Goal 2: Expand our reach as a
global university
Purpose
We aim to expand UCLA’s role as a global hub and international gateway partner for Los Angeles and California. The world’s most pressing problems — from climate change to global conflict to infectious disease — know no national borders. We can only take them on by ensuring our students possess intercultural competence, strengthening international collaborations, and advancing research and creative activities between UCLA scholars and partners around the world. Since so many global issues have analogues in the diverse, international city of Los Angeles, we can use a “glocal” model to facilitate impact across both communities.
First-year priorities
Some of the near-term priorities for this goal include:
- Coordinate global activities across UCLA
- Convene a group of global advisors on campus
- Assess and document impacts of global engagement
- Develop an international communication strategy
- Internationalize UCLA curriculum
- Increase study abroad programs
- Solicit and fund globally engaged research
Expected Outcomes
Expanding our reach as a global university will:
- help students be more competitive for jobs and graduate programs;
- provide faculty opportunities for research and teaching collaborations;
- strengthen UCLA’s relationship with the L.A. international community;
- support solutions to city problems that are shared with global cities;
- offer alumni new ways to engage with UCLA;
- offer donors opportunities to support international initiatives; and
- provide international partners with exchange ideas in research, education and service.
Measures of success
Ways that we will define progress against this goal include:
- Increased awareness of UCLA’s “glocal” impact
- Diverse study abroad locations and enrollment
- Increased departments with study abroad programs and international programs
- Increased international alumni engagement
- Database of global engagement and research
- Increased international collaboration
Stories of impact
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Creating the global university: How Gene Block built bridges from Westwood to the world
A tireless traveler, UCLA’s outgoing chancellor has taken an in-person, hands-on approach to positioning the university as a major player on the international stage
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Professor David Kim receives 2024 Gold Shield Faculty Prize
The annual award honors a mid-career faculty member with a distinguished record of teaching, research and service
Implementation Planning Group
Lead: Cindy Fan, Vice Provost for International Studies and Global Engagement, UCLA International Institute
Charles Alexander, Associate Vice Provost for Student Diversity and Director, Academic Advancement Program
John Arboleda, Former Member, UCLA Alumni Association Board of Directors
Craig Ehrlich, Past Chair, UCLA Foundation Board of Directors and Member, 2017 Global Outreach Task Force
Marco Giovannini, Professor-in-Residence, Head and Neck Surgery and Chair, Academic Senate Committee on International Education
Vibha Gurunathan, UCLA Student and Executive Director, Global Development Lab
Kathryn Paul, Assistant Vice Provost and Director of Global Collaborations, UCLA International Institute
Jenn-Ming Yang, Associate Dean for International Initiatives and Online Programs, UCLA Samueli School of Engineering and Member, 2017 Global Outreach Task Force