Strengthening Global Engagement Amid Global Challenges

A note from the Associate Vice President of Global Education

It has been a challenging year for international education. We have seen travel bans that affect our international students and conflicts that make the decision to travel home or study abroad more complicated. It is also challenging (but rewarding) for Haenicke Institute for Global Education staff who seek to support our students during these times. I want to thank staff and reassure them that good work done in these circumstances means more.

This year the Haenicke Institute for Global Education (HIGE) made a decision to develop a three-year international student recruitment strategy. In its initial phase, it involved reviewing 10 years of enrollment data and meeting with campus partners to share what we found. This summer, WMU will, for the first time, host most of our international recruiting partners on campus to help us solidify and finalize the strategy.  

We also send WMU students out into the world every year. This year, nearly 500 students studied abroad on 78 programs in 27 countries. A shout out to WMU faculty who lead 24 study abroad programs giving our students the experience of a lifetime. HIGE also works with faculty to develop new international partnership agreements and to deepen long-standing partnerships around the globe. 

We continue to provide international experiences on campus with WMU Asian Initiatives and the Global Engagement Program. The GEP saw nearly 200 students participate in activities giving them the option to be globally engaged while remaining on campus. We also engaged the campus and Kalamazoo community through large scale events such as International Education Week, International Bazaar, Spring Gala and the Asian Forum.  

We look forward to next year!

Dr. Max

-Dr. Rosemary Max is the Associate Vice President of Global Education at WMU.