New blog chronicles global reach of students, faculty
To celebrate International Education Week (Nov. 17-21), the Division of International Studies has launched its Badgers Abroad Blog, an easy-to-access, searchable compendium of UW–Madison’s presence around the world.
The Badgers Abroad Blog posts entries by students presently abroad, serving to prepare new study abroad participants for their own travels. It also provides a space for faculty, graduate students and alumni to highlight their international reach and the university’s presence in the global community.
“I’m glad that students will benefit from having a glimpse into my experiences,” says Ben Hesprich, who posted about his time in India and Spain. “Hopefully it will ease some of the anxiety before departing — I know it would have for me.”
The Wisconsin Experience doesn’t just happen on the UW–Madison campus. Each day, hundreds of students and faculty engage in service and scholarship in dozens of countries. Last year, approximately 1,900 UW–Madison students participated in one of the 223 study abroad programs in 51 countries offered by the university — up about 14 percent from the year before.
“UW-Madison is committed to preparing its students for study abroad,” says Rob Howell, director of International Academic Programs, the largest, central study abroad office on campus. “The Badgers Abroad Blog is an ideal way to harness technology for this purpose.”
“When we launched the Badgers Abroad Blog we had no idea it would attract such a large readership,” says Gilles Bousquet, dean of the Division of International Studies. “This illustrates the commitment of UW students and faculty to international education, research and service.”
Students, faculty and alumni are invited to post to the blog. Visit this site for guidelines.
With its robust study abroad participation, instruction in more than 60 modern languages and cultures, and almost 20 international certificates across every school and college, UW–Madison is a leader in international education and research. Presently, the Shanghai Jiao Tong University ranking places UW–Madison in the top 20 of research universities worldwide.
During International Education Week, faculty and students from all over campus will celebrate and illustrate the importance of a global education in an increasingly interdependent world.
