-College program, one of the 10 largest in the United States.

During his time with us Philip provided a unique insight into the war in Ukraine and its ramifications worldwide. Philip stated that the invasion of Ukraine presents problems to the world order and could lead to additional attempts to extend Russia’s global power.

The war in Ukraine is also expected to drive a decrease in the number of international students. The pandemic is attributed with a 31% decrease over the past two years. The presence of international scholars is important for many reasons:

In 2020 and 2021 three out of every four international scholars conducted research in the United States which has driven much of the global technology.

Ten years ago, United States students in higher education began to decline. International students were instrumental in overcoming the loss felt by universities.

The United States is recognized as the center for global talent driven by higher education and the presence of international students is key to that metric

 Offering educational opportunities to international students builds goodwill

Foreign student enrollment in USA colleges and universities is a valued source of revenue paying full tuition costs to higher education institutions

Immigrant learners are important to Emory and many colleges nationwide. 50% of Emory students participate in international studies before graduation. One in eight Emory students are enrolled on a student visa. The rise in nationalism and the policies put in place by the Trump administration has resulted in a significant decrease in the number of international students in the United States. Over time this trend threatens the financial health of institutions of higher learning.

The ongoing crisis poses other issues, producing huge numbers of refugees. 100,000 Ukrainian refugees and over 50,000 Afghan refugees will significantly strain housing, physical health, schools, employment, and mental health. Four million Ukrainians have been displaced and while Russia invaded Ukraine, Philip noted that there is/was a Neo-Nazi presence in Ukraine resulting in atrocities by Ukrainians as well as by Russians.