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International University

April 29, 2012

The Ohio State experience extends around the globe.

With more than 5,500 international students from 100-plus countries enrolled at Ohio State, a walk across campus can seem like a world tour. Add in 30 languages offered in more than 600 courses, and Ohio State feels like an international university.

Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee believes in a global Ohio State, and has called on all students to get a passport. “Nearly 2,000 of our undergraduate students are studying abroad every year—navigating unfamiliar corners of the world and gaining tremendous knowledge and skills in the process,” he says. The Office of International Affairs supports more than 100 study abroad programs, beckoning students to all seven continents.

It’s not just students who are broadening their horizons. More than two-thirds of Ohio State faculty have been involved in international professional activities, and over 800 courses with international content are taught.

As they learn life lessons in new lands, many globetrotting Buckeyes return with visually stunning evidence of their experiences. These photos are showcased annually in the International Photography Competition and Exhibition.

Officially, Ohio State’s global presence was established in 2010 when the university’s China Gateway office opened in Shanghai. The office provides a physical space for Ohio State to connect with Chinese scholars, recruit faculty and students, and collaborate with Ohio businesses working internationally.

A second gateway will open by spring 2012 in Mumbai, with other possibilities in Brazil, Turkey, sub-Saharan Africa, and Europe.

Here are some of President Gee’s thoughts on a borderless Ohio State experience:

From Where I Stand: “Passport to Possibilities”

November 14, 2011

“I have often said that Ohio State is a global institution. I believe that our most central mission is to create a place where knowledge and creativity are not confined by borders, a place where we can come together to share ideas, cultures, and opportunities. Just this week, a report came across my desk that further underscores the importance of higher education in providing a passport to the world and to new possibilities.”

Read more.