UNC posts highest study abroad rate among public research universities

CHAPEL HILL -- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill recorded the highest rate of undergraduates studying abroad among public research universities nationwide, according to Open Doors 2003, the latest annual report on global higher education published by the Institute of International Education.

The report showed that 1,075 Carolina undergraduates studied in other countries for academic credit during 2001-2002, the latest figures available for the study.

This rate represented 31.6 percent of the 3,407 undergraduate degrees awarded by the university that year, the highest rate for public research universities analyzed by the institute.

UNC was ranked 17th on the list of all research universities with high study abroad participation rates. The only other public research university in the top 20 was Georgia Institute of Technology (ranked 19^th with 30 percent participation). Leading the list was Yeshiva University (74.5 percent), followed by Georgetown University (52 percent), University of Notre Dame (50.6 percent) and Duke University (49.7 percent).

"These very encouraging figures reflect the strong emphasis we have put on internationalizing our curriculum and expanding international opportunities for our students over the past six years," said Dr. Richard Soloway, interim dean of UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences, which oversees the university’s study abroad programs.

"We recognize that a 21st century education requires a global perspective," he said. "As part of our public educational mission, we are committed to making study abroad accessible and affordable for as many students as possible and to increasing substantially the percentage of our undergraduates who take advantage of the exciting opportunities we now offer to study in various parts of the world."

The Office of Study Abroad in the college administers more than 230 programs in 64 countries.

"The incidents surrounding Sept. 11 apparently have awakened new student interest in international experiences," said Dr. Robert Miles, director of the study abroad office. "We offer a variety of innovative programs to respond to their interests and their diverse needs."

Carolina students can study in another country for a summer, a semester or an entire academic year. Some programs require foreign language proficiency while others are offered in English. There are even special programs to meet the complex course requirements for sciences students.

Students can also apply their financial aid toward study abroad, and some programs offer scholarships. For example, the Burch Fellowship Program provides stipends for undergraduate independent study projects anywhere in the world, with funding from alumnus Lucius Burch III.

The Robertson Scholars Program, a four-year joint scholarship program at Duke and UNC funded by Julian and Josie Robertson, includes financial support for international study. In addition, Carolina’s longstanding Morehead Awards scholarship program, supported by private funds, provides opportunities for students to study abroad.

University officials hope that new scholarships will further increase the study abroad participation rate. The Singapore Summer Immersion Program provides scholarships for 25 students a year to study in Asia during the summer before their sophomore year. The first group traveled to Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia last summer. The program is funded by a gift from Carolina alumnus Alston Gardner to the Carolina First campaign, the university’s $1.8 billion fund-raising effort.

The study abroad office also is collaborating with the School of International Training in Vermont to increase the diversity of students in the school’s study abroad programs, through the provision of $25,000 in scholarships for Carolina students in 2003.

Additional private funds are critical in order to expand study abroad opportunities to more Carolina students, said Miles.

The Institute of International Education is an independent, non-profit organization that promotes global higher education and professional exchange. Highlights of the Open Doors 2003 report are now available on-line at http://opendoors.iienetwork.org.

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College of Arts and Sciences contact: Dee Reid, 919-843-6339, dee_reid@unc.edu
News Services contact: Mike McFarland, 919-962-8593, mike_mcfarland@unc.edu