Internationalization and Diversification of Graduate Education
A Message from the Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School
Eva J. Pell
August 11, 2003
Each year I select a topic to use as a platform to address the Graduate Student body. In the last few years, that message has been delivered at the Convocation held on the Sunday before classes start. This year, our welcome will be more informal and thus, I am choosing to communicate with you through this message.
For many years, the United States of America thought of itself as a melting pot of races and ethnicities. That image is no longer considered the best depiction of our national profile. Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States, provided a more apt portrayal of the populace of this country when he said, "We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams." If you have ever dabbled in Indian (subcontinental) cooking, you have come upon garam masala, a pungent and aromatic mixture of ground spices. In the recipes I have used, you add this spice late in the cooking process to bring out the full flavor of your dish. Before adding the garam masala, your dish may be quite pleasing, but this blend of spices is what really brings it to its ultimate potential. So it is with the nature of the American experiment; a blend of people bringing different traditions and perspectives to form a nation with great intellectual capacity, and further potential yet to be realized.
When we compare the complexities in today's world, with those of only 30 or 40 years ago, the contrast becomes almost overwhelming. Less than half a century ago the United States viewed itself as the center of most academic pursuits; the economic center of the world; and one of two political superpowers globally. Today, we still possess great strength intellectually, economically and militarily, but we are not alone. It is clear that to maintain our capacity for growth will require viewing our partnerships with the rest of the world in a different way. I am writing to you today, international and domestic students alike, to discuss some of the challenges we face and to challenge you to consider your part in world. First I will talk about the role that international students play in the Penn State University environment, followed by a discussion of the reason that all of our students should consider international dimensions to their research and scholarship.
For many years, most graduate schools in the United States have been populated by students from all over the world. Here at Penn State, close to 140 different countries are represented in our graduate student population. There is inherent benefit in bringing such talented individuals into our graduate school environment. Recruiting these individuals to work on research projects that will lead to important benefits for society is of intrinsic benefit to this nation and to the world. Once these students receive their degrees, they usually take one of two paths. Some of these individuals return to their home countries, taking back with them an expanded knowledge base and capacity in their chosen fields; the professional and personal contacts retained with colleagues here in the U.S. foster long-term collaborations. In cases where the countries suffer from underdeveloped economies, these individuals will help to improve the status of their home countries. That contribution to economic growth will positively impact the stability of the entire globe.
We recognize that some subset of international students find opportunities to stay in this country for many years, often eventually becoming citizens. The role that this group plays in our "mosaic" cannot be overstated. We all know that bodies of water become stagnant if they do not get a regular influx of fresh water; without this refreshing, the oxygen becomes depleted from the pond and all that lives in it will die. It is similar with our great nation. The evolution of this country depends upon that constant refreshing of the stream of intellectual capacity. And those international students who eventually make their homes here contribute to the influx of oxygen and nutrients necessary for the healthy life of our society.
One of the other positive dimensions associated with a heterogeneous population of graduate students relates to the local impact on individual laboratories. Here, I must reflect upon my own experience running a research laboratory in the department of Plant Pathology for more than 25 years. At any given time, I can remember lab groups that consisted of students, postdocs and research assistants from Iowa, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, along with members from the countries of Columbia, Morocco, Norway, Finland, the Ukraine, Puerto Rico, and Taiwan. What an enriching experience these individuals brought to each other, and certainly to me. It is not just that we had the best potluck parties (luncheons or dinners where everyone prepared their favorite dish) but we learned so much from the experiences each brought to the table. In my lab we worked on the effects of air pollution on plants. The international members of the team shared much with us, including the nature of the air pollution problems in their countries, the political approach to these problems, the geography of their countries and how that impacted the manifestation of the problems, etc. And finally, something quite intangible; the approach to research is influenced by culture. There is really no right or wrong way to approach research. Interesting and unexpected solutions arise when investigators who study problems side by side, come to the table with diverse life experiences and motivations for finding answers to challenging questions.
While much of what has already been said is obvious, it is also true that despite the benefits to maintaining a heterogeneous graduate student body, we find ourselves in challenging times. Even prior to September 11, 2001 we discovered that international students seeking visas to come and study in U.S. graduate schools were encountering significant roadblocks. Since September 11, the problems have escalated. Our nation was the subject of a devastating attack, precipitated by enmities that have nothing to do with international graduate students. However, as a result of these attacks, our country had to become more vigilant than had previously been the case. A new tracking Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), which had been in the development stages for some time, was implemented more rapidly than originally intended, introducing unanticipated problems. Interviewing requirements, as mandated by the State Department, have become yet another step in the process of securing visas, resulting in protracted delays. These new screening requirements have led to the unintended problems being experienced by international students seeking timely entrance into the United States. I share this with you for several reasons. First, to assure you that those of us in higher education are working very hard to communicate these problems to the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, our embassies and the State Department. Many of the problems encountered are "fixable", and with time should be resolved. Second, and more important, is to stress that impediments encountered by international students as they seek appropriate visa status should not be construed as a lack of interest and enthusiasm by the University. U.S. universities in general, and Penn State University, in particular, are delighted to have international students as part of our community for all the reasons I have articulated earlier in this essay.
Up to this point, I have focused on the role that international students play in our graduate school community and in the fabric of our country. But that is only half the story. Historically, once individuals settled in North America, they quickly became somewhat isolated. This was easy given the geographic distance between the New World and the continents from which these settlers originated. Furthermore, the U.S. was such a large and fertile country; there was little need to glance across the oceans to the east or to the west, unless you were very adventurous. But those were in the days before air travel, cellular communication, the internet, and all the other elements of modern technology that make ours a global economy, where the distance between nations is shrinking daily and international interdependence is the modus operandi. At the undergraduate level, there is increased emphasis on programs that enhance students' cultural experiences. Study abroad is strongly encouraged of our undergraduate students. These experiences allow students to live overseas with all the relevant benefits. At the graduate level, international opportunities are increasing but are still the exception. That said, the benefits are as great or greater than for undergraduate students. As I suggested to you earlier, international students functioning in U.S. laboratories help broaden and diversify our scholarly perspective. For those graduate students who find themselves conducting research abroad, they learn something about the way other cultures approach research that is difficult, if not impossible to learn when ensconced in the American environment. Furthermore, there are problems that simply cannot be studied while sitting in a typical laboratory setting in an American university; you have to see the problem first hand.
As you contemplate your individual programs and dissertation topics, give some thought to whether an international component might make sense for you. There are a variety of opportunities for you to consider and I raise several here as food for thought. The Fulbright fellowship program is a long-standing program that was initiated at the end of the Second World War in order to increase the understanding of our world. This program is available to graduate students with interest in studying in countries supported by the Fulbright program. A number of years ago, one of the doctoral students in my laboratory won a Fulbright fellowship, which allowed her to study in Germany for a year. The laboratory we identified was that of colleague's. As such, she was able to continue her doctoral research, learn some techniques that we did not have in our laboratory at Penn State; and most importantly, conduct research in a very different environment. This student had the chance to present seminars throughout Germany. When she returned, it was with added self-confidence, a deeper realization of the differences in the way different cultures conduct research, a publication generated through work she conducted in Germany, and heightened visibility for her and for our laboratory. Other opportunities similar to those provided by the Fulbright program are becoming available through collaborations between Penn State faculty and researchers at other institutions around the world.
Several years ago, Penn State University became a founding member of the World Wide University Network (WUN). This organization began as a consortium of British and American Universities, including the Universities of Bristol, Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, Southampton and York, along with the Universities of California, San Diego, Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, Penn State, Wisconsin, Madison, and Washington. Recently, the Universities of Nanjing and Zhejiang have joined WUN, and several other European schools are slated to become members very soon. This network was established to promote globalization of education through distance education, graduate student exchanges and research collaborations. Penn State has allocated funds to support short-term graduate student exchanges. As an example, a doctoral student from Penn State spent last fall semester at the University of York. This student's research is in the area of policy related to children, youth, and families. It is hoped that her research will help to establish longer-term connections in social policy between researchers in the UK and at Penn State. Similarly, two PhD students in our internationally acclaimed Acoustics Intercollege Graduate Degree Program spent last fall semester at the University of Southampton's Institute for Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR).
As you all are well aware, graduate school is by definition a very intense form of study. Thus, as graduate students you need to maintain your focus, and cannot engage in study abroad simply for the socialization elements. However, for some of you, the opportunities presented by the Fulbright program, WUN, or more informal collaborations between your professors and colleagues overseas will be worthy of your consideration. For some of you, the career of choice is very clear; you plan to be a professor at a research university, or at a small college that emphasizes teaching. Some of you have targeted industry or government as the employer of choice. For others of you, this page in your future is still unwritten. Regardless of acuity of your long distance vision, you may find that career opportunities will present themselves to you that are currently unforeseen. In an ever-evolving world, the possibility that many of you will enter into careers that necessitate interactions beyond the borders of your disciplines and the geographic borders of our country are great. An international dimension to your education may prepare you for a broader suite of opportunities.
The focus of this essay has been on issues related to international elements of graduate education. Implicit in this discussion is the notion that diversity, both of our graduate student population and of opportunities, contributes immeasurably to the sum total of our experience. All those issues that speak to the value of heterogeneity within the graduate student community pertain to the graduate student body at large. The signal event of the recent Supreme Court decision reaffirms for us the merits of diversity within our domestic population of graduate students. In reading the opinion handed down by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, there are several excerpts that are applicable to the themes I have shared with you in these pages. When speaking of the educational benefits of diversity espoused by the University of Michigan, Justice O'Connor says.
"...These benefits are "important and laudable." Because "classroom discussion is livelier, more spirited, and simply more enlightening and interesting" when the students have "the greatest possible variety of backgrounds.""
Justice O'Connor goes on to cite as compelling, the claims of the Michigan Law School that:
"...numerous studies show that student body diversity promotes learning outcomes, and "better prepares students for an increasingly diverse workforce and society and better prepares them as professionals.""
I will close by welcoming all of you - domestic students, international students, those from majority and minority groups. The years you spend at Penn State University may well bring you into contact with the most diverse group of people you will ever encounter. Learn from each other and savor the unique stories that, when assembled in one large volume, form a great anthology.