GW’s newest institutional partner is located on the other side of the world.
On Jan. 18, GW President Steven Knapp and Ian Chubb, president and vice chancellor of Australian National University (ANU), signed a letter of intent to begin planning a student exchange agreement between the two universities.
The proposed partnership would allow indigenous Australian students to come to the District to participate in GW’s Semester in Washington Politics Program and Native American Political Leadership Program (NAPLP), as well as seek ways to send a Native American student to Australia.
GW Provost Steven Lerman, Donna Scarboro, associate vice president for international programs, and Greg Lebel, director of GW’s Semester in Washington Politics Program, were on hand for the signing, which also included representatives from ANU.
“In addition to opening our doors to Australian students, this joint venture offers remarkable opportunities for our students to share their experiences with and learn from native students from outside the United States,” says Mr. Lebel. “This cross-fertilization has great potential as a learning tool.”
Faculty members from GW and ANU have already been engaged in research collaboration across a broad range of areas, including international relations, human rights law and epidemiology. The universities also share significant strengths in the areas of public policy, politics, international relations and strategic studies, and law.
In January 2010, ANU opened an office in the District to facilitate the development of research and education partnerships in North America, and is developing a “Capital to National Capital” program to foster opportunities for student and faculty exchange and collaboration between Canberra and Washington, D.C.
“GW and ANU have in common the very special resource of being based in capital cities. Our ready access to government institutions at the federal level provides the best possible ground for cooperation,” says Dr. Scarboro.
“There is logic to forging ties with one of the world’s great research institutions with a capital-city location and international stature as we move forward on initiatives at GW to elevate our considerable international and our research activities to engage the world from Washington, D.C.,” she says.