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Higher Education

It All Adds Up!

Campus of South Dakota Mines

How a South Dakota University Learned the Math Behind Attracting International Talent

Long-time client of CS South Dakota, South Dakota Mines, located in Rapid City, South Dakota, is a university whose programs focus on science, engineering, technology, and mathematics. Looking to attract more international students to their school, South Dakota Mines discovered the Rural Export Center (REC) when they attended the “New International Market Research Tools for the U.S. Education Sector” webinar in early 2023. As a result, South Dakota Mines met with the Rural Export Center and pursued a Matrix report with the REC to evaluate current and prospective educational needs worldwide. 
 
The Matrix is a customized data tool for over 190 countries that helps assess the export potential of a client’s product or service. South Dakota Mines’ Matrix report heavily focused on English-speaking capabilities and student mobility data. China, India, Mexico, Indonesia, and the United Kingdom were the top 5 performing countries in the Matrix. After receiving their Matrix, South Dakota Mines noted that they used the Matrix to create a strategic plan on which countries to target next.

“I went through that whole Matrix, and I pulled a bunch of information. I’m putting together kind of a strategy as a strategic plan right now based off [the Matrix].”- Beth Riley, Director of the Ivanhoe International Center at South Dakota Mines

“It confirms that we’re targeting the right countries.”- Suzi Aadland, Specialist at the Ivanhoe International Center at South Dakota Mines

South Dakota Mines will be attending the EducationUSA Fair in South Korea this fall. They will also be meeting with high schools and education agents throughout Southeast Asia, including new countries that they are now targeting because of the results in the Matrix. They may also pursue further CS services, in partnership with CS South Dakota, shortly.

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