Washington State University is one of 12 colleges and universities participating in the American Council on Education’s 20th Internationalization Laboratory cohort, which provides customized guidance and insight to help higher education institutions achieve their global engagement goals.
With over 2,000 international students and scholars, growing numbers of students with study abroad experiences, alumni living around the world and working for global organizations and multiple successful global research and engagement projects, WSU is already a globally engaged university. Participation in the Internationalization Lab will build on this foundation to help WSU deepen its engagement and impact around the world. Specific areas of emphasis will include broadening curricular and co-curricular contributions to student preparation for a globally connected society and enhancing faculty and student mobility to allow for more global projects and learning opportunities.
WSU began working with the Lab officially at a Sept. 8 meeting held in Washington, D.C. and online, and will convene with the cohort twice more throughout its Lab journey. WSU’s internationalization team members will also connect with their peer participants regularly via frequent “Lab Chat” webinars that bring the community together for conversations, networking and shared learning opportunities to supplement their work.
“An essential part of our commitment to WSU students is to provide them with the education and experiences necessary to help them be successful in an increasingly interconnected world. ACE Lab will help us document and amplify the our global engagement in research, scholarship, and student experiences and skills.”
“A globally engaged university is imperative if we expect our students to compete on the world stage,” said Vice President for International Programs Asif Chaudhry. “WSU is engaged in academic, research and development collaborations around the world. ACE Lab will help us quantify the vast scope of our work abroad. With this knowledge, we can better allocate resources, leverage our presence and make a greater impact on the future wherever we are.”
The American Council on Education is a membership organization that mobilizes the higher education community to shape effective public policy and foster innovative, high-quality practice. As the major coordinating body for the nation’s colleges and universities, its strength lies in diverse membership of more than 1,700 colleges and universities, related associations, and other organizations in America and abroad. ACE is the only major higher education association to represent all types of U.S. accredited, degree-granting institutions: two-year and four-year, public and private.
