International Award Spotlight: The University of California, San Diego

In recognition of their extraordinary global engagement efforts, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities named Arizona State University; the University of California, San Diego; The Ohio State University; and the University of Minnesota as finalists for its inaugural Institutional Award for Global Learning, Research & Engagement. The award recognizes institutions at the leading edge of inclusive and comprehensive efforts to internationalize their campuses. The winner will be announced during the 2016 APLU Annual Meeting November 13-15 in Austin, Texas.

The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) is a student-centered, research-focused, service-oriented public university. Global learning, research and engagement are part of its DNA. Its location — on the U.S.-Mexico border, looking out on the Pacific Rim — inspires global perspectives. Its ethos is collaborative, inclusive and entrepreneurial.

UC San Diego’s founder, Roger Revelle, envisioned a “complex open system” in which the free exchange of information and ideas leads to innovation. Following Revelle’s lead, the university has consciously fostered a problem-oriented and multidisciplinary culture. This spirit is sustained by a set of strong, interlocking and flexible institutions, providing multiple associated sites of campus and community leadership. From the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the School of Global Policy to the Strategy to the Global Health Institute and the Policy Design and Evaluation Lab, UC San Diego has empowered innovators to understand and address the world’s most difficult challenges. Its global strategy does not rest on a comprehensive blueprint, nor does it entail building campuses abroad. Instead, UC San Diego has invested in global partnerships and shared platforms that enable collaborative research, education and action.

This strategy has yielded impressive results. One-fifth of UC San Diego’s 26,000 undergraduates study abroad before graduating. Nearly half of its 5,000 graduate students are citizens of another country. UC San Diego ranks sixth among institutions hosting international scholars, and has 164 current MOUs and agreements with 147 unique international partners. No less important is the fact that for six consecutive years it has been ranked first in the nation by Washington Monthly for its positive impact on social mobility and civic engagement. Locally and globally, UC San Diego is a transformative institution.