Contents
Greetings from the Chief Operations Officer
Do You Know Your Data?
Where WES Applicants Live
See you at NAFSA 2024!
Insights from India
Knowledge and Research
Supporting Our Partners
Social Impact Spotlight: WES Employer Handbook
WES News
Greetings from the Chief Operations Officer
Dear Friends,
As Chief Operations Officer at WES, I run the day-to-day business while positioning us to enable future growth and impact. Our business involves the creation and delivery of credential evaluation reports for nearly half a million applicants each year around the world.
In my tenure, we’ve put a concerted focus on transforming the ways we work, the capabilities we need, and the technologies we can leverage in order to ensure that we are always evolving. We also put a relentless focus on continuous improvement in our service and processes, innovation in our products and delivery, and incorporating new technologies to enable speed and efficiency while also expanding our expertise and capabilities to ensure quality.
Each of our operation teams is deeply mindful of the life-changing power of a high-quality, reliable, and widely accepted credential evaluation to enable global mobility for those we serve. It’s that mission that brings many to work at WES, including me. I was drawn to WES’ work and attracted to the opportunity to drive business outcomes and impact in tandem through our unique non-profit social enterprise model.
In my community – a large town in the Northeast – one-third of residents were born outside of the U.S. I am seeped in the success stories of immigrants who have been able to put their global professional and education experience to work and thrive here. I am literally surrounded by examples of the ways in which immigrants enrich and serve as a bedrock of thriving local communities and economies. It’s a dream for an “operator” like me, particularly one who comes from a commercial business background, to have the opportunity to contribute to the WES mission of helping people thrive in new places and put their education, skills, and experience to work anywhere in the world.
Of course, we are not alone in this work. Our partners are a critical part of our operational foundation. They work tirelessly to represent the interests of applicants and are deeply invested in their success, as we are. As we celebrate our 50th anniversary this year, it’s a wonderful time to reflect on not only the impact our social enterprise has had on the communities we serve, but also on the expertise, insight, and innovative thinking our partners contribute on behalf of those we serve. We appreciate your partnership!
Sincerely,
Cheryl Toto
Chief Operations Officer
World Education Services
Chief Operations Officer
World Education Services
Greetings from the Chief Operations Officer
Dear Friends,
As Chief Operations Officer at WES, I run the day-to-day business while positioning us to enable future growth and impact. Our business involves the creation and delivery of credential evaluation reports for nearly half a million applicants from around the world each year.
In my tenure, we’ve put a sustained focus on transforming the ways we work, the capabilities we need, and the technologies we can leverage in order to ensure that we are always evolving. We are also relentlessly focused on continuous improvement in our service and processes, innovation in our products and delivery, and new technologies to enable speed and efficiency while also expanding our expertise and capacity to ensure quality.
Each of our operation teams is deeply mindful of the life-changing power of a high-quality, trusted, and widely recognized credential evaluation to enable our applicants’ global mobility. It’s that mission that brings many to work at WES, including me. I was drawn to the opportunity to drive business outcomes and impact in tandem with our unique non-profit social enterprise model.
In my community – a large town in the Northeast – one-third of residents were born outside of the United States. I am steeped in the success stories of immigrants who have been able to put their global professional and academic experience to work and thrive here. I am literally surrounded by examples of the ways in which immigrants enrich and serve as a bedrock of thriving local communities and economies. It’s a dream for an “operator” like me, particularly one who comes from a commercial business background, to have the opportunity to contribute to the WES mission of helping people thrive in new places and put their education, skills, and experience to work anywhere in the world.
Of course, we are not alone in this work. Our partners are a critical part of our operational foundation. Partners work tirelessly to represent the interests of applicants and are deeply invested in their success, as we are. As we celebrate our 50th anniversary this year, it’s a wonderful time to reflect on not only the impact our social enterprise has had on the communities we serve, but also on the expertise, insight, and innovative thinking our partners contribute on behalf of those we serve. We appreciate your partnership!
Sincerely,
Cheryl Toto
Chief Operations Officer
World Education Services
Chief Operations Officer
World Education Services
Do You Know Your Data?
The 2023 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, Open Doors for short, released by the Institute of International Education (IIE), revealed that international student enrollment continues to recover since its record drop during the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, in the 2022/23 academic year, international student enrollment once again rose to over one million: 1,057,188.
What other international education insights came out of the Open Doors report? Take our quick quiz and put your knowledge to the test!
In 2022/23, India remained the second-largest sender to the U.S.
2/3
CORRECT
Indian students now account for a full one-quarter of all international students in the U.S. At the current rate, India is also poised to overtake China and regain the top spot among sending countries. It is only a little more than 20,000 students behind China, and India overtook China this year in the number of graduate students in the U.S.
INCORRECT
China overtook India for top-sending country in 2009/10 and has remained in first place ever since. But now accounting for a full one-quarter of all international students, India is poised to regain the top spot. It is only a little more than 20,000 students behind China, and India overtook China this year in the number of graduate students in the U.S.
Until 2022/23, Nigeria was the only country in Africa that appeared on IIE’s list of top 25 countries of student origin.
3/3
Thank you for taking our quiz! Read more about international student enrollment trends in this WENR article by Bryce Loo, Associate Director of Higher Education Research at WES.
Where WES Applicants Live
0
North America
0
North America
111,292
Canada
48,724
United States
0
Africa
0
Africa
17,271
Nigeria
3,724
Cameroon
0
Middle East
0
Middle East
12,741
United Arab Emirates
0
Asia
0
Asia
94,180
India
20,745
China
12,301
Hong Kong
9,000
Philippines
8,232
Pakistan
0
Total
160,016
North America
20,995
Africa
12,741
Middle East
144,458
Asia
East
Arab
Emirates
8,621
70,092
30,785
8,681
7,799
North
America
Canada
143,037
United States
57,034
23,734
6,726
Arab
Emirates
8,621
Europe
United Kingdom
6,491
North
America
East
Canada
111,292
United States
48,724
North
America
East
17,271
3,724
North
America
East
12,741
North
America
East
94,180
20,745
12,301
9,000
8,232
North
America
East
6,491
See you at NAFSA 2024!
WES is proud to be a sponsor of NAFSA 2024, the annual conference for international education professionals, where members of our team will be on-site to share their expertise in international education.
Flip through the gallery below to find out where and how you can connect with our team.
Global Outlook: Perspectives on Geopolitics in International Education
Thursday, May 30 | 9:30 – 10:20 a.m.
In these globally challenging times, international cooperation is more critical than ever. A diverse panel of global educators will share perspectives on the prospects for our shared global future amidst tensions, conflict, and political uncertainties. Learn how we can affirm the importance and impact of the work of international education.
Led by Esther Benjamin, CEO & Executive Director, WES
The International and Transnational Education Landscape in Malaysia
Wednesday, May 29 | 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
by Justyna Zawilska, Policy Analyst
Colombia: Advancements in Higher Education and Global Academic Mobility
Wednesday, May 29 | 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
by Carlos Monroy, Manager of Credential Examiners
The Proliferation of English-Taught Programs in Non-Anglophone EHEA Countries
Wednesday, May 29 | 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
by Viktoria Jenkins, Exception Specialist
Latin American Higher Education Qualifications: Global Mobility Patterns and Trends
Wednesday, May 29 | 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
by Mini Gu, Exception Manager
Credential Evaluations for Refugees and Displaced People: A Gateway Approach
Thursday, May 30 | 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
by Greg Blitstein, Policy Analyst
Admitting Immigrants into U.S. Higher Education: An Important Dimension of Internationalization
Thursday, May 30 | 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
by Bryce Loo, Associate Director of Higher Education Research
Reducing Survey Bias Through Cultural and Response-Style Awareness
Thursday, May 30 | 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
by Julie Shirah, Senior Analyst, Product and Consumer Insights
Africa Forum
Wednesday, May 29 | 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Experts explore strategies for inclusive and ethical engagement in international education initiatives with sub-Saharan Africa. WES is proud to be a sponsor of this conversation.
Expo Hall
Tuesday, May 28 – Friday, May 31
Visit WES in the Expo Hall and learn how we can be your trusted resource and partner for international credential evaluations.
If we don’t see you at NAFSA, we hope to see you this summer at one of these events:
- Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) Ontario Regional Meeting: June 5 – 6 – St. Catharines, Ontario
- Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) Atlantic Regional Meeting: June 20 – 21 – Halifax, Nova Scotia
- Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) Annual Conference: June 19 – 21 – New Orleans, Louisiana
- National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) Annual Conference: June 23 – 25 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Association of Registrars of the Universities and Colleges of Canada (ARUCC) and Pan-Canadian Consortium on Admissions & Transfer (PCCAT) Joint Annual Conference: June 23 – 26 – Calgary, Alberta
- British Columbia Council for International Education (BCCIE) International Education Week: June 23 – 26 – Vancouver, British Columbia
Insights from India
Earlier this year, our CEO Esther Benjamin traveled to India to participate in the QS India Summit in Chennai, India, speaking on a panel alongside a few of her esteemed colleagues to discuss “The Future of Learning: Micro Credentials and Skills.” Learn more at this LinkedIn post.
Shortly after the QS India Summit, Esther joined a panel discussion at the ASU-GSV Summit in Gurgaon, India. The discussion “Students of the East – Driving Global Higher Education Demand” explored the challenges, opportunities, and strategies for fostering collaboration in the global education landscape. Visit this LinkedIn post for a recap of the event and view the full panel discussion below.
Knowledge and Research
Recognizing the Three-Year Indian Bachelor’s Degree in the U.S.
Immersive Technologies in Higher Education
Recognizing the Three-Year Indian Bachelor’s Degree in the U.S.
According to the 2023 Open Doors report, Indian students now account for a full one-quarter of all international students in the U.S. As the country continues to be a major driver and sender of international students, our partners often want to know if WES recognizes three-year Indian bachelor’s degrees, and how we evaluate such credentials. Our Advisor Blog post provides further details.
Immersive Technologies in Higher Education
Only recently have educators started to use immersive technologies to enrich the learning process. At some academic institutions, educators are now having students explore historical events, conduct virtual science experiments, or even visit distant locations, all without leaving the classroom. Rasha Faek, Managing Editor of WENR, explores this topic further.
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Supporting Our Partners
We are here to help academic institutions, employers, government entities, and licensing bodies streamline their operations. When it comes to understanding international academic credentials, you can count on WES to provide expert guidance and make your screening processes more efficient. Here is what our partners at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University say about partnering with WES and how it has supported their office.
Given the high number of applications we receive from international students, the use of WES services allows our admissions office to review applications more efficiently and know that the information we review is accurate and detailed.
Social Impact Spotlight: WES Employer Handbook
The WES Employer Playbook is an online resource for Canadian employers, immigrant-serving organizations and employment agencies looking to recruit, hire, onboard and integrate immigrants into the workforce. WES worked with employers and community partners to co-design hiring solutions tailored to the localized needs of employers in three regions – Waterloo Region, Durham Region and Greater Moncton. A fourth version offers Canada-wide insights. The Employer Playbook provides links to alternative job posting boards, tips for reviewing international work experience in résumés and resources from local mentoring programs to assessing language requirements.
Check out this video about the Waterloo Region Employer Playbook to learn more:
WES News
WES Appoints Three New Board Members
Earlier this year, WES welcomed three new members to its Board of Trustees: Fanta Aw, PhD, Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, PhD, and Ajay Patel. Aw is Executive Director and CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, Chamorro-Premuzic is Chief Innovation Officer of ManpowerGroup, and Patel is President of Vancouver Community College.
Coming soon: An Enhanced Customer Experience
We are looking forward to rolling out our updated application portal, currently slated for release in late summer 2024. The portal promises to feature a modern look and feel along with the ability to lodge multiple applications under one account—helping our applicants better plan and stay organized. Stay tuned to our website and LinkedIn page for further announcements.
