Speeches

Opening of College Fair 2003 

Address by Dr. Roy L. Austin, U.S. Ambassador
Opening of College Fair 2003
Friday, October 31
Crowne Plaza, Port of Spain

Ms. Thecla Reyes, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen. Good evening and a very warm welcome to our "College Fair 2003".

College Fair 2003, the successor to our highly successful, College Fairs of 1996, 1997 and 2002, was conceived and carried out by the staff at the Information Resource Center of the Embassy’s Public Affairs Section. Mrs. Radhika Gobin, Director of the Information Resource Center, and Mrs. Joy Sandza, IRC Program Assistant, deserve our thanks for their untiring efforts to bring this event to fruition.

It is an honor for me to be able to present to you this opportunity to become acquainted with a comprehensive sampling of U.S., Canadian, U.K. and Caribbean educational institutions. As you walk through the Grand Ballroom of the Crowne Plaza, you will be able to observe the breadth of our post-secondary educational offerings; and you will meet a fascinating group of university officials whose ethnic and regional diversity reflects our polyglot society.

As you may already know, the educational system in the United States is comprehensive, complex and diverse. The vastness of American geography and the wealth of our ethnic heritage assure such diversity. In terms of its comprehensiveness, there is no nation that sends a higher percentage of high school graduates to some form of higher education than the United States. Unlike many nations, which strictly limit private universities, our complex system of post-secondary educational offerings includes private religious and secular universities as well as junior colleges, polytechnics, trade schools, and public universities of varying types. I need not emphasize further the diversity of U.S. educational opportunities, as that will become evident when you meet the university officials who are here.

Many of our universities and colleges once set their sights only on recruiting promising students in their geographic area or from their known constituencies. For several years, however, significant and growing numbers of foreign students have attended and contributed to the reputations of our universities, colleges, language and trade schools. It is said that 12.5 billion U.S. dollars are pumped into the American economy annually by foreign students. Clearly, the doors of U.S. educational institutions are open as never before to students from abroad.

The United States is proud of an educational system that attracts more than half a million international students and scholars to our campuses, including more than 2,000 students from Trinidad and Tobago. Many U.S. university presidents, concerned that fear and misinformation may discourage some potential students from seeking educational opportunities in the U.S. have spoken out against intolerance and stressed that college and university campuses continue to welcome students from abroad.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell recently reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to remain open to all qualified foreign students, stating that the relationships that result from these exchanges are “important for a secure, prosperous future not only for our own country, but for the world as a whole.”

It is a credit to the young people of Trinidad and Tobago and their mentors, however, that so many college officials have traveled here to attempt to interest you in studying at their institutions. The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago has become known for the excellence, not only of your top scholars, but also of the vast majority of your students. U.S. universities are keen on attracting students who will do well at their institutions, and maybe even return home to become leaders. Since many of your current leaders are graduates of overseas universities, it stands to reason that this trend will continue, and possibly be more accentuated, in the future.

On November 1st and 2nd (tomorrow and Sunday), College Fair 2003 will be an open forum for those students who are interested in learning more about studying at universities and colleges in the United States, Canada, the U.K. and the Caribbean. Students will receive current, first-hand information on over sixty universities and colleges, including details of their admission requirements, academic orientation, scholarship policies and financial aid availability. Students, teachers and parents interested in study abroad will also be able to meet other like-minded individuals and discuss subjects of common interest in a truly international atmosphere.

I invite you to take full advantage of this excellent opportunity to broaden your horizons and learn about different programs of higher education, and thanks for your presence at this event. I hope that College Fair 2003 will serve to enrich both you and your country.