The University of Arizona

1
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
ARIZONA
Richard C. Powell Vice President for Research and
Graduate Studies

• Institutional Profile
• - AAU
• - Land-Grant
• - Medical School
• - Research-14
• - Study Abroad-8
• Outline of Talk
• - Rationale
• - Examples
• - Challenges

2
RATIONALE FOR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS

• Global economy with internationalization of
  workforce
• (outsourcing, H1B visas, scientific research)
• US universities attract international students
• (best brightest fill high tech jobs)
• Cultural friendships
• Enhanced educational environment
• (3000 students 800 scholars 130 countries
  1700 UA faculty)

• International experience in curriculum
• success in a global society
• enhance image of US
• Examples at undergraduate, graduate and research
  levels

3
Gives undergraduate students an opportunity to
become part of the international community
by conducting research in another country.
BRAVO! is designed to

• promote international understanding by enabling
• students in the sciences to participate in
  research
• abroad related to the research they do at the
• University of Arizona, and

• advance collaborative projects involving UA
  biomedical
• behavioral scientists and scientists in
  other countries.

Funded by Howard Hughes Medical Institute, NIH
and NSF
4
BRAVO

• SINCE 1992 BRAVO HAS HAD
• 110 STUDENTS
• 23 COUNTRIES
• 61 PUBLICATIONS
• 65 PRESENTATIONS
• REVERSE VISITS BY
• - 15 FACULTY MEMBERS
• - 16 GRADUATE STUDENTS

Research Experience Selection Process Newsletter T
alk Ambassadors
5
INTERNATIONAL ARID LANDS CONSORTIUM
AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS IN 1989 AS AN INDEPENDENT
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION TO SUPPORT RESEARCH ON
ECOLOGICALLY SOUND DESERT MANAGEMENT
University of Arizona South
Dakota State University University of Illinois
Egypt Ministry of
Agriculture Texas AM
Jordan Council for Science New Mexico State
University Jewish National Fund Desert
Research Institute (Nevada)
6
INTERNATIONAL ARID LANDS CONSORTIUM
IALC has an outstanding record of research
achievement in problems such as desertification,
which know no borders, and can foster genuine
cooperative solutions.

• Peace Fellowships Program
• Provides opportunities for students to conduct
• arid lands research abroad and
• To contribute to the Middle East peace process
• Research Areas include
• - water management,
• - land use,
• - soil conservation, or
• - ecosystem processes.

7
LARGE BINOCULAR TELESCOPE
Largest, most scientifically advanced
ground-based telescope

• Two 8.5m primary mirrors
• Adaptive optics secondaries

LBT
PARTNERS University of Arizona Germany Italy Ohio
State University Research Corporation
8
LARGE BINOCULAR TELESCOPE
Located on Mt. Graham

• FACULTY EXCHANGES
• STUDENT EXCHANGES

9
OTHER INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS

• Geosciences - African Great Lakes
• Optics - Mexico
• Space Science ESA
• Sister Institution University of Florence

10
CHALLENGES

• VISA DELAYS
• Chinese post-doc
• German Scientist
• Visiting Scientists
• from Switzerland,
• Turkey, Jordan

Difficult to maintain a free, open exchange of
information and people
ITAR Canadian scholar MISPRECEPTION US DOES
NOT WELCOME INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AND
SCHOLARS - DECREASE IN FOREIGN STUDENT
ENROLLMENT
11
OPTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA (OSA)
15,000 MEMBERS, 33 NON US 50 COUNTRIES 61
AUTHORS NON US
DECREASE IN INTERNATIONAL ATTENDEES AT MEETINGS
12
CONCLUSIONS

• INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS AT
• UNIVERSITIES ARE IMPORTANT TO FUTURE
• ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS AND FOR
• SOLVING SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PROBLEMS
• SLOW, COMPLICATED, EXPENSIVE
• VISA PROCEDURES, REGISTRATION
• FEES (SEVIS) DETERRING FOREIGN
• STUDENTS SCHOLARS
• US LOSING ROLE AS PREFERRED
• DESTINATION FOR INTERNATIONAL
• STUDENTS (K-12 STATISTICS)