UNC looks to expand international mission

Taking a trip down Tobacco Road offers those in the driver's seat a traditionally Southern view of Chapel Hill's long-held stereotype as a quaint, self-contained college town.

But once that trip meanders around the corner of McCauley and Pittsboro streets, a new road sign will appear: "Welcome to Carolina, Welcome to the World."

The Global Education Center will stand in this location as the physical representation of the University's efforts to become the world's leading institution of higher education.

"Internationalization is one of the single most defining characteristics of a University in the 21st century," said Chancellor James Moeser. "Our aspiration is that every Carolina undergraduate student will have a significant experience abroad."

Testaments to this ambition abound. The University now ranks in the top tier among national research universities for the number of students it sends to study abroad, according to the Open Doors annual survey of international education, which is part of the Institute of International Education Network.

But there still is a long path to travel before the University's final destination is reached.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Friday for the Global Education Center - a $31 million, 80,000-square-foot complex - that will further the University's push toward internationalization.

The center will aim to educate world, national and University leaders about the international issues that face virtually every realm of UNC's academic agenda: public health, medical breakthroughs and arts and sciences.

"This center will be another gem in our collection," said Richard "Stick" Williams, chairman of the UNC Board of Trustees.

But in Moeser's mind, a greater goal exists.

"The building is key, but it is what will go on in this building that is truly significant," he said.

Slated for completion in two years, the center will serve as a melting pot for all campus initiatives in the international arena of teaching, research and public service.

The key is to circulate ideas and personnel globally by forming strategic alliances with the most renowned international institutions, said Peter Coclanis, associate provost for international affairs.

A pan-committee with other global institutions already has been formed and includes King's College London, the National University of Singapore and Fudan University in Shanghai.

Through these joint partnerships, research grants for particular projects will be distributed, study abroad programs will be dually managed and operated, and an exchange of faculty and students will take place.

UNC has reached beyond its normal constituent base of local universities focused on regional agendas to capture the interest of institutions in other countries.

Because of the United States' transformation into a global economy, center officials will try to make students, faculty and the community more globally minded.

"Our state and nation will be left behind if we don't do this," Coclanis said.

Awareness starts with exposure, said Marjorie Crowell, assistant provost for international affairs.

Providing the campus with greater energy, the center will function like any other academic building.

"Having a new University-wide office of international affairs will greatly help all of these initiatives take off," Crowell said.

Students who did not consider any international involvement before might become intrigued by what their new learning environment has to offer.

"There is no such thing as a

No. 1 national university," Coclanis said. "There will most likely be 50 great international universities out there in the years to come, and we can be one of them."

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.