This report details the numerous international programs administered by Tulane University. It includes programs from the Schools of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Social Work, Architecture, Medicine, Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Law and Business, as well as University College. It underscores the current strengths of Tulane's international programming and discusses new international initiatives under consideration.
In the Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS), international education and research are major emphases and long-standing traditions. The Center for Latin American Studies, Department of Anthropology, and the Junior Year Abroad Program are among the university's major strengths. The undergraduate program in Latin American Studies ranks second in the nation, the highest single ranking of any program currently offered in any of Tulane's schools and colleges. The LAS faculty have been instrumental in developing Semester Abroad programs for undergraduates, the Year at Tulane program for visiting international students, and numerous international research exchanges. LAS is expanding its international programs and courses while building upon the comparative advantages of the University.
The School of Social Work presently has one international program in Spain and is considering another in Russia. In addition, it is in the process of developing a Certificate of Specialization in Latin American Social Work. The current strength of the School's international programs is centered on their cooperation with the School of Social Work at the University of Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain where Tulane visiting faculty taught advanced family therapy to social workers with Masters degrees.
The School of Architecture operates Tulane Summer School programs with design studios in Venice, Greece, Barcelona/Paris, and Mexico City. Presently, the School is initiating a new student exchange program with the University of Belgrano in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The School's strengths lie in its traditional ties with Latin American architectural studies, and with the natural historical tradition of architectural form and education in Western Europe. The School's immediate goal is to further develop ties with Latin America in order to facilitate additional recruitment and student/faculty exchange.
The School of Medicine presently has numerous courses and programs with an international focus. The strengths of the School of Medicine's international programming lie in its diversity as well as the international client base of the Medical Center. The School conducts programs in Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and New Zealand. In addition, the client base of TUMC not only generates considerable revenue for the School, but both reflects and advances Tulane's international reputation in health care and research. An additional strength of the School is the faculty's demonstrated interest in and commitment to international activity. The School is actively working to increase the quality and diversity of international programs among all departments and programs and to enhance the contribution of the School of Medicine to the solution of worldwide health problems.
University College serves primarily the educational needs of the part-time nontraditional learner. The College currently hopes to tap its strength both within Tulane and as the outreach division of the University to create an Institute for Vietnamese Studies. Furthermore, it seeks to be identified as the Tulane unit for experimenting with international programs, courses, and exchanges of all sorts.
The goal of the international programs at the A. B. Freeman School of Business is to establish the School as a recognized leader in international business education through a creative curriculum, innovative experiential programs for faculty and students, and recognized research on international business issues. The geographical scope of these initiatives is worldwide. The formal strategy to internationalize the Freeman School includes the objectives for the near term of implementing new curricular initiatives for students, increasing international student enrollment in existing programs, developing new programs in Latin America, and securing an EMBA market in Asia. The Freeman School benefits from a large international component of students who bring first hand experience in business practices from their countries and add to discussions of international business issues. The vast network of affiliations with major business schools around the world provides recruiting opportunities as well as opportunities for Freeman faculty to pursue joint research projects internationally as well as the possibility for exchange teaching assignments. EMBA and MBA programs are in place in Austria, Mexico, and Taiwan.
Tulane Law School offers a broad array of activities in international law. The programs range from three internationally-focused law reviews to semesters abroad and year-long exchange programs. The activities cover a spectrum of courses and colloquia, including 42 internationally-related courses, 57 comparative courses in eight foreign summer schools, ten overseas conferences conducted over the past eight years, and 13 colloquia since 1981 under the auspices of the Eason-Weinmann Center for Comparative Law.
The Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine has a long-standing tradition of strength in international health and tropical medicine. The mission of the School is to advance public health knowledge, promote health and well-being, and prevent disease, disability and premature mortality. The commitment to education, research and service in public health is emphasized in the following strategic plan priority areas: health and the environment, health policy and management, international public health, tropical medicine, and public health practice. The mission statement specifically identifies international programs, international health and tropical medicine as strategic plan priorities. SPHTM is directly involved and/or responsible for major awards in the international areas of environmental health risks, HIV/AIDS, infectious diseases, population studies, nutrition, and early detection of famine. By approaching education in innovative ways, the School has been able develop new formats and reach new student markets.
Overall, Tulane continues to build upon its longstanding tradition of being an internationally oriented University, a tradition which continues to strengthen the quality of the University's scholarship and education.