News Release

UNC leads public research universities in study abroad rate

CHAPEL HILL -- For the second consecutive year, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill had a higher rate of students going abroad than any other public research university nationwide, according to Open Doors 2004, the latest annual report of global higher education published by the Institute of International Education.

The report, published last month, stated that 1,426 UNC undergraduates studied in other countries for academic credit during 2002-2003, the latest year available for the study. This represents 34.6 percent of the 3,560 undergraduate degrees conferred (up from 31.6 percent the previous year), a higher rate than any other public research university.

UNC ranked seventh among all research universities for the total number of undergraduates going abroad. Leading that list were New York University (2,061 students going abroad), the University of California at Los Angeles (1,917) and Michigan State University (1,864).

UNC ranked 18 among all public and private research universities for the rate of students going abroad and was the only public institution in the top 20. Leading the list were Wake Forest University (57.8 percent), Georgetown University (55.3 percent) and Dartmouth College (54.4 percent).

"More than one-third of Carolina students are going abroad before they graduate," said Dr. Bernadette Gray-Little, dean of UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences, which oversees the Office of Study Abroad. "This is great news, but we intend to provide a global perspective for all of our students, through increased funding for study abroad scholarships, as well as international studies and programs on campus.

"Extending international opportunities to all undergraduates is a top priority for the university and a fundamental requirement for a 21^st-century education."

Last month, UNC was named one of five higher education institutions nationwide to receive the first Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization. The award, presented by NAFSA: Association of International Educators, recognized UNC for making innovative efforts to incorporate international approaches into campus learning.

Also last month, the College of Arts and Sciences celebrated the groundbreaking for the university’s new Global Education Center and announced three major gifts to enhance international educational opportunities:

• A $5 million bequest from an anonymous donor to provide study abroad scholarships for students from targeted North Carolina counties.
  
  
• A generous gift from Amy and Robert Brinkley of Charlotte, to support Asian studies through establishment of the Grier/Woods Presbyterian Asia Initiative. The initiative, named for family members who were Presbyterian missionaries in China during the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, will support scholarships for students to participate in an intensive Mandarin study program in Beijing, travel fellowships for faculty research and course development activities in Asia, and an additional lecturer in Mandarin language at UNC. Amy Woods Brinkley is a 1978 UNC graduate.
  
  
• A $600,000 gift from Anthony and Hope Harrington of Washington, D.C., to support Latin American studies through an annual visiting professorship for distinguished scholars and dignitaries from the region and study abroad scholarships for majors in Latin American studies. Tony Harrington, former U.S. ambassador to Brazil and a 1963 UNC graduate, is president of Stonebridge International, LLC, an international strategic advisory firm. The Harringtons’ gift and others are being matched by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, to create a $1.6 million endowment for the Institute of Latin American Studies.

The three new gifts are part of Carolina First, a comprehensive, multi-year private fund-raising effort to support Carolina’s vision of becoming the nation’s leading public university.

UNC has one of the largest and most innovative study abroad programs in the nation. The Office of Study Abroad offers 276 programs in 68 countries. UNC students can study in another country for a summer, a semester or an academic year. Some programs require foreign language proficiency, while others are offered in English. Students may participate in classes, research projects, independent studies and internships abroad. There are also special programs to meet the needs of science students.

"Today’s students are more interested in study abroad than ever before," said Dr. Robert Miles, director of the Office of Study Abroad. "We offer a wide range of programs to respond to their diverse interests and needs. We continue to seek scholarships and program funds to make it possible for even more of our students to go abroad."

When completed, the Global Education Center will bring together in one facility the three major components of international education: student services, academic programs and faculty research, including most of the international initiatives in the College of Arts and Sciences. The 80,000-square-foot-facility will include Study Abroad, the Curriculum in International and Area Studies, and seven centers focusing on studies of Asia, Africa, Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Middle East and Muslim civilizations. The building will also house the University Center for International Studies and the Institute for Advanced Research in International and Area Studies.

The Global Education Center is being funded by state bond revenues and private gifts. The College of Arts and Sciences plans to raise $7.5 million in private funds to complete the facility.

The Institute of International Education is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes global higher education and professional exchange. Highlights of the Open Doors 2004 report are available online at www.iie.org.

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Note: Contact Miles at (919) 962-7002.

College of Arts and Sciences contact: Dee Reid, (919) 843-6339