Posted on: Saturday, September 7, 2002

EDITORIAL
Exchange program is boon for our university

When nationwide lists are made of the accomplishments and reputation of colleges and universities, the University of Hawai'i does not often top the list.

But there's one area — and an important one at that — where UH is No. 1. This is in the so-called "almost a year abroad" program, formally known as the National Student Exchange program. This program allows students to spend a semester or a year at another school without paying sometimes-prohibitive out-of-state tuition costs.

As reported by Education Writer Beverly Creamer, the programs hosted by UH campuses at Manoa and Hilo are the most popular in the country.

And yes, sun, sand and surf no doubt play a part in our popularity. Years of effort to promote the Islands as a great place to go cannot be entirely lost on college students.

But the attraction of the UH programs is far more than our vacation image. At Hilo, for instance, students from around the nation have an opportunity to be exposed to world-class astronomy programs. The Manoa campus attracts students interested in marine biology, oceanography, Asian studies of various kinds, international Asia-focused business and other courses that might not be available at home.

These visiting students add a cosmopolitan flavor to our student body. And presumably when they go home they will tell the story of what Hawai'i has to offer, academically.

The exchange program also works the other way. Local students who could not go away to college for whatever reason have a reasonably affordable chance to find out what academic life is like on other campuses, in other states.

Too often, we tend to look away from our own accomplishments to envy those of others. There are at least 400 out-of-state students each year who can attest that we, indeed, have something to brag about right here at home.