A leader in international education visited campus Wednesday to highlight different United States and Latin American student study abroad trends after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Alan Adelman, executive director of the Institute of International Education Office for Latin America in Mexico City, spoke about opportunities for U.S. students to study in Latin American countries. He also discussed the different perceptions U.S. and international students have about safety abroad. Adelman is a 1980 MSU doctoral graduate in educational foundations.

The presentation was part of a conference organized for undergraduate students who are seeking specializations in Latin American studies.

Adelman said some Latin American students have been applying to schools in other countries aside from the United States because they have a false idea that U.S. security is heightened after Sept. 11, 2001.

"The perception is that it's more difficult to go through the process of getting a VISA and students are more scrutinized while in the U.S. so there are less freedoms," he said.

But, he said U.S. Embassy reports don't seem to support this idea.

Manuel Chávez, an MSU assistant journalism professor, said this sentiment can explain why some Mexican students might not apply to educational programs in the United States.

"Mexicans are coming to the point when they say, 'Why go through the trouble of the process when I can go to Canada and it's a piece of cake?'" he said.

Attitudes within the United States about studying overseas have changed as well, Adelman and Chávez said. Chávez said he often notices more concern about safety when studying overseas.

"A lot of parents of MSU students are really concerned about security - about the security of their children," he said. "In the past there was the notion that if you were American, you were safe - nothing happens to you. Now it is the opposite."