St. Louis–based universities—including Wash. U., SLU, UMSL, and Webster, to name a few—offer study abroad programs that span the globe. Countries where programs are offered denoted in pink.
At one time, studying abroad was considered a luxury. “It was seen as an elite perk to be able to study abroad,” says Webster University president Elizabeth Stroble, “rather than a fundamental part of a student’s curriculum.”
That view is changing, though, as local universities look for new ways to educate students to be global citizens. Universities are expanding international opportunities both here (recruiting more international students and infusing global content into programs) and abroad (offering financial aid and expanding study abroad programs).
Six years ago, after long-term diplomacy, Webster University unveiled a campus in Accra, Ghana. “We knew that to open up the world to Webster students, we needed to be present in Africa,” says Stroble.
Looking back at both the campus’ inception and a recent visit, she thinks of the significance of firsts: Ghana was the first country on the African continent to gain independence. Webster was the first U.S. university to establish a fully accredited campus offering complete degrees in the country. The alumni she met on her visit were the first to graduate from Webster Ghana, and many were the first in their families to obtain degrees.
Today, the campus is home to more than 100 students, including those studying abroad and students from nine African countries, who can take courses in such areas as international relations, finance, and psychology.
“If you’re a student in public health or international relations, you will be much more prepared if you have had some experience with West Africa,” Stroble says, “because the challenges there are so important to solve.”
Such experiences help students better understand both the world and themselves. To be fully educated in the global economy, Stroble says, students must see how nations are connected socially and politically. At the same time, experiencing different cultures spurs students to reexamine their own ways of thinking, encouraging creative, critical thinking.
Beyond Ghana, Webster offers programs in myriad other international locations—in Europe, Asia, and the U.S.—and partners with about 50 U.S. universities to provide more students with such opportunities. (The university’s first international campus was created 40 years ago in Geneva, Switzerland.)
These programs help build connections around the globe. “Studying abroad is a quick way to learn more about a part of the world that isn’t part of your world here,” says Stroble, “but has historical ties to this country that are important to understand.”
Where St. Louis universities have established international programs:
The university has international education opportunities everywhere from Argentina to Zambia. Field-based learning puts nanotechnology education in South Korea, venture consulting in Israel, francophone studies in Senegal, and a multitude of other long- and short-term programs abroad, as well as programs for international students here in the U.S.
Students have their choice of 45 programs abroad, including those in Rome, Belgium, Madrid (attended by scholars from 65 countries each semester), and Vietnam.
University of Missouri–St. Louis
Beyond exchange and faculty-led programs abroad, the university nurtures international education at home through the UMSL Mosaic Ambassadors, affiliated with the St. Louis Mosaic Project, pairing international students with current students and recent graduates.
In addition to its location in Accra, Ghana, the university has six other campuses worldwide, including in Athens, Greece, and Bangkok, Thailand. For spring break, students can head to Quito, Ecuador, for faculty-led programs. And come summer, adventures abound in China, France, and beyond.
