International

Increasingly, global citizenship is a core enterprise for much of U.S. higher education. But recent events in Beirut, Paris, Tel Aviv and Bamako, amid the ongoing flow of Syrian refugees—and the dark fears they have ignited—feel like a major setback to this endeavor. ACE’s Heather Ward asks how higher education should respond.

In honor of International Education Week (IEW), we wanted to spotlight one of our many member institutions doing exemplary work in the field. Although SUNY Oswego has a study abroad participation rate of over 20 percent—more than double the national average—campus leaders have recognized the need to deliver global learning to all students.

In the increasingly globalized world of the 21st century, colleges and universities are recognizing the need to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to live and work across borders. The big problem, however, is that in the United States, few students ever have this type of experience. Robin Helms looks at the options to give students international experiences beyond study abroad.

On Dec. 17, 2014, President Obama announced that he was restoring full diplomatic relations with Cuba, a historic decision that is ending over 50 years of frozen relations. Higher education has been one of the main beneficiaries of these early efforts. Beth Stroble, president of Webster University in Missouri, explores the future for continued cooperation between U.S. and Cuban institutions.

ACE’s Center for Internationalization and Global Engagement’s 2014 report, Mapping International Joint and Dual Degrees: U.S. Program Profiles and Perspectives explores the landscape of such programs in the United States, including characteristics and policies, academic focus areas, partner locations and programmatic challenges, and their role in broader institutional strategy and planning.

For many United States colleges and universities, increasing international student enrollment has become a strategic priority. Such students often pay full tuition, and amid state funding and other cutbacks, admissions offices are increasingly reaching across national borders in their recruiting campaigns. But that’s not the only reason to go international, writes Robin Matross Helms.