Welcome to The University of Maryland's
Office of International Affairs (OIA).
At the turn of the 20th century, Professor Woodrow Wilson said that every man sent out from a university should be a man of his nation as well as a man of his time. At the beginning of the 21st century, we can say that every person sent out from a university should be a person of the world as well as a person of his or her time. Globalization is here, and with it, the globally connected university has arrived. -- UMD President Wallace D. Loh
The University of Maryland is a globally connected institution that places a high value on its worldwide reach and impact. UMD has over 300 formal partnerships with universities and governments overseas; its faculty hail from more than 130 countries; it is consistently named among the top 25 universities welcoming international students; and its President's Promise initiative strives to provide an international experience - whether via study abroad, an overseas internship, international service learning, or a campus-based intercultural learning program - for every UMD student. The further growth of UMD's international character and global connections is one of the three major initiatives established in its current Strategic Plan, Transforming Maryland: Higher Expectations.
OIA's mission is to enhance the international activities and character of UMD, by acting as the interface for students and faculty going abroad/coming to College Park; encouraging, advising, assisting, and coordinating the international components of UMD academic units, programs and initiatives; offering support to faculty via international travel & study abroad course development grants and awards for outstanding international achievement; and organizing programming to internationalize the outlook of UMD students, faculty and staff, to ultimately bring the resources of UMD to the world.
OIA includes the following units:
- International Services - supports incoming international students & scholars
- Education Abroad - administers academic programs overseas & aids in placement
- Confucius Institute - provides Chinese programming for UM and surrounding communities
- Maryland China Initiative - provides leadership training for Chinese professionals
News & Events
NEW! Maryland Social Entrepreneur Corps in Nicaragua
May 19-July 12, 2013
This summer, Maryland students are partnering with students from Georgetown and Duke as part of a well-established program initiated and run by Greg Van Kirk, Ashoka Fellow, Social Entrepreneur, former Peace Corp volunteer, and former investment banker. Greg Van Kirk will be in-residence at the Honors College in April 2013 teaching a mini-course for summer participants. Click here for more details.
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Announcing the new Global Semester in Washington, D.C.
- Gain international experience without leaving the country.
- Learn from the teaching and successes of expert practitioners in the field.
- Intern at international organizations, agencies, embassies, and more.
Apply now for the fall 2013 inaugural class of Global Semester in Washington, D.C. Click here for more details.
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Review the latest issue of Maryland International, the newsletter of the Office of International Affairs.
In this issue:
- Shaping Study Abroad Initiatives at UMD
- and much more!