A message from the dean
World-class University provides remarkable journeys
William M. Reisinger; Associate Provost and Dean of UI International Programs
This issue of International Accents introduces you to some remarkable initiatives and people who are pursuing journeys – whether the journey is a physical one, such as when U.S. students study or do research abroad and international students travel to the UI, or an intellectual and emotional journey when someone has an epiphany from attending a lecture or outreach event sponsored by UI International Programs. As you read, I hope you will share my excitement about the difference that international learning makes in the lives of our students, not to mention how it enriches our state, nation and world.
International Programs enhances international education at the University of Iowa directly, through the efforts of its staff and faculty, and indirectly, through the leadership it provides to the University’s colleges and other units. For example, International Programs gives Iowa students the opportunity to complete internationally focused degrees programs such the International Studies B.A. Read on to acquaint yourself with several extraordinary International Studies alumni: McKinley Bailey, Dina Shalash and Lauren McCarthy. The cultures and languages across the curriculum initiative gets students to learn about the world not just when they take a course on an international topic but as part and parcel of their “regular” courses. This approach to teaching improves the students’ learning and better reflects the world they will operate in throughout their lives.
International learning must also occur outside the classroom and outside faculty members’ disciplinary specializations. Thanks to International Programs, the University benefits from interdisciplinary learning communities on a wide range of international regions and issues. The program in Middle East and Muslim World Studies is one example. The newly inaugurated Confucius Institute is another. Each conferences, symposium or public lecture – and International Programs sponsors dozens each year – creates a short-term learning community of incredible value to the University. As Elizabeth Heineman explains in her essay, this past spring’s conference on sexual violence in areas of conflict will help scholars everywhere better understand this tragic reality. As you see from the story, the newly created Provost Forums promise to give the University outstanding visibility on critical issues.
International Programs, through the Office of International Students and Scholars, provides information and support to foreign students and scholars so our campus can benefit from their brainpower and cultural perspectives. You will also be inspired by the vision of Charles Day, who has chosen to help foreign students pursue their educational dreams.
Just as exciting is the good we do for the local and state communities. The Confucius Institute, for instance, now provides Chinese language classes for schoolchildren and adults. With funding from the Year of Public Engagement, we now provide cross-cultural training to corporate and non-profit workforces. A hallmark of International Programs’ annual Summer Institute for Teachers is to focus on an emerging issue that promises to shape our world for years to come. The 2006 Institute’s examination of religion and conflict is just the latest example.
In short, International Programs is the arm of the University that makes sure students, faculty, staff and the public can learn from and about the world. Its offices, degree programs and events provide life-changing opportunities on campus and abroad, heighten intellectual and cultural diversity, and give all University constituents access to vital international knowledge.
Just as the world is constantly changing, so International Programs needs continually to take stock and to envision new ways to serve the University’s international aspirations. This April, we completed a strategic plan which will frame our work through 2011. A committee of faculty and staff chaired by Downing Thomas, UI professor of French and Italian, developed the plan through widespread conversations with many different constituencies. We are fortunate to have this valuable tool as we tackle the breadth and complexity of making the University more globally aware and connected.
With the strategic plan in place, we have just embarked on an initiative called International Iowa! It is co-sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the American Council on Education in Washington, D.C. Through this initiative, we will draw a fuller picture of where the University is now. This stock-taking will lead to fewer unnecessary hurdles, less duplication of effort, more awareness of successes and, I am sure, a wealth of new ideas.
So, be impressed by the people profiled herein pursing their own remarkable journeys. As you read, though, bear in mind that more can and must be done. More Iowa students seek the life-changing international opportunities you will read about. More international trends and trouble-spots require careful investigation. More of the University’s programs can be strengthened through international collaboration. Only with your help can we remain, in these and other ways, a world-class university.