FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis has joined Generation Study Abroad, the Institute of International Education initiative to increase the number of American students who study abroad. IUPUI has pledged to increase the number of undergraduate students who study abroad by 25 percent over the next five years.
“IUPUI pledges to begin several new strategies to increase our study abroad participation, including a focus on curriculum integration, fundraising for scholarships and increase student outreach,” IUPUI Chancellor Charles R. Bantz said in a letter supporting IUPUI’s participation. “We believe that each of these strategies can have a positive impact on students’ decisions to study abroad.”
Fifty IUPUI study abroad programs operated in 2012-13. A record number of 11 study abroad programs ran during the just completed spring break, up from seven programs in 2013. In 2011-12, 387 IUPUI students participated in study abroad programs.
“More students at IUPUI are embracing study abroad as an opportunity to learn, to grow and to enhance their career opportunities,” said Stephanie Leslie, director of study abroad at IUPUI. “Increasing participation in study abroad is one of the important ways the IUPUI campus continues to become more globally engaged. Initiatives like Generation Study Abroad closely align with university strategic planning efforts.”
More than 150 higher education institutions from 41 U.S. states have signed the Generation Study Abroad commitment.
“Globalization has changed the way the world works, and employers are increasingly looking for workers who have international skills and expertise,” said Allan Goodman, president of the Institute of International Education. “Studying abroad must be viewed as an essential component of a college degree and critical to preparing future leaders.”