Representatives from the 12 Atlantic Coast Conference universities are concluding their two-day conference on academic internationalization today at the Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club.
Discussions and presentations on topics such as developing international faculty, promoting study abroad programs and expanding the universities' international outreach are on the schedule for the second annual ACC International Academic Collaborative Conference.
"The ACC is a conglomeration of 12 leading academic institutions," said John Dooley, vice provost for outreach and international affairs at Virginia Tech University and chair of the ACC/IAC management team. "With all of the universities together, we can share with each other the best practices that our individual universities are doing that could be replicated."
In 1999, the presidents of the powerhouse athletic conference's members decided to seek ways to collaborate beyond athletics, according to the ACC/IAC website.
The site states that the primary goal of the organization is to enhance "international and global affairs, especially study abroad and research in areas of the world where it isn't feasible for a single university to sustain a full program."
Duke has two primary goals at this year's conference, said Gil Merkx, vice provost for international affairs and development at the University.
"Duke is interested in how other institutions are academically internationalizing," Merkx said. "We also want to be a leader in internationalization."
In an example of the conference's successful exchange of ideas, Merkx said he is considering adapting Virginia Tech's International Faculty Development Program for Duke.
The program, which Dooley cited as one of Virginia Tech's most successful internationalization efforts, allows a number of faculty members to travel to a foreign academic institution.
Through this exchange, Virginia Tech's faculty both enhance their university's international presence and participate in global networks of scholarship, the program's outline states.
Duke is already a leader in promoting international study, Merkx said, citing the University's very successful study abroad programs, which allow nearly 50 percent of students in a given graduating class to study abroad at some point during their college careers.
Merkx added that the increasing percentage of international students who study at Duke also enhances the University's global reputation.
"The Class of 2010 has the highest percentage of international students ever," Merkx said. "This is mostly a result of our increased ability to offer financial aid to foreign students."
Duke is working to increase the amount of money available for foreign scholarships to further increase international students' presence on campus, he added.
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