International

As a leader on both the academic and research front, we wish to extend our positive influence as far as possible, and to us, that means collaborating with people from around the world. Specifically, we use the term "international" to refer to the multifaceted nature of internationalization at Illinois and encompass a range of international activities, assets, and linkages. In our attempt to change the world, we find it necessary to do so with the help of our friends from around the world.

We are recognized as a leader in international education, research, and engagement. We are always committed to international initiatives both at the campus level and within individual colleges. Increasingly, day by day, we find ourselves embedding internationalization into all aspects of academic life on campus. We do not discriminate - we welcome anyone with open arms.

To get a scope of our program and commitment, we maintain over 200 active institutional linkages with international partners representing more than 40 different countries around the world. These agreements range from student exchanges to faculty exchange and collaborative research agreements with national research agencies, to innovative joint educational programs leading to dual or multi-institutional degrees. We are also commited to promoting and developing study abroad opportunities for our students. We do so through our central Study Abroad Office, and our dedicated staff in major colleges.

And for those who like to see figures, we have one of the largest international student enrollments in the country. With 7,991 international students currently enrolled, we are first among public universities in the U.S. and second among all American institutions of higher education to have that many international students on our campus. We also rank highly in the number of international scholars, with 1,787 in 2010-2011, placing it 13th in the country.