While Jorge L. Escobedo ’08 counts India, France, Costa Rica, the Netherlands, and Peru among his travel destinations, the anthropology concentrator said he has never studied abroad. But Escobedo—one of 1,200 students who turned out for the annual Study Abroad and International Experience Fair yesterday—said that he still wants to study academically in a foreign country.

“When you come back after being in a third world country, you realize this country is unreal in both positive and negative ways,” he said on the Science Center lawn. “But you can’t know that until you leave.”

The fair, sponsored by the Office of International Programs (OIP), offered an array of information to students interested in academic, volunteer, research, and internship opportunities around the world.

Jonathan M. Hyman ’08, a student promoting summer study abroad with OIP, said he spent two months in Japan doing intensive language study.

While Hyman said his summer study abroad in Ishikawa, Japan was “amazing,” he said he faced culture shock on his return to the U.S.

OIP Acting Director Leslie M. Hill said the high student turnout was the result of OIP’s efforts “to change the culture of study abroad as a part of Harvard undergraduate experiences.”

Earlier this week, Harvard announced plans to launch a spring-semester study-abroad program at the University of Havana, despite U.S. regulations on travel to communist Cuba.

According to the OIP, the number of students studying abroad for credit during any term, including this summer, rose from 160 students in 2001-2002 to 519 students in 2005-2006.

The total number of students who went abroad with OIP support for work, international study, or internships last academic year climbed to 1,194, up from 667 students from 2002-2003.

The top study abroad destinations last academic year were France, Spain, and Chile, according to a report issued by the OIP.

Hill said that the popularity of these destinations could not be attributed to any particular factor, but noted that the interest for international experiences existed.

This fall 110 students are studying abroad for credit, Hill said.