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About

WORLD: The David and Leighan Rinker Center for International Learning, which stands for World Outreach, Research, Learning and Development, is the guide and champion for the comprehensive internationalization of Stetson University in collaboration with partner offices at all of the university's locations. In Florida and around the world, WORLD: The David and Leighan Rinker Center for International Learning will:

  • Bring coherence to Stetson University's international initiatives;
  • Strengthen the university's trans-border collaborations;
  • Increase the global engagement of faculty;
  • Facilitate the internationalization of the curriculum;
  • Enhance the intercultural awareness, experiences and learning of all students, both domestic and international, on and off the U.S. campuses; and
  • Increase the overall quality of the academic enterprise by attracting a diverse and rich multicultural mixture of students, faculty and academic partners to Stetson University.

WORLD: The David and Leighan Center for International Learning will help advance the campus culture as an intercultural and transnational intellectual community, expanding the reach of Stetson University and sharing the university's knowledge with the world while bringing the world to the university. Stetson University will be seen as a global leader in higher education and international connectedness, its students noted for their global competency, and its administration respected for its execution of best practices, efficient compliance and attention to detail.

For the new WORLD: The David and Leighan Center for International Learning, the task is not only to keep pace with the university's growth -- it is to be an institutional catalyst providing the impetus to further expansion of Stetson University's international activities and the extension of its global reach.

However, it is Stetson University that is moving into the global arena, not solely WORLD: The David and Leighan Center for International Learning. It is the assets and resources of the university that bring value to the enterprise: the intellectual capital of our faculty; the energy, curiosity and diversity of our students; and the commitment of university staff and leadership.

See what WORLD is up to on our blog.

In conjunction with faculty, colleges and schools, WORLD: The David and Leighan Center for International Learning will help facilitate the expansion of Stetson University's global presence. This includes the development of partnerships locally, nationally and internationally that increase opportunities for our community to engage in global programs, as well as to welcome more international students and scholars to our campuses. We will host open houses and other forums for students, faculty and staff to provide input on how we can better provide services, as well as expand our global footprint.

If you are interested in the development of new programs or initiatives, please contact us at [email protected].

The global opportunities for research are ever-increasing, both for our faculty and our students. Collectively with others around the university, WORLD: The David and Leighan Rinker Center for International Learning will support the expansion of opportunities for our community to engage in research internationally. Examples include:

  • Joint research projects with partner institutions or faculty colleagues around the world;
  • Programs where our students can learn outside of the classroom, applying their academics to real-world situations;
  • Opportunities for increased research collaboration between Stetson University and foreign students, either on our campuses or around the world; and
  • Grants and other funding opportunities to support new initiatives across all areas of the university.

If you are interested in the development of new research programs or initiatives, please contact us at [email protected].

The core of any academic institution is learning. WORLD: The David and Leighan Center for International Learning will partner with faculty, departments, colleges and schools to increase the possibilities for our students to learn in an ever-expanding range of study abroad opportunities. These will include exchange partners, faculty-led programs, community engagement, research, and opportunities for dual or joint degrees. We will continue to build on our strength of foreign language acquisition in our programs, while also cultivating excellent programs with English as the predominant language. Central to Stetson University's core values, which include global citizenship, WORLD: The David and Leighan Rinker Center for International Learning will also work to increase the learning and co-curricular opportunities for our community on our campuses and in our surrounding communities. With partners on and off the campus, and including technology-facilitated interactions, we will implement new academic as well as co-curricular programs to enhance an inclusive and intercultural atmosphere on our campus.

Students interested in exploring the hundreds of study abroad programs are encouraged to review our online database at Stetson Abroad or email us at [email protected].

Stetson University has a network of partner universities and affiliated programs around the world. WORLD: The David and Leighan Center for International Learning will expand in geographic breadth as well as depth in certain academic or regional areas. In a continued effort to engage the entire campus community in the development of new and improved programs, WORLD: The David and Leighan Center for International Learning hosts university dialogues and initiatives, including:

The Stetson Significance Global Forum Series

A series of forums, each focused on a different geographic region of the world, to provide an opportunity for faculty to share with each other their:

  • Research ideas and ongoing projects,
  • Existing and desired institutional connections, and
  • Hoped-for initiatives.

Stetson Significance Global Focus

Jointly spear-headed, with the support of many other academic and support units on our campuses, Stetson Significance Global Focus will be an annual university focus on a geographic region as well as a pressing need of our world. We hope to engage in dialogue and programs that cut across geographic regions relating to the global need, as well as depth within the geographic region. Activities will be planned throughout the year to engage our entire community in diverse co-curricular programming, academic activities, study abroad programs and research relating to the region as well as area of need.

Additional programs will be developed to ensure that as WORLD: The David and Leighan Center for International Learning evolves, we will continue to provide exemplary service, efficient and transparent processes, and helpful and complete communication in all of our interactions with the campus community, its partners, and its constituents domestically and abroad.

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