The importance of internationalization at Binghamton University

Katharine Krebs is director of international programs at Binghamton University. With a background in Spanish language and literature, and Latin American studies, she has extensive study-abroad program management experience in Spain, Latin America, the Middle East and Europe.

Transcript:
We could think about ourselves as a provincial, upstate New York university, but instead we see ourselves as a community of scholars and students engaged in the world, so that means that international topics pervade the curriculum. It means that faculty and students are out in the world. Faculty -- doing research, attending international conferences. Students -- volunteering abroad, studying abroad, doing internships abroad. Then there's an attitude here that we accept and welcome the diversity and the practice of different cultures that students bring with them. One of my favorite examples about that is that during the month of Ramadan, one of the Sodexo cooks gets up at 4 in the morning to cook breakfast for all the members of our community who wish to fast, and would like to have a hot breakfast before the sun rises.

I think the first characteristic of Binghamton that has enabled us to do this is the work of the faculty. The faculty has embraced our internationalization efforts wholeheartedly. They have created innovative programs. They've modified the curriculum. They support and encourage the students to study abroad.

Category:

Education

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• The
• importance
• of
• internationalization
• at
• Binghamton
• University
• Katharine
• Krebs

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