Foreign Students in Engineering Education

Abstract

Summary Institutions for higher engineering education encourage the admission of foreign students, mostly for economic reasons. Data from the situation of foreign students at Delft University of Technology, however, show that admitting foreign students will be profitable only if the students are carefully selected in the country of origin. Furthermore, language proficiency must play an important role in the procedure of admission in the host country. Foreign students' academic achievement has proven to be sufficient although the students appear to suffer from starting problems. Offering social and educational support at the beginning of their stay abroad may help to overcome problems of adjustment. As yet, any possible positive effects of the presence of foreign students on the quality of education or on the general education of regular students in the host country have not been empirically established. They seem to depend highly upon the amount of interaction between foreign and regular students.