California State University, Northridge’s Tseng College, one of the largest providers of English-language and college-preparation instruction for international students in the United States, received the 2016 Export Achievement Award at the World Trade Week Kickoff Breakfast on May 3.

The Southern California World Trade Week Awards Committee, in conjunction with the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, bestows this award to an outstanding company in the Los Angeles area that has successfully entered and/or expanded in the international marketplace. CSUN partners with more than 100 institutions of higher education in 22 countries around the globe. It attracts the second-largest international student population of any U.S. master’s-level institution.

“The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce World Trade Week Committee is pleased to recognize California State University, Northridge’s Tseng College for its success growing international student enrollment in its graduate and mid-career education programs,” said Carlos J. Valderrama, the chamber’s senior vice president of global initiatives. “The chamber greatly appreciates the significance of this growth for CSUN and its impact on the greater Los Angeles economy.”

CSUN has extensively collaborated with the U.S. Commercial Service in a variety of activities and initiatives that demonstrate CSUN’s proactive approach and commitment to exporting and international growth. The university has participated in the Commercial Office ShowTime events at NAFSA (National Association for Foreign Student Advisers), where CSUN has met with experts in international markets from Mexico, India, China, Thailand, France, Kazakhstan and the Czech Republic.

“Los Angeles is an international city, a global center of industry and trade,” CSUN President Dianne F. Harrison said. “With 41,000 students, CSUN’s impact on Los Angeles is significant, and we directly support Los Angeles’ position in the world by sending our students and faculty abroad and drawing a strong international presence back to Southern California. International students bring an invaluable global perspective into the classroom, elevating the educational experience for all students.”

CSUN, through the Tseng College, has made extensive use of the U.S. Department of Commerce and State Department services recruiting students in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. The university has actively promoted its programs through participation in several StudyCalifornia.us and U.S. Commercial Service (Global Markets) export promotion activities and services during the last five years.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, international students studying in the United States contribute more than $30 billion to the U.S. economy in tuition and living expenses. The total number of foreign students increased 10 percent during 2014-2015, and more than 70 percent of students studying in the United States use outside sources to fund their international study, making education and training services a valuable U.S. export.

For 90 years, World Trade Week (WTW), an initiative of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, has been the most extensive and unique program of its kind in the country. WTW dedicates itself to educating the public on the importance and benefits of global trade on the local and national economy through a series of educational programs and events.

World trade is celebrated throughout the month of May with more than 30 events hosted by partnering organizations in Southern California that are jump-started by the chamber’s annual WTW Kickoff Breakfast with more than 700 guests. World Trade Week supports college and high school scholarships, high school student and career counselor workshops, as well as briefings for civic and business leaders interested in benefiting from the global economy.

Los Angeles Chamb, Tseng College