Growing Global Talent for Wisconsin and the World

All University of Wisconsin-Madison graduates, regardless of major, need the global skills, attitudes and knowledge essential to succeeding in an increasingly interconnected world.

UW-Madison is committed to educating globally aware leaders who will be entrusted with the future of our planet. And it provides Wisconsin businesses with the talent they need to remain competitive in a global marketplace.

The following are some examples of global educational opportunities that may be of interest to news media:

– International academic internships: By partnering with corporations both in and out of Wisconsin, the Division of International Studies has sent more than two dozen students on international academic internships, including some to overseas offices of Wisconsin-based businesses such as SC Johnson and Promega Corp. For more information, visit

http://www.scribd.com/full/3295739?access_key=key-2ias5reg8y63cbcwxb4x

http://internationalstudies.wordpress.com/?s=pasteur

CONTACT: Masarah Van Eyck, (608) 262-5590, mvaneyck2@international.wisc.edu

– Academic service learning opportunities: The Center for Global Health and College of Engineering offer service learning opportunities in countries like Uganda and El Salvador where they gain valuable international professional experience while helping to improve others’ quality of life.

CONTACT: Masarah Van Eyck, (608) 262-5590, mvaneyck2@international.wisc.edu

– Farming in France: Students in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences can intern for four weeks in the Loire Valley following four weeks of instruction in Angers. Past students interned at a horse breeding facility; on a dairy farm producing milk, cheese and yogurt; and studying grape culture.

CONTACT: Sharon Baumgartner, (608) 262-3673, studyabroad@cals.wisc.edu

– Language learning a key: Learning a language enables graduates to work more effectively in diverse workplaces. UW-Madison offers instruction in more than 60 modern languages, including those languages identified as “critical” for national security in 2006 by the U.S. Department of State: Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Hindi, Persian and Urdu. Recent UW-Madison alumni who studied those and other languages are using their language skills in international careers in Wisconsin and around the world. For more information, visit http://www.news.wisc.edu/14259.

CONTACT: Dianna Murphy, (608) 262-1575, diannamurphy@wisc.edu

– Global Competence Task Force: In spring 2007, Provost Patrick Farrell convened a task force devoted to accelerating internationalization in campus curriculum and climate. Chaired by Professor Randy Dunham in the School of Business, the task force will publish its results this fall.

CONTACT: Marianne Bird Bear, (608) 262-1335, mtbirdbear@international.wisc.edu

– Fostering stem cell discussion: Discussions on Advancing Regenerative Technology (DART) was founded in 2007 by UW-Madison undergraduate Adam Ericsen. This student-run organization parallels the research and principals of UW-Madison’s world-renowned stem cell scientists. In addition to education and outreach, DART pursues international research perspectives and opportunities. For more information, visit http://internationalstudies.wordpress.com/2008/06/09/international-exposure-leads-uw-student-to-form-innovative-student-group-on-stem-cell-research/

CONTACT: Adam Ericson, (262) 751-1816, ericson@iwsc.edu

– Wisconsin high school teachers to visit Rwanda: The U.S. Department of Education has awarded UW-Madison’s African Studies Program with a Fulbright-Hays award to lead a group of 15 Wisconsin high school teachers and curriculum planners to Rwanda in the summer of 2009. They will design five learning expeditions on the theme of youth and development.

CONTACT: Jim Delehanty, (608) 262-4458, jmdeleha@wisc.edu

– Giving Wisconsin’s public health a global perspective: The Center for Global Health offers students in nursing, pharmacy and medicine the opportunity to take faculty-led field courses in Ecuador, Uganda and Thailand, as well as independent international field study. By observing how local infrastructures and cultures impact an individual’s health they become better health care providers back home. Global health students serve both locally and globally; in addition to working for international groups such as the World Health Organization, students have taken global lessons home to serve diverse populations in Madison, Milwaukee and rural Wisconsin. For more information, visit

http://internationalexperience.wordpress.com/2008/08/07/cynthia-l-haq-md-and-the-power-of-global-public-health/

CONTACT: Lori DiPrete Brown, (608) 262-4801, dipretebrown@wisc.edu

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