Experts: Global boost strategy promising

Penn wants to raise its international profile, and according to experts from the University community and beyond, its plan for doing so is a good one.

The Task Force on Global Engagement presented four suggestions earlier this week to University President Amy Gutmann and Provost Ron Daniels about ways to improve Penn's global image.

Many administrators have said the initiatives will help achieve Gutmann's goal of a more international Penn, but others -- including the president -- have noted that the recommendations will require ambitious fundraising to become reality.

The initiatives "really are complex, and they're going to be a challenge," said JoAnn McCarthy, director of the Office of International Programs and vice chairwoman of the task force.

The suggestions include more scholarships for international students, a fund for short-term, globally focused projects, a program to bring world scholars and leaders to campus to teach with faculty and expanded financial aid for students who study abroad.

McCarthy called the implementation of the proposals a "huge financial commitment" but expressed confidence that, with the full support of the University, the necessary funds will be raised.

"Clearly we are going to have to start out slowly," McCarthy said. "This is going to take some resources that we don't currently have."

Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations John Zeller said it will take several weeks to develop a fundraising strategy.

Gutmann said that she is already planning fundraising projects for the new initiatives and has received some alumni donations for "Penn World Scholarships" for students from developing countries.

McCarthy said that, of the four proposals, the creation of Penn World Scholarships will be "the big story of the year" that gets the University the most international attention.

"People who always say 'Penn State' will start saying 'Penn,'" McCarthy said. "Making Penn accessible ... is one step closer to that name recognition that we deserve."

One immediate impact of enacting the proposals would be to tear down what McCarthy calls "institutional barriers preventing study abroad."

"We've set up a system that regulates against study abroad," she added, citing academic requirements that some courses be taken sequentially. "What we're talking about here is fixing that."

Allan Goodman, the president of the Institute of International Education -- a non-profit organization that seeks to encourage international educational dialogue -- praised Penn's efforts to globalize education.

"I think it's a great start and it's the right set of tracks to be on," Goodman said. "Having students come our way makes friends for the United States and builds cultural understanding."

Goodman said that the scholarship program could have long-range benefits for the United States as well as Penn.

"Initiatives like this are probably going to attract really smart people," he said. "You will discover when [someone] wins a Nobel Prize that it was the scholarship at Penn that brought them here and made the difference."

McCarthy said that despite the initial positive reactions, the road to implementation is a long one.

"None of us have any illusions as to how close we are to the finish line," McCarthy said. "This is a marathon, not a sprint."

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