The President’s International Programs Task Force determined that global initiatives must permeate the culture of the entire university and that a global strategy with identifiable goals and valid assessment are necessary for Ohio State to reach its international potential. Provost Alutto indicates in his recent keyNotes newsletter that a small work group, which includes the Office of International Affairs, already is working toward defining the next steps in the process.

One aspect of achieving internationalization is developing "long-term, multidisciplinary partnerships," the work group determined. These partnerships should involve shared research projects, exchanges between faculty and students alike with universities around the world, as well as collaborations among colleges and departments right here at Ohio State.

The Office of International Affairs serves as the institutional anchor for enhancing and disseminating knowledge about the regions, cultures, languages and significant issues of the world. We recently developed a new mission and vision statement that outlines our day-to-day activities and identifies where we see ourselves in the future.

It is our goal to add value to the internationalization of the university and provide a platform through which students, faculty and staff of Ohio State and its partners can take advantage of international opportunities in learning and research at home and around the globe.

Dieter Wanner
Interim Associate Provost
Office of International Affairs