Joan Kjaer, International Programs, 319-335-2026

The University of Iowa is one of only four schools in the United States to receive the prestigious 2017 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization by NAFSA: Association of International Educators.
Named for the late U.S. senator from Illinois Paul Simon, a champion of international education and cultural exchange, NAFSA’s Simon awards recognize colleges and universities that are making significant, well-planned, well-executed, and well-documented progress toward comprehensive internationalization—especially those using innovative and creative approaches.
“It is a distinct honor to be recognized by NAFSA for our institution’s commitment to internationalization,” says Downing Thomas, associate provost for academic affairs and dean of International Programs at the UI. “The University of Iowa’s commitment to internationalization has never been more significant, nor more infused throughout the collegiate and departmental missions than it is today.”
The award is granted to a limited number of institutions each year. The UI is one of only four recipients in 2017.
“As an institution, we celebrate the opportunity to educate talented students from around the world,” says UI President Bruce Harreld. “Diversity strengthens and enriches our community and prepares our students to be global citizens.”
The award comes after a year when senior collegiate leaders from across campus worked to develop a shared vision for how the UI could advance its internationalization by focusing on student success, creation and discovery, and engagement.
Its benchmarks included
“We are thrilled to award NAFSA’s highest commendation to these colleges and universities for their remarkable efforts to implement internationalization on their campuses,” says Esther D. Brimmer, NAFSA executive director and CEO. “Through their hard work and dedication, each of these campuses has demonstrated how U.S. higher education institutions can succeed at fostering a globally connected and welcoming community using a variety of methods. It is through the continued commitment and innovation of institutions like these that we can ensure a future of greater collaboration and shared progress across the world.”
As an award recipient, the UI will be profiled in depth in NAFSA’s Internationalizing the Campus 2017: Profiles of Success at Colleges and Universities report, which will be published in the fall. The UI also will be honored at an award ceremony during International Education Week in November 2017.
The other three institutions receiving the 2017 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization are Florida State University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Santa Monica College.
To learn more about the award, visit www.nafsa.org/SimonAward.