Starting today in Washington, D.C., MSU will lead a national celebratory conference for Title VI, the federal program that helped shift the university’s mission statement from “land-grant” to “world-grant” university during the past 50 years.
Title VI was created in 1958 as part of the National Defense Education Act and provides funding for international programs at universities across the country. During those five decades, MSU has received millions of dollars in funding for programs such as the African Studies Center, Asian Studies Center and Center for Advance Studies of International Development.
“It’s very, very clear that this funding has been critical over the decades in supporting world area studies,” said Jeffrey Riedinger, dean of International Studies and Programs.
Former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright will serve as the keynote speaker, kicking off the conference today. During the three-day conference, hundreds of professors and university administrators from across the country will discuss the history of Title VI and the future of international education programs in the context of today’s economy and worldwide politics.
“Early in the new administration, this was an opportunity to frame some of the discussions about where the folks in the higher education community see international education going, and what implications does that have for U.S. government support,” Riedinger said.
MSU currently has five Title VI-funded programs: African Studies Center, Asian Studies Center, Center for Advanced Study of International Development with Women and International Development Program, Center for International Business Education and Research, and Center for Language Education and Research.
In 2006, the five programs were each given a four-year grant, totalling about $8.5 million in funding for the university.
Riedinger said funding has allowed MSU to create programs for less commonly taught languages throughout the years.
“That’s how people thought of some of the languages that help you in Afghanistan today, before things erupted there,” Riedinger said. “Part of this is building global expertise and language expertise that serves America for whatever the challenge or crisis of the moment may be in 10 or 20 or 30 years’ time.”
Robert Glew, director of MSU’s Center for Advanced Study of International Development and one of two MSU faculty who served as conference organizers, said it’s impressive that funding for the Title VI has stuck for 50 years.
“In the federal government, it’s nice to see something stay around that long because it has to be funded every year, which suggests there’s a lot of value attached to them,” Glew said.
Tomas Hult, the other conference organizer and director of MSU’s Center for International Business Education and Research, said Title VI has been critical in the development of MSU’s reputation as a worldwide institution.
“MSU has a proud and accomplished international history that is synchronized in time with the 50 years of Title VI programming by the federal government,” Hult said.
“MSU’s reach and impact would be significant without Title VI funding, but has been remarkable with it.”
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