University of Missouri

University Communications

Spectrum

Volume 33, Number 5, October 2006

University serves as leader in international programs, Bennett reports

The University of Missouri is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its historic academic exchange with the University of the Western Cape in South Africa, and the University continues to be a global leader in international exchanges, Board of Curators Chair Angela Bennett reported at the Oct. 6 board meeting in Kansas City.

“The University of Missouri has more international initiatives than any other major university in the U.S.,” Bennett said. “This includes areas such as research, instruction, student exchanges, public service and economic development.”

The agreement with the University of the Western Cape, signed in 1986, was the first ever such agreement between a U.S. university and a historically black South African university. Since its inception, the program has sponsored more than 361 exchange visits, representing more than 40 academic disciplines.

Last year, a collaborative research effort between UM and the UWC resulted in a $4.4 million grant from a division of the National Institutes of Health to investigate African indigenous herbal medicines. In seeking the grant, the UM/UWC team competed against some of the best medical research groups in the world, including Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University and Columbia University.

Each campus also is engaged in global initiatives from student exchanges to departmental programs, fostering cooperation in teaching, research and service.

UM-Columbia has more than 400 international memorandums of understanding with universities from more than 70 nations, including Thailand, Japan and Russia. More than 800 students participated in University-sponsored study-abroad programs last year, up 58 percent from 2001. A relationship with the Republic of Korea dates back to the 1950s, when Harry S Truman announced scholarships for Korean students to attend UM-Columbia. This relationship has produced many prominent Korean UM-Columbia alums in business, academia and government, Bennett reported, making the campus alumni association in Seoul the largest international chapter.

UM-Kansas City students also participate in study abroad exchange or international programs; last year saw an increase of 68 percent from 2001. The School of Law at UM-Kansas City offers a summer program with Peking University in Beijing, China. At the Bloch School of Business and Public Administration, graduate students are required to visit international business centers to gain a better understanding of their practices.

In addition to 25 student exchange agreements, students and faculty at UM-Rolla are involved in the campus chapter of Engineers Without Borders. The chapter recently traveled to Guatemala and Bolivia to partner with those communities in building infrastructure such as water and sanitation systems and other engineering endeavors.

At UM-St. Louis, the International Business Program, a collaboration between the Honors College and College of Business Administration, has been ranked in the top 20 by U.S. News & World Report for the past four years. The Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center has become the premier institution for tropical ecology and biodiversity conservation with graduate students from more than 20 countries.

International students also bring a direct impact. “The international students on our four campuses have contributed more than $80 million to the economic growth and engine of Missouri,” Bennett said.

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