UW-River Falls Enrolls Record Number of International Students

September 3, 2013— The University of Wisconsin-River Falls recently established a goal of enrolling 147 international students by the fall 2017 semester. This goal has already been surpassed as 150 international students, representing 19 countries, are enrolled at UW-River Falls for the fall 2013 semester, the highest number in the university's history.  

"Meaningful engagement with people from different cultures and experiences better prepares our students for an increasingly global and diverse world, and enhances our campus and broader community," said UW-River Falls Chancellor Dean Van Galen. 

Two cohorts of students, one from Brazil and one from China, are responsible for much of the increase.  

Fifty students from Brazil are attending UW-River Falls as part of that country's Scientific Mobility Program. The scholarship program funds a year of overseas study for Brazilian undergraduates, primarily in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields. 

Twenty-two elementary education majors from Zhejiang International Studies University (ZISU) in Hangzhou, China, are taking courses at UW-River Falls and will be in elementary school classrooms in River Falls on Fridays, learning and being mentored by River Falls elementary school teachers.  

"The partnership between ZISU, the School District of River Falls, and UWRF is a great example of what is possible when institutions work together for the good of our students and community," said Van Galen.  

For more information, contact Blake Fry, UWRF special assistant to the chancellor, at 715-425-3711 or blake.fry@uwrf.edu.