When Claire Booyjzsen finished her master's degree at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, the world was her oyster. Intent on pursuing a PhD in chemistry, she consulted global rankings of universities to identify some of the strongest. Then she conducted more research, corresponding with professors and students to narrow down her list. She ultimately applied to eleven institutions. After the acceptance let- ters came in, she traveled to Coventry, England, where she is now a third- year doctoral student at the University of Warwick, an institution where one in five students comes from overseas. "It's really multicultural here," says Booyjzsen, who works as a tutor in a student dormitory. "I've met people from all over the world."

A relatively young university—it was founded in 1964—Warwick has become one of Great Britain's most sought-after institutions. It is also regarded as one of the nation's most entrepreneurial universities—and one of the most international as well. Warwick has systematically recruited students around the globe. In some instances, such as Booyjzsen's, its purpose is to search for talent; her studies are supported by a graduate fellowship funded by the university. In others, the search for international intellectual ability comes with a significant financial incentive (though the two are not mutually exclusive, of course). Almost all undergraduate and professional-school students from nations outside the European Union (EU) have "full pay" status. That means they don't enjoy the huge tuition. subsidies received by British and other EU students—and thus represent a significant source of tuition revenues for Warwick and other universities that face declining state funding.

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