Georgia State University opened its first International Center this month to provide a new focal point for its efforts to engage with the world.
The new center, which houses the Office of International Initiatives, is part of a university-wide strategy to embrace globalization and continue internationalizing the campus.
Georgia State said the move aims to bolster interaction between the campus community and international students, whose enrollment has jumped to 1,900 this year from 1,500 in 2011, with the biggest increases coming from India, China, Japan, Pakistan, Nigeria and Bangladesh.
The center is also to provide resources for students who plan to study abroad. Currently, nearly 900 Georgia State students are taking courses overseas, up from 635 in 2011.
Jun Liu, associate provost for international initiatives, said the center will help coordinate efforts across disciplines to help the university maximize resources. GSU targets its outreach to five strategic countries for which it has appointed faculty-led task forces: Turkey, South Africa, China, Brazil and Korea.
“I consider it a new momentum for Georgia State as we strive to reach distinction in globalization through more creative activities, collaborative events, innovative programs and deep partnerships in the years to come,” Dr. Liu told Global Atlanta in an email.
The center will offer meeting rooms for cultural events and workspace to accommodate international visitors, dignitaries and scholars. It’s a fitting time for the university, which this fall boasts its most internationally diverse student body ever.
An opening ceremony for the center was attended by representatives from the consulates and governments of Brazil, Mexico, Israel, Canada, Hungary, Japan, Czech Republic, Guyana, France, Turkey and Estonia.
See more about the center here:
More photos from the event:
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