About Us

The International Institute is a joint venture of the College of Letters and Science and the Division of International Studies. The International Institute strengthens and prepares its members for the challenges facing area and international studies in the 21st century. It pioneers a new vision of international studies that integrates knowledge about local and global matters, connects the study of culture and politics, and promotes partnerships and collaboration in learning and research.

L&S and International Studies formed the International Institute in 1996. L&S is the largest academic unit at UW-Madison. Many area and international studies programs and all of the campus language departments are housed within L&S. The Division of International Studies encourages greater internationalization across the entire campus, coordinates international activity at the campus level, advises on international university linkages and partnerships, and manages several cross-college, interdisciplinary initiatives.

To learn more about the Institute's activities, please select from the following categories:

• Teaching
• Degrees & Certificates
• Research
• Outreach
• Partnerships
• Funding
• Administrative & Governance
• Staffing

Teaching

Over 400 faculty members from the UW's campuses and colleges are affiliated with the International Institute. Institute faculty participate in innovative curriculum projects that include the development of new interdisciplinary courses, capstone seminars, language programs, and course sharing with other institutions of higher education. The Institute is committed to developing cutting edge uses of instructional technology for classroom use, distance education and outreach. With the College of Letters and Science, the Institute trains students in over 65 languages. The Institute offers hundreds of non-language area and international studies courses each year. More than 950 students study abroad in over 70 countries each year on Institute programs.

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Degrees

Institute programs offer over 20 different undergraduate and graduate degrees, certificates, and concentrations, including BA, MA, and Ph.D. minors (click here for more information). Several Institute degrees and certificates are offered jointly with professional schools. In addition, Institute programs and faculty are developing new joint degrees, certificates, and capstone programs, including the Professional French Masters, a Graduate Certificate in European Studies, a certificate in Asian Studies, and a new PhD minor in Global Studies. Visiting international professors offer new courses that augment current degrees and programs.

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Research

Institute faculty and advanced graduate students engage in interdisciplinary research and study on area and global topics. Global Studies and the area studies programs train graduate students in research methodologies at the forefront of scholarship in area and international studies. WAGE frequently manages competitive faculty research award competitions to stimulate development of research and expertise on the global economy. The International Institute supports several interdisciplinary, cross-regional research circles comprised of faculty and graduate students working on issues of global significance. Participation is cross-college linking area and international studies to the humanities as well as the social sciences. Several circles are building global learning communities linking scholars around the world. The UW-Madison is a member of the Worldwide Universities Network, an international alliance of leading institutions of higher-education.

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Outreach

Outreach activities are central to the Institute's mission and a prominent aspect of the activities of the individual member programs of the Institue as well. The Institute enhances international education at the K-12 level through frequent teacher workshops, in-school programming, and instructional materials distribution. WAGE partners with Institute programs and faculty to provide workshops, executive briefings, and other information resources to Wisconsin in business and government.

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Partnerships

The Institute promotes cross-college cooperation through joint projects with major departments and other interdisciplinary programs such as women's studies, ethnic studies, and environmental studies. The Institute also works closely with other cross-campus partners, such as the Center for Global Health, the new Global Legal Studies Initiative, and the School of Business' Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) to deepen and increase teaching, research and outreach activities and programming. The Institute and its programs are members of numerous consortia with universities in the United States. To promote international partnerships, the Institute is developing global research networks through its research circles and creating exchange relationships with leading institutions around the world.

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Funding

The Institute and its programs are supported with funds from federal, state, foundation, and private funding. The Institute is recognized for its centers and programs, eight of which are Title VI National Resource Centers. Four Institute programs that together form the Europe Studies Alliance, have received awards that are among the most competitive and prestigious in the field of European Studies. UW-Madison’s ability to win all four competitions is a performance unmatched by any other university in the United States.

The institute facilitates applications, secures fellowship funding, and awards $1 million in graduate fellowships (e.g. FLAS, SSRC, Fulbrights, MacArthur Scholars, and others) to nearly 200 students every year. Each year International Academic Programs (IAP) awards over $200,000 in study abroad scholarships to UW-Madison undergraduates, some of which comes from a state-funded study abroad scholarship program for Wisconsin residents.

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Administration and Governance

Gilles Bousquet is the Dean of International Studies and Director of the International Institute. The International Institute Academic Planning Council represents the member programs, faculty, staff, and the research circles in the governance of the Institute. The APC meets monthly during the academic year and approves joint initiatives, oversees activities, and works with the IS and L&S Deans and Director to set policy and strategic goals.

Members of the Academic Planning Council

APC Meeting Minutes

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Staffing

Member programs with extramural funding employ trained professional staff with regional and topical experience to manage program specific activities and develop collaborative projects with other member programs. International Studies professional staff with backgrounds in area and international studies assist member programs and the Director by providing specialized services in the areas of communications, event and conference management, extramural grant preparation and management, information technology, outreach, public affairs, and private fund raising.

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