Fitting the globe within the bubble

But that only a minority of students studies abroad does not mean that Princeton is not a globally minded school. In fact, despite shortcomings in its study-abroad options, Princeton has an extensive network of courses, programs and initiatives all aimed at fostering international learning, research and exploration that students can engage in without even leaving FitzRandolph Gate.

Contrasting the global curriculum at Princeton when she arrived in 1969 with its offerings today, Dean of the College Nancy Malkiel said that global studies have expanded to present a more complete worldview in the classroom. "There are areas of the world that we have come to pay attention to that just didn't figure in the curriculum decades ago," she said, citing South Asia, parts of Africa and the Caribbean as examples. "When I came to Princeton, my department, history, focused heavily on the United States and Western Europe. The department now teaches world history and emphasizes comparative, cross-cultural studies."

In a letter published in Princeton Alumni Weekly on April 6, 2005, President Tilghman discussed the University's role in helping students "acquire the knowledge and skills they need to function effectively within a global environment." To help put this philosophy into practice, the University created the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS) in 2003, when an external review of Princeton's academic program recommended the formation of a comprehensive organization concerned with global study. Thus, two previous campus organizations, the Center for International Studies, which mostly focused on international relations, and the Center for Regional Studies -an umbrella organization for all regional programs - were combined, spawning PIIRS.

Katherine Newman, PIIRS director and professor of sociology and public affairs in the Wilson School, described the institute as "the administrative, financial and logistical home of a number of different undergraduate programs, including the programs in South-Asian studies, Russian and Eurasian studies, contemporary European politics and society and African studies." PIIRS also recently invited the Program in Translation and Intercultural Communication to become a part of the network.

The PIIRS office serves as a liaison between the member departments and the administration in Nassau Hall to secure funding and approval for programs and events. The result is a wide range of opportunities for students and faculty alike to become more engaged in the greater world. These initiatives include an Undergraduate Fellows Program, interdisciplinary research initiatives on subjects such as "Democracy and Development" and "Oil, Energy and the Middle East," a weekly lecture series open to students and the Global Network on Inequality, a research network that unifies 22 university departments across Western Europe and Japan.

One of PIIRS' most popular initiatives is the Global Seminars program. Started just last year, the Global Seminars program allows a select group of undergraduates to travel to a foreign country and take a six-week summer course taught by Princeton professors.

Last year's inaugural program was held in Hanoi, Vietnam, where 14 undergraduates - ranging from freshmen to juniors - took a class called "America and Vietnam at War: Origins, Implications, and Consequences." The course was taught by Desaix Andersen '58, a former diplomat who spent 35 years in the United States Foreign Service. Susan Bindig, PIIRS associate director, said that participating students spent six weeks "learning the basics of the Vietnamese language, studying the Vietnam War in depth, visiting sites associated with the war and engaging in community service."

In an online blog on the Global Seminars website, several students noted the exceptional teaching, described "first time" experiences, ranging from driving motorbikes to tasting authentic Vietnamese cooking, and reflected on their enlightened understanding of Vietnamese history and culture. Zach Ruchman '10, who participated in the seminar, summed up his experience: "Though I'm happy to be home, I left a small piece of myself on the other side of the world, and I'll always feel a special connection with the city and the country." Ruchman is also a photography editor for The Daily Princetonian.

This summer, in addition to the seminar in Hanoi, PIIRS will sponsor two other seminars: "Eastern Europe Through Film and Touch" in Krakow, Poland, and "Islam, Empire, and Modernity: Turkey from the Caliphs to the 21st Century" in Istanbul, Turkey. Moreover, Newman said seminars are already being planned for the following summer in China, St. Petersburg and one other location, which she is still negotiating.

In just five years, PIIRS has already established itself as a significant and unique organization on Princeton's campus. There still is work to be done, however, and there are several ways in which the program hopes to develop and expand.

"PIIRS would like to provide additional support for our regional programs, to help with student thesis support, prizes to recognize their achievements and new courses," Newman said. She added that she hopes that PIIRS can expand beyond its original focus within the social sciences and further integrate other academic programs such as the engineering and the architecture schools.

Among the faculty and administration involved in developing PIIRS and broadening the global scope of academic courses at Princeton, there exists a steady, continual drive toward further integrating international programs into the Princeton curriculum. Still, a large part of the development of a more global curriculum relies on Princeton students recognizing the value of incorporating international study and travel into their college experiences.

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"International experience should come to be seen as an integral part of Princeton education," Malkiel said, "something every incoming freshman expects to integrate into his or her Princeton career."