When President Wallace Loh began his tenure at this university, one of his strategic priorities was internationalization. In his inaugural address, Loh vowed to deepen students’ global competencies; expand the curriculum’s global content; strengthen this university’s cross-border partnerships; bring the world to the campus by attracting more top undergraduate students from abroad; and project this university to the world by sending more students to study abroad.
Thus far, this editorial board feels Loh has done a sufficient job reaching out to foreign universities for partnerships by traveling and establishing ties overseas. One of his first steps as president was visiting China, where Loh reached out to seven universities and numerous leaders in Chinese higher education to strengthen bonds with that country. Most recently, Loh visited eight universities in India, where he worked to increase collaboration and create more opportunities abroad for students. Both trips were commendable, but neither has produced tangible benefits for students at this university – our daily lives don’t seem affected by what’s going on in China or India and so far, all of these partnerships only exist on paper.
Enter Ross Lewin, Loh’s newly appointed associate vice president for international affairs.
He has innovative plans to bring the effects of globalization to this community and expand on Loh’s strategic priorities.
Lewin said he hopes to bring more international students to this campus and work on developing faculty and staff exchanges with foreign institutions. Not only would this align with three of Loh’s initial goals – deepening students’ global competencies, expanding the curriculum’s global content and strengthening cross-border relationships – but it would allow students to gain a tangible global experience. Yes, on paper, a global education sounds appealing. But if administrators can provide the benefits of a global experience on the campus, the attraction could be even stronger.
Another of Lewin’s goals is to transform this institution into a “global hub of expertise” – which would mean students in Tydings Hall or the Physics Building could interact digitally with others all over the globe. Students would gather different perspectives and communicate with students they would otherwise have no interaction with. Lewin’s ideas centered around innovation on the campus seem like logical, plausible first steps – steps we hope he will see through.
Additionally, Lewin’s plan to explore the creation of an international summer school would provide a foundation for Loh’s partnerships. Students from around the world would come to this university to study, which would diversify the population on the campus and provide valuable connections for students – not to mention expand the university’s global image.
On the next level, Lewin wants to create stronger relationships with federal institutions in Washington. This obviously aligns with Loh’s goals, as he was named the chair of a new national Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council about a month ago. Yet Lewin’s specific dedication to forging ties with Washington – before beginning outreach abroad – shows promise; the first steps outside this university to the world should go right through the capital.
The last of Lewin’s proposals is to ensure this university gets more scholarship money for students to go abroad, and that the university’s partnerships provide opportunities for students in all departments. This would project the university to the world by sending more Terps to study abroad – Loh’s final inaugural goal – and would bridge the gap between Lewin’s proposals and Loh’s current international work.
Both administrators have similar ideas on this university’s international future, which isn’t surprising since Loh hired Lewin. If the two can successfully turn their plans into actions, students will certainly benefit – both here and across the globe.
