International Higher Education

Our approach

Foreign nationals as students, instructors and researchers—are often vital to an institution’s operations.

Like any other organization, educational institutions need to follow particular steps to ensure compliance and protection of technology and information. And the immigration and tax issues that arise with foreign nationals are as important for recruiting and retention as they are for compliance.

We are at the forefront of counseling colleges and universities on all the issues that arise concerning foreign nationals, including drafting compliance programs, counseling on export controls and advising on how to obtain immigration benefits for faculty, staff and students.

Higher education clients benefit from our broad international business experience, coupled with our presence in key international markets.

We regularly assist in establishing foreign campuses and programs—helping universities in China to coordinate and develop foundation programs with U.S. counterparts. We also help for-profit and nonprofit foreign organizations to establish and register entities in China, dealing with all the appropriate government authorities.

Who we work with

• International institutions
• Research universities
• Public universities
• Small private colleges
• Professional schools
• Medical schools
• Schools of the performing and visual arts

Recent experience

• Foreign instructors and students case study: compliance policy for international expansion—A university with a strong applied research focus was expanding its offerings abroad, both through dedicated campus relationships as well as providing university professors and researchers across the globe. Nixon Peabody worked closely with the university to fashion a compliance policy to guide these expanded activities, not impair them. Collaborations abroad have been enhanced and the institution has a strong base from which to expand its reach internationally.
• University presence abroad case study: university extends reach in Eastern Europe—A university business school was an early entrant into Eastern Europe, partnering with a local foundation to offer degrees to foreign students. The entity staffed the program with largely U.S.-based instructors through an affiliate focused on foreign operations. When local laws changed and the major U.S. funding behind the school diminished, we worked with the local foundation and its supporters to assume control of the school, having accomplished the university’s aim of creating a U.S.-quality institution behind the former Iron Curtain.