B Y - H A N - P A R K

A world of influence The Delta Prize for Global Understanding, a new award created by UGA in partnership with Delta Air Lines, recognizes efforts to advance international cooperation. First recipients: Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. The prestigous Peabody Awards, administered since 1940 by the College of Journalism and Mass Communication, honor the best work of the broadcast and cable industry. The competition draws entries from around the world. A broad experience Study abroad and exchange programs are in place on four continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. In 1999, UGA bought a house near venerable Oxford University for a year-round residence program. Former U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk was a member of the UGA faculty from 1970 until his death in 1994. One of his legacies is the Dean Rusk Center for International and Comparative Law, which has become a leader in global legal studies. The center provides special expertise in international trade, environmental and admiralty law, human rights, and disarmament.

hen I came to UGA 30 years ago, the University was very parochial. There were very few Asians in the student body or on the faculty. Dean Rusk used his connections at the U.S. State Department to help me bring the first Chinese graduate student here in the mid-1980s, and I believe that Zhongi Wu, a doctoral student in political science, may have been the first Chinese citizen allowed out of the country to study something other than science.

That seems like ancient history now. As a new century dawns, Chinese students are the largest international contingent in the UGA student body, and under President Michael Adams' leadership international education and outreach have become an institutional priority. UGA students now study at places like Oxford University in England, and in Verona, Italy, where I helped establish a program under the auspices of the Center for the Study of Global Issues. Latin America, Africa, and Asia are also sites of new or expanding activities.

When they return to UGA after studying Spanish in Costa Rica, geology in Tanzania, or fabric design in Kyoto, students almost invariably describe studying abroad as a "life-altering experience." It should be. In today's global village, America is no longer independent from the rest of the world. To function in almost any occupation, our students must have an international perspective.

The same is true for UGA, which has instituted international outreach programs in all corners of the globe. Working with people in countries like Russia and China provides opportunities to demonstrate that political boundaries can be traversed and offers hope for mutual efforts to solve world problems. Today, we even have connections to politically isolated countries such as North Korea, whose scientists have come here to learn about agricultural research.

What a difference 30 years can make.

Back to Top . Up Front . Features . Alumni Profiles . Class Notes . Back to Current Issue