UW Welcomes New Chancellor With Global Vision [Message from the Dean]

Dear Friends,

As some of you may know, the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents recently named Dr. Biddy (Carolyn A.) Martin, provost of Cornell University, as the next chancellor of our campus.

We are delighted. Both Dr. Martin’s background and vision indicate that she understands how important it is for this great research university to sustain its global stature and to prepare globally competent citizens and leaders to whom we will entrust the fate of our planet.

A UW-Madison alum, Dr. Martin earned her PhD in German literature here in 1984. She sees a bright future for the campus, and recognizes the role a global public research university can play in addressing global challenges and improving the quality of life for all residents of Wisconsin.

“Despite all of the problems and challenges, there is an emerging knowledge economy across the globe,” says Dr. Martin. “Higher education has never been more important. The numbers make it apparent how absolutely critical UW-Madison is to the economic well-being of the state of Wisconsin.”

Her timing could not be better. This year select faculty and staff have worked hard to come up with a strategic plan for UW-Madison as it moves forward. They established “Creating Global Citizens” and “Shaping the Global Agenda” as two clear goals for our future. In rethinking the role of the public research university, the self-study team recommended a new place for Wisconsin in the world:

The responsibility of the UW-Madison in the twenty-first century to benefit both the people of Wisconsin and the global community represents a powerful opportunity to leverage alignments of local and global work. We envision an implementation of the Wisconsin Idea in which the state of Wisconsin becomes our laboratory for the world, and in which the world is our laboratory for Wisconsin. The research and education achievements of the UW-Madison on behalf of and in concert with the people of Wisconsin will be internationally recognized and respected.

We look forward to working with Chancellor Martin in ever improving UW-Madison’s reach and service to communities in Wisconsin, the nation, and around world.

Cordialement,

Gilles Bousquet

Message from the Dean: Winter 2008

Dear Friends,

My missive to you brings me back to early last summer, when I spent two weeks in Asia meeting with university and government representatives. Not only was this trip a marvelous way for me to connect with many international studies alumni, it also yielded several exciting initiatives involving East Asian studies.

Chancellor John Wiley and I traveled to Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul, and Toykyo. There, we signed new partnership agreements with top universities in the region, including Tsinghua University in Beijing and Seoul National University in South Korea. We also met with government officials and enjoyed gatherings of enthusiastic alumni in four cities.

I had the pleasure of meeting many Hong Kong graduates at the UW alumni reunion. I was grateful too, for the opportunity to talk with some of the members of UW’s Hong Kong Student Association, and we were able to reconnect back in Madison a few months later.

In Korea, I’m pleased to say, we finalized a $750,000 gift from the Korea Foundation to establish a permanent faculty position in Korean Studies to be housed in UW–Madison’s Department of History. This gift was matched by the College of Letters and Science.

WAA-Japan hosted a lively reception in Tokyo. There was an impressive number of alumni there, and though there certainly wasn’t enough time to acquaint myself with everyone, I did enjoy meeting quite a few of our Japanese alumni.

And let’s not overlook our great success this fall: the Royal Thai Embassy granted UW–Madison’s Center for Southeast Asian Studies nearly $100,000 to support Thai Studies at UW–Madison. This generous gift will enhance teaching and research on Thai history, culture and society through enhanced collections, frequent visiting scholars and the granting of educational certificates in the field. Click here for more information on the gift.

Happily, as the world becomes increasingly interdependent, our educational opportunities do as well.

Cordially,

Gilles Bousquet

Message from the Dean: Global Competence Task Force

Dear Friends,

Las month I spent two weeks in Asia meeting with university and government representatives and many of our alumni. I will report more on my trip and several exciting initiatives involving East Asian Studies in the next edition of E-International. But I wanted to once again share with you my conviction that UW-Madison is truly a global university and you, our alumni, key players in our education efforts around the world.

As dean of International Studies, I am responsible for accelerating internationalization, one of the campus’ five strategic priorities. And one of my most important jobs is to ensure that we educate globally focused students whose skills will serve the nation and the state, as well as help people around the world. So, I am especially pleased to announce that UW-Madison’s Provost Patrick Farrell has convened a Task Force on Global Competence.

This task force, chaired by Randall Dunham, a professor in the School of Business, includes representatives from the campus, government, and business. The task force will spend the 2007-2008 academic year developing a working definition of global competence for UW-Madison students and review opportunities available on campus to meet global competence goals. The Division of International Studies will facilitate exchanges with professional organizations engaged on this issue, such as the American Council on Education.

By next year, the task force will formulate recommendations regarding the skills, knowledge, and attitudes students will need to succeed in a global marketplace. The committee will also provide faculty and staff a framework to help them make global competence a reality among our students and in the community.

I view the task force as an exciting development as the university continues to play a leading role in educating the next generation of globally competent leaders. I look forward to updating you on the committee’s work and, as ever, encourage you to get in touch with me on this and other campus initiatives.

Cordially,
Gilles Bousquet
Dean of International Studies

Alumni and Friends Make the Difference

Thanks to the many and varied contributions of our alumni and friends, we are advancing internationalization across campus and beyond. A highlight this fall was an alumni and student gathering at the Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C. celebrating the success of the Washington D.C. Semester in International Affairs, now in its second year. This year, the program grew by 60%, from five students to eight. Alumni are truly at the heart of this program, providing internship opportunities, guest lectures, and overall program support and coordination.

Also this fall, the Dean of International Studies Advisory Board welcomed Richard Franklin, partner at Baker & McKenzie international law firm, as its new Chair. The Board is committed to advancing UW-Madison’s international education agenda and continues to provide valuable insight to the Division. In 2006 the Board focused on the global university, expanding the Wisconsin Idea across state and national borders, and fostering community-building among alumni groups.

Additionally, the Board has begun spearheading a fund-raising drive for graduate study and research abroad, helping students conduct field work and pre-dissertation research critical to their professional training. Expanding study abroad opportunities has been one of my highest priorities, and, thanks to you, we have made great strides. In 2006, we awarded over 30 study-abroad scholarships to UW-Madison undergraduate students. With the success of the fall 2006 telethon, administered by the UW Foundation, we have moved closer to our goal of providing 100 scholarships per year. Over 400 alumni, including many recent graduates, pledged $34,000 during the telethon, more than three times the amount pledged during a similar telethon two years ago. Overall, we received $360,000 in gifts and pledges toward study abroad in 2006, a terrific commemoration of the Year of Study Abroad, contributing to the $1.4 million in gifts and pledges that International Studies has received during Create the Future: The Wisconsin Campaign.

During the summer of 2006, seven UW-Madison students participated in the International Academic Internships Initiative, a pilot program. Alumni and friends provided internships at their companies in Japan and the Netherlands as well as financial support for the program, resulting in important experiences for both the students and the companies. To read more about the International Academic Internship Initiative, please see our accompanying E-International article. Together we are forging international networks, building a better world, and educating students to become globally competent citizens.

Please contact me to become involved in our efforts, or send me your comments at internationalstudies@uwalumni.com. Again, thank you for your outstanding commitment and support!

– Dean Gilles Bousquet

Message from the Dean

With the first 2006 edition of E-International, I would like to call your attention to a number of partnerships that came alive during the latter part of 2005. Relationships with UW-Madison schools, colleges and departments, alumni, and communities across the globe made the year unforgettable for International Studies, and have highlighted the Wisconsin Idea. Expanding these relationships and pursuing new collaborations remain among my highest priorities.

On September 1, five years after breaking ground on the project, astronomers released the first images from the South African Large Telescope (SALT) located on the edge of the Kalahari Desert. Chancellor Wiley traveled thousands of miles to participate in SALT’s inauguration, demonstrating by his participation in the ceremonies his conviction that global partnerships and knowledge transfer between cultures are essential elements of a UW-Madison education. The result of an international consortium that includes UW-Madison and other US institutions, South Africa, Germany, Poland and New Zealand, SALT is the largest optical telescope in the southern hemisphere, with the ability to record far distant galaxies and stars a billion times fainter than the naked eye can see.

Also in September, five UW-Madison undergraduates traveled to the nation’s capital to participate in International Studies’ first ever Washington DC Semester in International Affairs. By collaborating with UW-Madison alumni in the DC area, we were able to provide an opportunity for students to gain real-world experience in an internationally-focused agency, corporation, non-governmental organization, or embassy, such as the WHO Office to the World Bank and Voice of America. Thanks to the ongoing efforts of these dedicated alumni and UW faculty advisors, the program was, and I’m sure will continue to be, a great success. The students applauded the program, and we delight in knowing that their acquired skills will enrich their futures as well as benefit Wisconsin and the world. For the impressions of participant Ariane Strombom, please click here.

Our partnerships with South Africa and Washington DC came together at a memorable event at the South African Embassy in November, hosted by Ambassador Barbara Masekela. The event was extremely meaningful to me as students, staff, and alumni gathered together to celebrate UW-Madison’s role in internationalizing education. Ambassador Masekela spoke highly of UW-Madison’s strong relationship with South Africa, remarking on SALT, our educational exchange programs, and the role UW-Madison played in opposing racial apartheid in South Africa.

In December we inaugurated the Center for Global Health, a first-of-its kind partnership among the Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Veterinary Medicine, and the Division of International Studies. For more on the Center, go to <!– /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:”"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –>
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I am grateful for the meaningful partnerships that we have formed and look forward to expanding upon them, and creating new ones. By joining together with partners on and beyond campus, we can accelerate internationalization and educate globally competent citizens faster than any one of us can do alone.

–Gilles Bousquet, Dean, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of International Studies