International graduate student applications down but offers up

It is interesting that the April 22, 2013, Inside Higher Education article reports a decline in applications but admissions offers are up for international graduate students.  Read more here:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/08/22/despite-slowdown-applications-growth-admission-offers-international-grad-students

If the numbers can be interpretted to reflect trend, the question has to be why?  Where a country's numbers are down or up, is it a reflection of bad or good economic conditions?  Are international students becoming interested in other countries or are more opportunities becoming available in their home countries?  It will be important to watch the trends and to ponder both the cause and what, if anything, can be done to sustain a stream of highly qualified international graduate students in the U.S.A.

China moves to establish cross-border institutions

Roger Y. Chao’s Inside Higher Education article on July 28, 2013, indicates “Much like its economic development, China has hosted branch campuses, learned from their experience, developed their own higher education sector and institutions, and now ventured into higher education as a new export industry through the establishment of branch campuses offshore.”
Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/world-view/chinese-offshore-branch-campuses-chinas-latest-exports#ixzz2aR9eN9uy

Inside Higher Ed

This move will no doubt catch the attention of the many U.S.A., UK, Australian and other universities that see cross-border education opportunity as an arena through which to enhance their own brand while generating much needed revenue as well. It will be interesting to see how China articulates its purpose, an issue not addressed in Mr. Chao’s piece.