Ian Weller got more than he bargained for when he decided last year to take time off from Drake University in the US and study abroad, not in London or Dublin, but in Egypt. A third-year student, used to life in the Midwestern state of Iowa, Weller merely wanted to practise his Arabic for an intended career in the US Navy. But he ended up in Cairo during the Arab Spring and spent a lot of time photographing the protests.Ive seen things that scare my parents half to death, says Weller, who is studying international relations. But being able to see this part of the world under these circumstances, as an outsider, was cool. This will be a chapter in the textbooks that come out.
The number of Americans who, like Weller, are choosing to study abroad in unconventional destinations such as Egypt, India and China is rising dramatically, according to a report released in mid-November by the Institute of International Education, while interest in traditional destinations such as Western Europe is comparatively flat.
The UK, Italy, Spain and France remain the top four host destinations, according to the report, Open Doors, which covers the academic year 2009-10 — the most recent period for which data is available. But the number of students going to Europe rose only 2 percent year on year, compared with an overall 5 percent increase in the number of Americans studying abroad. In the past ten years, Europes share of the US student market has fallen from 62 percent to 54 percent. Its globalisation, and people are realising that relationships have to be built everywhere, says Allan Goodman, the institutes president.
China has roared into fifth place, playing host to 14,000 US students, compared with fewer than 3,000 a decade ago. Fifteen of the top 25 destinations are now outside Western Europe; among them are India (up 44 percent), Brazil and Egypt. The number of US students heading to Africa, Asia and the Middle East rose by more than 8 percent.
Students are intrigued by the Middle East. They want to see for themselves whats happening there, says Joanna Holvey-Bowles, executive vice-president of the Institute for Study Abroad at Butler University. They realise they need to understand the context of the world theyre competing in.
That was Charlotte Ashfords motivation when she left Rhodes College, Memphis in the southern state of Tennessee to study in Shanghai. Everything you see every day is focusing on this part of the world, says Ashford, another international relations student. Europe and the West in general are becoming less and less relevant in terms of politics and finance.
Cost may also be affecting decisions about studying abroad, and nations such as China are offering financial aid while European universities become more expensive. Students are concerned about cost, but theyre also concerned about value, says Holvey-Bowles. Not only what am I getting for my money, but how will this help me in the future? is the refrain.

(Excerpted and adapted from Times Higher Education)