Foreign Students Give 'U' Cosmopolitan Atmosphere

Foreign Students Give 'U’ Cosmopolitan Atmosphere

One of the educational advantages offered at Michigan, but not listed in the catalogue of studies, is the cosmopolitan atmosphere provided by the large number of students here from foreign lands.

Although the average American citizen meets a foreigner on an average of perhaps once a year, University students come into daily contact with representatives of more than 60 foreign countries with whom they share classes and social programs.

With 606 foreign students here this semester, the University ranks among the top four schools in the United States for foreign student enrollment. Other top-ranking universities are Columbia, New York University, and the University of California.

59 Here On Scholarship

That the University finds this record a decided cultural advantage is evident in the fact that the board of regents has appropriated $8,000 this year to provide scholarships and financial aid to students from foreign lands.

Through this means, and through the Barbour scholarships and regular scholarships and fellowships in the Graduate School, there are at present 59 foreign students attending the University through funds supplied by this school.

Last year was the first time that the regents set aside a special sum for foreign student scholarships when $3,000 was appropriated to help restore the pre-war flow of foreign students here. Individual stipends range from payment of tuition to $600.

"As far as possible these scholarships should be used to encourage the attendance of students from the countries which have suffered most in the war and of students who would not otherwise be able to attend,” the regents declared.

In order to assure that the funds will be used to bring new foreign students here, the regents designated that the money "is not primarily intended to give additional aid to students already here, but by aiding new students to restore somewhat the pre-war flow of foreign students to the desirable level.

With this $8,000 sum, the University is presently aiding 27 foreign students representing 13 foreign lands.

Six From Norway

Six of this number are scholarship students from Norway, six are from China, four from France, two from Brazil, and one each from Chile, Nicaragua, Mexico, Haiti, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Iceland and India.

Fifteen of these 27 students are in the School of Graduate Studies, three are in the Literary College, two in Law School, six in the College of Engineering, and one each in the School of Forestry and the School of Business Administration.

In addition to the scholarships provided by the $8,000 sum, the University also has 22 women students here from Oriental countries under terms of the Barbour Scholarship fund. Nine of these are from China, six from the Philippines, three from India, two from Korea and one from Japan.

Six foreign students are also holding regular University scholarships in the Graduate School which they won in competition with students from this country, and three are holding fellowships under the same competition. A scholarship provides primarily for the expense of tuition, while a fellowship ranges from $500 to $900.

Two In Geology

Two of the scholarship students from the Netherlands are working in geology; two from China are in mechanical engineering and engineering mechanics, respectively; a student from Finland is doing graduate work in education.

The fellowship students include a Chinese student and an Indian student in the department of electrical engineering, and a Puerto Rican who is studying anatomy.

Although most of the 606 foreign students attending the University are here on private expense, a large number are also scholarship from schools in their own countries or are supported by scholarship funds from their respective governments.

Of the 59 scholarship students from foreign lands now attending the university on scholarships or fellowships provided by this school, 27 are being aided by means of a special $8,000 fund set aside by the board of regents for the 1947-1948 school year. Shown in the above picture, left to right, are Paul J. Chretien from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Dr. Nan-Kyung Koh of Seoul, Korea, Obba Armannsson of Reykjavik, Iceland, and Live Kristine Berg of Oslo, Norway. Dr. Koh is a Barbour scholar. The other three hold scholarships under the regents’ fund.