HAWAII'S multicultural character has long been a draw for students from foreign countries, but recent estimates show a decline in their numbers and in their spending in the islands.

Despite the decrease, Hawaii's colleges and universities remain an education destination for international students and they should encourage more of them to come by publicizing the abundance of degree programs all of them have to offer.

A report from the Institute of International Education noted that foreign student enrollment here dropped 6.4 percent last year. Spending likewise dropped from $123 million to $117 million.

On the flip side, a record number of American students are going abroad for their education. China has seen a 25 percent increase in U.S. students while 20 percent more Chinese are coming to the United States for their education.

Nearly 242,000 Americans went to foreign countries to study, most of them to Britain, Italy, Spain and France with China as the fifth most popular. But Argentina, South Africa, Ecuador and India also are attracting larger numbers.

California and New York were the top states for foreign students with 84,800 and 69,844 respectively. In contrast, Hawaii enrolled just 5,645, mostly from Japan, but given the much larger number of higher learning institutions New York and California have, Hawaii's showing is respectable.

The University of Hawaii-Manoa drew the most students, followed by Hawaii Pacific University, Brigham Young University Hawaii, Kapiolani Community College and the University of Hawaii-Hilo. The large majority of students arrive here from Asia, and 176 came from Germany.

On the continent, the largest contingent comes from India, with China close behind. Other Asian countries, such as South Korea and Japan, also deliver increasing numbers.

An enrollment official at HPU told the Star-Bulletin's Craig Gima that the weaker dollar has made Hawaii an education value for international students. That's likely the case in other states as well.

Still, a global economy gives students a progressively greater global outlook for careers and vocation opportunities. As businesses and industries operate on a worldwide stage, young people are less likely to see geographic borders as limiting their possibilities.

Hawaii's colleges and universities have enjoyed favor because of the state's cultural diversity but, as with other endeavors, should develop and further promote themselves as sites for higher education in fields that fit the setting. As foreign students boldly go where few have gone before, the state could see its share of them grow smaller.