Benefits of an Internationalized Faculty

Portland State University has formal agreements with a number of universities and institutes around the world. While the focus of our exchange efforts is often on providing our students with international educational opportunities, nearly all have the capacity to involve greater numbers of faculty members, as well. Indeed, the academic experience abroad is not just for students. The office of International Affairs offers a number of wonderful opportunities for faculty members to see and learn around the world.

Faculty exchanges, which often include both teaching and research, strengthen our relationships with our partner institutions and move us a great deal closer to providing graduates of PSU with the global competence that the world now demands.

The benefits of an internationalized faculty are many. Faculty return to PSU

• Re-energized
  
• Updated, more collaborative
  
• Less Americo-centric
  
• More realistic
  
• More motivated and motivating as well as ready to mobilize
  
• Better connected to the field and to the students
  
• Comfortable with, reveling in and seeking out diversity
  
• More interdisciplinary
  
• Better able to create global competence in their students
  

If you are a faculty member who is interested in pursuing global engagement to a greater degree, please peruse our website, look at our other faculty links and/or contact the Director for Education Abroad, Ron Witczak, witczakr@pdx.edu