Center for Global Programs & Services
The Global We at UD
The University of Delaware has renewed its commitment to being a global university, launching a report this month that will serve as a roadmap for infusing international perspectives throughout its scholarship, research and community engagement. Almost 100 years after its pioneering study abroad program began, UD worked with comprehensive internationalization experts at the American Council on Education’s (ACE) Internationalization Laboratory and is now poised to implement the report’s recommendations in support of the University’s strategic plan and its second century of innovative global education.
In 2019, the University joined the ACE Internationalization Laboratory, becoming one of only 177 globally-focused institutions around the world who have completed the lab. ACE's comprehensive internationalization experts worked with University leaders, faculty, staff and students from throughout campus.
To shape the next generation of international education, UD will work to cultivate a sense of a “Global We,” develop globally engaged leaders, reimagine study-abroad programs, recruit students and faculty to advance global diversity, and position the institution as a global knowledge hub. Read more below.
Internationalization Goals:
- Global We: Cultivate a sense of “Global We” on campus and strengthen UD’s brand and visibility as an international university; The concept of “Global We” promotes intercultural competence, language acquisition, professional skills and academic disciplinary content for the whole campus com- munity through collective global cooperation. It breaks down the notion of place, time and identity and strives to prepare students for the future."
- Develop Globally Engaged Leaders: Enhance international education opportunities at home and abroad to develop global citizens and engaged leaders; Global learning outcomes or competencies help students develop a strong sense of civic and social responsibility and awareness as they navigate across different cultural, political and regulatory environments and respond to the world’s most pressing challenges. UD
- Develop New “Study Abroad” Programs: Reimagine and redefine study abroad beyond traditional cross-border mobility programs; U.S. students must make connections with other countries, peoples, and cultures virtually. This model, as a substitute for, and an enhancement of, study abroad, appears to be here to stay, as part of the growing movement toward virtual learning in higher education in the age of COVID-19.
- Recruit for Global Diversity: Attract, retain, and support the success of international students through innovative recruitment strategies and collaborative programming; International student mobility is a key aspect of the Internationalization at Home process, which is “the purposeful integration of international and intercultural dimensions into the formal and informal curriculum for all students, within domestic learning environments
- UD as a Global Knowledge Hub: Deepen UD’s relationship with international institutions, sponsoring organizations, and government agencies through strategic and sustainable partnerships that support student and faculty exchange, research collaboration, and global learning opportunities; UD must continue to focus on developing deeper, strategic relationships with global partners that align with the University’s thematic and regional focus, and ensure its presence across key regions.