Page 56 - Azerbaijan State University of Economics

THE JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SCIENCES: THEORY AND PRACTICE, V.73, # 1, 2016, pp. 52-63

Matthew Effect
It is a clear fact that the global affairs component has already become one of
the crucial and decisive factors defining, characterizing, and describing Penn State‘s
general perception locally (in-state), nationally, and internationally. This fact is
fundamentally changing Penn State‘s philosophy on successful higher educational
st
institutions in the 21 century. From this point of view, the statement made by Dr.
Michael Adewumi, Penn State‘s Vice Provost for Global Programs, is quite clear
and purpose-oriented.
“…We recognize that we live in a very small global village. The challenges
are we faced today, as humanity, have no longer at local, they are global in
perspective. The global engagement network is a network of strategic partners that
could provide our students critique experience that they need to be more global in
the perspectives and to become more competitive globally...” (Adewumi, 2015).
This description is completely supported by Penn State‘s Strategic Plan for
2016-2020, which mentions that ―…An enhanced focus on global engagement is
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central to our mission in the 21 century, reinforcing our mission to offer students
opportunities to become global citizens and providing a vehicle for Penn State‘s
impact to be extended around the world…‖ (Penn State University, 2016). It means,
having such an importance and big attention, Penn State‘s global affairs getting a
significant chance to create ―a kind of ‗virtuous circle‘ in which advantage begets
advantage‖ (Trow, 1984, p. 149).
According to Strategic Plan for 2016-2020, Global Penn State includes
enhancing global competencies by sending students, faculty, and staff abroad;
internationalizing the University by bringing non-U.S.-born students and scholars to
its campuses; and establishing a global network of partnerships that enables the
University to pursue its mission worldwide (Penn State University, 2016). In other
words, strong global focus supports Penn State‘s international presence that makes it
more attractive to international students. I do believe that increased international
demand for Penn State ―increases excess demand and the opportunity for selectivity,
and therefore for future student quality‖ (Winston, 1999, p. 24). In fact, Penn State‘s
international student body has increased 86%, reaching 8,225 students in Fall 2014
from 4,421 students in Fall 2009 (Jones, 2015). I have to note that in this period the
number of international undergraduate students increased about three times,
reaching 5,365 from 1,947.
International students play an increasingly important role in the overall
increase of the University revenues. Here, as Trow (1984) mentions, Penn State‘s
increased revenue may be characterized as a next advantage begat by other
advantage (p. 149). Similarly, a study abroad component also gets more support

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