Associate Professor Caroline Kuo, right, works with a team studying the family dynamics of the HIV epidemic in South Africa. The country is one of many field sites where students in the Global Public Health Master’s degree program can gain field experience — and is one of the many opportunities at Brown for students to study and research in countries across the globe.
Andrew Naysmith
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — In recognition of its comprehensive array of globally focused initiatives and programs, Brown University has been awarded a 2019 Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization by NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the world's largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education.
Brown was one of five U.S. institutions to receive the annual award, which goes to colleges and universities that demonstrate overall excellence, innovation and creativity in integrating international education throughout all facets their campuses. Three other institutions won “Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award” for specific initiatives.
“Brown University’s expansive approach to campus collaboration and efforts to consolidate international activities and global-facing offices under the Global Brown umbrella stood out in terms of its successful strategic internationalization,” said Dorothea Antonio, NAFSA’s deputy executive director of knowledge development.
Since its launch in 2016, the Global Brown initiative has spearheaded collaborative efforts to advance strategies for globally focused research and education across the University. Brown’s selection for the award comes in recognition of partnerships with universities across the globe, myriad opportunities for study and research abroad and efforts to build community among Brown’s more than 2,000 international students and scholars.
Shankar Prasad, Brown’s deputy provost for global engagement and strategic initiatives, said that while many schools focus efforts on building physical campuses in other countries, Brown has instead leveraged partnerships both within the local community and abroad to embed an emphasis on global engagement throughout the University’s academic endeavors.
“We are proud that NAFSA has recognized our innovative and collaborative work to prepare each of our students to engage and lead in an increasingly complex global world,” Prasad said. “At Brown, we are forging partnerships around the world that help advance faculty research and student learning — and attract the brightest students and scholars to our campus from more than 120 countries. The award also recognizes our unique and intentional approach to creating a more inclusive and welcoming environment on our campus that celebrates our global diversity through a framework of cultural humility.”
NAFSA’s internationalization award is named after the late U.S. Sen. Paul Simon, who was a strong advocate for international education and cross-cultural learning. Esther D. Brimmer, NAFSA’s executive director and CEO, said that is it is vital for today’s students to have the tools and experiences necessary to thrive in an increasingly interconnected global community.
“These eight institutions stand as excellent examples of how U.S. universities and colleges can effectively provide opportunities for cross-cultural competency using a varied set of methods,” Brimmer said. “There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to internationalization. With institutions like these continuing to strive to incorporate creatively global perspectives onto their campuses, I am confident we can prepare our students to succeed and ultimately strengthen ties around the world.”
Institutions selected for the Simon Awards will be featured in NAFSA's report, “Internationalizing the Campus: Profiles of Success at Colleges and Universities,” to be published this fall, and honored at an event in Washington, D.C., during International Education Week in November.