Initiatives & Outreach

International

Washington University in St. Louis seeks to creatively address the opportunities and the challenges of our global society through developing our international networks and programs to benefit undergraduates, graduate and professional students and faculty.

The Office for International Students and Scholars is open to all students, faculty and researchers, and provides social, cultural and academic support, English language instruction, information on governmental regulations and facilitates cross-cultural understanding within the university and the St. Louis metropolitan area.

The Associate Vice Chancellor for International Affairs is the responsible university official regarding international programs.  Appointed to this position in 2009, Professor James V. Wertsch assists schools and departments in their effort to build the presence of Washington University around the world.  In addition to working with about 100 study abroad sites, as well as over 400 universities on various research efforts, the University is pursuing a more focused international strategy based on partnerships.  This model emphasizes collaborating with a core set of preferred, but not exclusive institutional partners in the McDonnell International Scholars Academy.  The first major Academy effort has been a series of international conferences on energy and environment, as well as pilot research projects involving collaboration with partner institutions.  Additional efforts are being planned for the future on topics such as public health.

McDonnell International Scholars Academy

The McDonnell International Scholars Academy is at the center of Washington University's strategy for globalization.  Created in 2005, the Academy has two core missions: recruiting and mentoring graduate and professional degree students from partner institutions as Academy "Scholars," and fostering collaborative research efforts with the partner institutions.  Selected on the basis of their potential for becoming future global leaders, Academy Scholars participate in special leadership programs while receiving full tuition and a living stipend for the time it takes to complete a graduate or professional degree at Washington University.  Many also have the opportunity to intern and be supported by corporate, foundation, and private sponsors.  In its effort to foster collaborative research efforts with its partner institutions, the Academy has organized three major meetings on the energy and environment and encourages collaboration on other topics as well.

College of Arts & Sciences Overseas Programs

The goal of international study through the College of Arts & Sciences is to encourage our students to acquire the broad cultural knowledge, the languages and the practical skills to enable them to participate fully in a global society. Offering over 100 programs in more than 50 countries, Overseas Programs offers students the opportunity to complement their degree programs while improving foreign language skills and immersing themselves in other cultures.

International Leadership Program

The International Leadership Program offers first year students in Arts & Sciences uniquely designed courses and special events to help them develop a global perspective and introduce them to a range of international opportunities. The program consists of core international studies coursework, a student community invested in global issues, and leadership projects to prepare students for leadership roles addressing international affairs on Washington University's campus and beyond.

First-Year Programs

The Focus Programs, offered to first-year students in Arts & Sciences, provide small group-oriented learning experiences with significant out-of-classroom activities. International Focus programs range from The Argentine Experience: Past and Present highlighting a trip to Buenos Aires over spring break, to Nationalism and Identity: The Making of Modern Europe which travels to Paris, Bonn and Berlin in May.

George Warren Brown School of Social Work

Washington University's Brown School, home to the university's social work and public health master's degree programs, is recognized for its international focus, which is reflected in the geographic and cultural diversity of its student body and the school's research portfolio. The school has research projects, student field placement opportunities, and international exchanges underway in every corner of the globe. 20% of the student body is international, with a large percentage of domestic students having lived, worked or volunteered abroad.

Each year students and faculty can participate in special international institutes held in China and India, where students can learn about critical social policy issues. Partners include Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Peking University in Beijing and Tata Institute for Social Sciences in Mumbai, India.

Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts Study Abroad Programs

The Sam Fox School currently runs programs in Europe, South America and Asia. Through these programs, our students learn to adapt culturally and professionally, develop sensitivity to place-based practices, and are equipped to practice in most countries of the world.

School of Engineering & Applied Science Study Abroad Programs

The School of Engineering & Applied Science views international study as an integral part of today's college experience. In addition to several semester-long study abroad opportunities in many disciplines and foreign languages, Engineering students have the opportunity to participate in a faculty-led, two-week international internship experiences. For example, juniors majoring in biomedical engineering may undertake a summer experience in Hong Kong. Accompanied by a Washington University in St. Louis biomedical engineering professor, these students live and study at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. During their stay, students complete short internships in rural China orphanages and hospitals. Students also have travel opportunities through the International Experience Program with the Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering.

In summer 2010, students visited India to meet with researchers at Indian Institute of Technology — Bombay and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences — both McDonnell International Scholars Academy partner institutions - to learn about global environmental issues. In 2008, faculty led students to China, where the group visited government air-quality monitoring stations and key state air pollution control laboratories.

Prior to the faculty-led international experiences, students participate seminars on history and politics, transcontinental transport of air pollution, environmental informatics and power supply in China.

School of Law - International Programs and Research

The School of Law is engaged in a number of research initiatives and institutional partnerships designed to present faculty and students with a wide range of international and comparative opportunities. The Whitney R. Harris World Law Institute is the law school's research center for international and comparative law, hosting conferences, inviting guest speakers, and coordinating global scholarships initiatives in areas related to global justice and international law. The Transnational Law Program is a consortium between WU Law and four European universities, offering students an intensive, four-year educational experience in the United States and Europe. The law school's annual Summer Institute for Global Justice brings American and European students together to study international law in The Netherlands, from top American and European judges, practitioners, and scholars. Students also have the opportunity to study international and comparative law from leading scholars, both in St. Louis and abroad, through one of twelve student exchange partners around the globe.

International Health at Washington University School of Medicine

Faculty, staff and students from the School of Medicine engage in an array of initiatives to advance human health on the global level. Among these are:

  • international electives and educational experiences for students, including collaborations through the Institute of Public Health,
  • organized efforts to provide care for the people of developing countries,
  • lectures and conferences focused on international public health,
  • research programs aimed at understanding, solving and preventing diseases and conditions related to international health, including issues such as malnutrition, infectious diseases, and congenital disorders.

Olin Business School International Study

At least one-third of Olin undergraduates study abroad – in France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain or the United Kingdom. Participants are juniors and seniors who are pursuing a business degree or a second major or a minor in business. At the graduate level, the Olin Business School offers the Executive MBA Shanghai program as a joint educational venture between the Olin Business School and the School of Management at Fudan University.