Institutions are over-reliant on students from those countries, a risky strategy in an ¡°unpredictable¡± global economy, states Beyond More of the Same: The Top Four Emerging Markets for International Student Recruitment.

It argues that the four most important alternative sources of students are Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Vietnam and Turkey.

¡°Today, almost one in two international students in the US hails from China, India or South Korea,¡± the report says.

¡°A significant decline in the number of prospective students from these traditional markets is unlikely in the near future, but the unpredictable global economy and environment draws attention to institutions¡¯ over-reliance on these sources.¡±

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The report by World Education Services, a non-profit organisation, says that Saudi Arabia¡¯s King Abdullah scholarships have since 2005 ¡°dramatically contributed to the outflow of Saudi students to overseas institutions¡­Between 2000 and 2010, the international mobility of Saudi students increased threefold, and in recent years nearly 90 per cent were funded by scholarship.¡±

However, it adds that there are problems with Saudi students¡¯ ¡°academic preparedness¡± for university education.

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The publication is based on an anonymous survey of senior US university managers with experience of international recruitment.

Brazil is another crucial target for US universities, largely because of its $1.7 billion (?1.1 billion) Science Without Borders initiative, which will fund 100,000 undergraduates and postgraduates across the world over the next four years.

¡°Although the average stay for scholarship-funded Brazilian students is short, the size of Brazil¡¯s student pipeline guarantees a promising future for US universities,¡± the report says.

Vietnam is another fertile market because of its ¡°growing middle class¡± and ¡°strong study abroad interests¡±, while in Turkey there is great demand for US higher education because of difficulties accessing home institutions and poor graduate employment prospects.

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david.matthews@tsleducation.com.