UW–Madison’s Division of International Studies has appointed Kimberly Coulter, PhD, as its first Worldwide University Network (WUN) administrative program manager. Assuming the first position of its kind in the United States, Coulter is tasked with heightening UW–Madison’s profile and engagement as a global public university.
I’m thrilled to be a part of the Division of International Studies and look forward to working with UW faculty and staff and WUN partners to strengthen our research capacities through international relationships,” says Coulter.
The Worldwide University Network is a consortium of 16 large research universities from Europe, North America, Southeast Asia, and Australia. WUN fosters international collaboration to advance knowledge and understanding on issues of global concern.
“We are delighted to welcome Kim to the Division,” says Gilles Bousquet, dean of the Division of International Studies. “Her position is a clear demonstration of UW–Madison’s commitment to providing its faculty, staff, and students—and really all Wisconsin residents—with access to critical international resources.”
UW-Madison was a founding member of WUN in 2000 under Chancellor John Wiley.
“WUN is an exciting international network of research universities that are tackling major research challenges and delivering instruction in areas that no one member could address alone,” UW–Madison Chancellor John Wiley has said. “WUN is helping to keep UW–Madison and Wisconsin at leading edges of research and teaching.”
Like her colleagues across the world, Coulter will foster and strengthen relations among UW–Madison researchers with other faculty and staff under the consortium of WUN to build strategic partnerships that tackle problems of global concern. In turn, her work creates value for UW–Madison and Wisconsin.
WUN provides “seed grants,” for example, to help faculty develop new research initiatives with WUN partners. Coulter will also administer online seminars, the Research Mobility Program (which allows researchers to visit partner institutions), and video-cast lecture series.
Coulter’s experience and expertise are a perfect fit for this innovative position; she studied and conducted research on film funding and production networks in Germany for three years under UW–Madison fellowships and German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) grants before returning to receive her doctorate in cultural and political geography in 2007. She lectured in UW–Madison’s Department of Geography before accepting the new position as the WUN administrative manager in the Division of International Studies.
This article is reproduced courtesy of Wisconsin Week.