Radford IEC team takes state and regional leadership posts

For 2017, both International Education Center Director Paul Currant and Assistant IEC Director Theresa King have taken chair positions with organizations that deepen the connection between academe and the global community.

Currant will serve as the 2017 chair-elect of Study Virginia, a 15-member university consortium that works with the United States Department of Commerce to bring talented international students to the diverse educational programs offered by Virginia’s institutions of higher education.

“Participation in Study Virginia will give Radford greater prominence as we work to internationalize our campus and we can now take advantage of economies of scale to reach far beyond our own capability as a single institution,” said Currant, who worked with his colleagues last year to form the organization that includes public, private and community colleges.

Attracting international students to the university enriches the campus community and the educational experience for Radford students, according to Currant.

"Welcoming students from different cultures helps students here on our campus think broadly," Currant explained. "The world is diverse and competence in understanding and working across cultures is increasingly valuable."

For 2017, King will chair Region VIII of the NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the largest association of professionals committed exclusively to advancing international higher education.

The national association provides leadership through establishing principles of practice and hosting professional development opportunities to advance learning, scholarship and understanding and respect among people of diverse backgrounds. As Region VIII chair, King will work with colleagues from more than 100 regional colleges and universities from Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and West Virginia. 

“I am eager for the chance to give back to an organization that has been so helpful to me professionally,” said King. “NAFSA aligns with what Radford is doing. It is a leader in the effort to promote international education and exchange, working to advance policies and practices that ensure a more interconnected, peaceful world and enhancing intercultural understanding.”

This year, almost 200 Radford students will study abroad and more than 100 international students will attend Radford. The IEC actively promotes international education, an acknowledged high impact practice and facilitates opportunities across campus and the world.

The university’s expanding list of international education partners recently added Australia’s Monash University, EM Lyon School of Business and China’s Shandong University that joined long-time partners France’s Catholic University of the West, Kassel University in Germany, Japan’s Kansai Gaidai University and the University of Glasgow in Scotland as academic destinations at which Radford students can study for about the same price as they can on campus.

Through the IEC, Radford University students can study abroad for a semester, an academic year, or on one of many short-term programs, including several faculty-led programs.

For more about the exciting international education experience opportunities contact the IEC in Cook 105 or call (540) 831-6200.