Development & Education

Jay Nikolewski knew from an early age where he wanted to live. Nikolewski never felt comfortable growing up in America and felt like he didn’t fit in. In high school, he decided Japan was the country for him. In 2023, he fulfilled that dream by moving to Japan and working toward a degree in Asian Studies at Temple University. The World’s Carolyn Beeler met with Jay Nikolewski in Tokyo and asked him why Japan.

The US has the highest number of international students in the world. Last year, the number of international students in the US nearly reached pre-pandemic levels, at over 1 million. Many have hopes of staying after graduation and living the “American dream.” But that’s not so easy.

American students who want to work in other countries after graduation often find their opportunities through study abroad experiences in college or internships. The top choice has been the UK, but the various destinations span the globe.

In the US, immigration is a heated topic. A part of that conversation is the thousands of degree-seeking international students who move to the US every year, many with hopes to stay after completion. But what about those US students who decide to study abroad and then want to stay abroad? The World’s Carolyn Beeler, asks Amine Mechaal, director of global engagement at Columbia University’s Teachers College in New York, to break down the hurdles students face to stay in their host countries.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens have left the country. According to some estimates, more than 100,000 Russian citizens fled to Armenia alone. This reality has led to some changes within Yerevan, the Armenian capital, where some exiled Russians started a school.