Originally published on the CGS blog on July 7, 2011.
President Wallace Loh of the University of Maryland is the latest of many university presidents with the prescience to see the future of higher education: global engagement. In his recent op-ed in the Baltimore Sun, he heralded the importance of students’ international exposure, not only so that these future leaders would be able to survive in an increasingly global economy, but because they would be the leaders addressing the worldwide challenges of energy, pandemics, and climate change.
“At the beginning of the 21st century, we can say that every person sent out from a university should be a person of the world as well as a person of his or her time.” -Wallace Loh, President of the University of Maryland
Loh’s new priorities for the university include programs that cross borders, fostering the spirit of global partnership and creating internationally aware students. However, even with the expansion of these programs, some students believe the expansion is only one tiny step in the right direction. Rob Riker, UMD student and son of CGS board member Jim Riker, knows that for Loh to achieve his dream of an “internationally networked knowledge center,” international engagement must not only be prioiritized but drastically expanded. Instead of simply focusing on international business or technology, Riker believes that “to be truly global…the scope of our global initiatives must include the social sciences, the arts, the humanities, public policy, journalism and so many other subjects…we cannot hope to become a global university unless the undertaking is expanded to include all of our disciplines, students and faculty.”
While Riker is correct, President Loh’s acknowledgement of the need for international engagement is certainly a step in the right direction, and it is a step being echoed at universities across the nation. While Loh emphasizes the importance of creating global citizens, presidents at institutions such as Brown, Harvard, and Columbia are doing the same, increasing funding for international partnerships and study programs. It’s not just the big dogs either; schools such as Butler, University of Iowa, and Georgia Tech are also putting dollars in the international coffer, investing in the futures of their students.
We can only hope that the actions of these university presidents will inspire other students and faculty across the nation to push for expanded global engagement. Hopefully these programs will even branch out beyond the typical realms of international study, so that one day all disciplines may be linked internationally. Until then, we applaud Loh for his efforts to create global citizens, and in turn, global solutions.
