Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (CA-16th District) presented to President Mohammad Qayoumi of San Jose State University the U.S. Commerce Department’s Export Achievement Certificate at the “Bringing International Business to Silicon Valley” event today at SJSU.

San Jose State University is one of the 200 top research universities in the nation, with more than 30,000 students enrolled. The award recognizes U.S. businesses and educational organizations that have benefited from the export services of the Department’s U.S. Commercial Service. This award was presented to San Jose State University for its international student recruitment efforts.

San Jose State University, through its office of International and Extended Studies, has engaged with the Commercial Service for the last 15 years to expand their international student population and international partnerships around the world. Since that time, the U.S. Commercial Service’s global network of trade professionals and programs has supported San Jose State University’s efforts through trade counseling, business matchmaking, and the recruitment of academic delegations and partnering activities with educational organizations in countries such as China, India, Russia, Japan, Taiwan, among a number of other markets.

The assistance of the U.S. Commercial Service has helped to grow San Jose State University’s international student population to more than 2,000 international students enrolled in the university’s degree programs, as of fall 2011. The Institute of International Education ranks San Jose State University as number three in the country for international students among masters degree institutions. Furthermore, the growth of international student enrollment has enabled San Jose State University to hire ten new employees for its international admissions department.

Higher education ranks among the United State’s top 10 service exports. The U.S. is also the largest destination for international students seeking higher education—and tuition and living expenses paid by those students and their families brought nearly $20 billion to the U.S. economy during the 2009-10 academic year. According to the Institute of International Education, that dollar figure is expected to continue rising. In the 2009/2010 academic year, 127,628 students from China and 104,897 students from India studied at U.S. institutions, making them the two leading countries of origin for foreign university students in the United States.

With offices in 108 U.S. cities and in U.S. Embassies and Consulates in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service connects U.S. exporters with international partners. More information on the U.S. Commercial Service, and its education industry work.