Washington — Nafsa: Association of International Educators released today a set of policy recommendations for the next presidential administration, calling for support for a “revived public diplomacy” that would put international education and exchange front and center in the effort to repair the United States’ reputation abroad.

The recommendations, contained in a report titled “International Education: The Neglected Dimension of Public Diplomacy,” covers such issues as attracting international students and scholars; internationalizing American education, especially through study abroad; and expanding educational exchanges and volunteer-service programs. The report also calls for altering immigration and related policies to strike a better balance between security and openness, and for the passage of the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act, which would expand nearly fivefold the number of college students who participate in overseas education.

Nafsa wrote earlier this year to the presidential candidates to urge them to develop a proactive national strategy to restore American competitiveness for foreign students and scholars, and to ensure that American students are internationally educated. —Karin Fischer