UCSD’s International Strategy Committee recently identified three specific goals designed to broaden the school’s international presence, including strengthening ties with foreign universities and enhancing current programs. Another goal included hiring a new campus administrator to oversee the coming changes, according to Vice Chancellor of Research and committee Chairman Richard Attiyeh.
UCSD is already one of the most internationally oriented campuses in the UC system; it includes on-campus international programs such as International House and has 1,000 thousand students who go overseas each year, according to UCSD’s Programs Abroad Web site.
However, the committee is seeking to find ways to bolster current UCSD international experiences.
“We want to make the international programs even more user-friendly by offering 100 percent credit for classes taken abroad,” said Assistant Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Edward J. Spriggs.
It is currently possible for students to study abroad and still graduate in four years, but in some instances, students receive only transfer credit for courses taken while abroad, according to Programs Abroad Director Kim Burton. Increasing credit for classes taken at other universities will allow further involvement for students concerned about falling behind, she said.
The committee said it hopes to accommodate students whose majors require them to take classes only available at UCSD by establishing summer programs and internships overseas. A current example is the Prime Program, a service for engineers who wish to perform research abroad during the summer, according to Burton.
However, the committee’s goals are not limited to travel options. Members also said they emphasized the importance of varied academic options, and hope to encourage more major and minor choices that have global perspectives, such as migration studies and European studies, according to political science professor and Director of the Institute for International, Comparative and Area Studies William Chandler.
“Our international studies major has been a tremendous success already with some 700 or so students,” he said. “I hope that we can strengthen ourselves in certain areas of the world that are of increasing importance to UCSD and America in general, for example South Asia and China.”
The committee plans to develop ties with foreign universities in countries such as Mexico and China, in order to enhance faculty exchanges and research opportunities for students and faculty, Attiyeh said.
“China [is important] because of its size, rapid growth and strategic importance in world affairs,” Attiyeh said. “Mexico because it’s our closest neighbor and we share important economic and social relationships. [However], they are not the only countries that should be the focus of our attention.”
Reinforcing international relationships will increase opportunities for study, research and travel throughout campus programs, according to Spriggs.
An additional committee goal was to create the new position of associate vice chancellor for international affairs, who will be responsible for bringing together representatives from various campus constituencies to consider the committee’s recommendations.
Whoever fills the position will also be expected to provide leadership for implementing activities that the campus considers worthwhile, according to Attiyeh. The committee is recommending hiring a person for the post by the end of this academic year.
