When you think about Carnegie Mellon, you might picture the distinctive tower of Hamerschlag Hall or the long green lawn of the Cut.
But you could also picture the Great Wall of China or the Parthenon in Greece or many other famous landmarks around the globe. Through pioneering initiatives worldwide, the university continues to spread far beyond its campus in Pittsburgh.
Paul Goodman, the Richard M. Cyert Professor of Organizational Psychology and director of the Institute for Strategic Development, believes that internationalization is imperative for Carnegie Mellon.
鈥淭he complex set of global economic, political, technological and social forces creates great opportunities for a unique university such as Carnegie Mellon to enhance its leadership in technology, the arts, research and innovations in learning,鈥� says Goodman.
The university is responding to these opportunities by creating international programs and partnerships, all characterized by the university鈥檚 commitment to collaboration and interdisciplinary problem-solving and innovation.
These initiatives benefit not only the Carnegie Mellon community but also the Pittsburgh region. According to David Ruppersberger, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Technology Collaborative, 鈥淐arnegie Mellon鈥檚 international 鈥榦utposts鈥� provide a platform for economic development organizations to begin meaningful discussions with companies outside the Pittsburgh region.鈥�
The initiatives highlighted here are just a few of Carnegie Mellon鈥檚 many international endeavors, which are as varied as the many countries and cultures they bridge.
Inauguration of first international campus
Inaugural celebrations were held on March 9 and 10, 2005, to honor the opening of 麻豆村 in Qatar, the university鈥檚 first international campus offering undergraduate degrees in business and computer science following a curriculum program parallel to that in Pittsburgh.
Hosted by the Qatar Foundation, the celebrations included a leadership symposium on 鈥淭he Future of I.T.鈥� and 鈥淢anaging in a Global Market,鈥� featuring a panel of experts from Carnegie Mellon鈥檚 computer science and business schools, Qatari government officials and international business leaders.
The symposium was followed by an evening gala attended by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al Missned, chairperson of Qatar Foundation and a tireless promoter of progressive education in the region.
According to President Jared L. Cohon, 鈥淐arnegie Mellon shares with Qatar Foundation the firm belief that knowledge can bridge cultures and promote peace and prosperity.鈥�
At the inaugural gala Carnegie Mellon鈥檚 Qatar Campus also announced the Mozah Bint Nasser Chair of Computer Science and Robotics, awarded to Raj Reddy, the Simon University Professor of Computer Science and Robotics in the School of Computer Science. Professor Reddy has been an early influence in establishing the Qatar campus and a world leader in robotics and computing research for more than 25 years.
The world of cybersecurity
Securing cyberspace requires cooperation that cuts across traditional international boundaries. Through initiatives like Carnegie Mellon CyLab and the Information Networking Institute (INI), the university has formed partnerships that are disseminating cybersecurity research and education around the globe.
CyLab, a university-wide, multidisciplinary initiative to advance research and education in trustworthy computing, joined forces with the Korea Information Security Agency (KISA) to create Carnegie Mellon CyLab Korea. Carnegie Mellon CyLab Korea has offices in both Pittsburgh and Seoul where experts work together to develop new technologies and paradigms that will usher in an era of more secure computers, networks and communications systems.
In Japan, CyLab and the Hyogo Prefectural Government are responding to an urgent need for graduate professional training in information security. Beginning this fall, INI, the education arm of CyLab, and the Heinz School of Public Policy and Management will offer a master of science in information technology-information security track (MSIT-IS) degree in Kobe in collaboration with the Hyogo Institute of Information Education Foundation.
The Athens model goes global
The MSIT-IS program in Japan is based on the successful master of science in information networking (MSIN) degree program already established in Greece, a collaboration of INI and Athens Information Technology (AIT). Carnegie Mellon awarded diplomas to its second graduating class in Athens on May 7.
The graduates represented the Information Networking Institute Athens MSIN program鈥檚 first international class, with students from India, Bulgaria, Romania, Lebanon, Greece, the Ukraine and the U.S. According to Dena Haritos Tsamitis, director of INI, this was a key event and signified a turning point in the institution鈥檚 efforts to make its internationally unrivalled professional degree programs accessible worldwide.
The university will also collaborate with AIT to expand its global cybersecurity research capacity in information and security with the establishment of Carnegie Mellon CyLab Athens.
Technology in the South Seas
This summer, 11 students and recent graduates from the Heinz School, Computer Science and Humanities and Social Sciences are spending 10 weeks in the Cook Islands, Palau, Micronesia and Sri Lanka. They will be helping government and nonprofit agencies develop computer systems that will allow them to better serve their citizens and maintain vital information.
The trip is based on an undergraduate course that is part of the university鈥檚 TechBridgeWorld initiative, which aims to help developing nations use technology to enhance suitable and sustainable development.
鈥淢any universities offer the chance to go abroad but only a university like Carnegie Mellon offers the chance to go to another country and actually work while both learning and teaching those around you,鈥� said Justin Cinicolo, a 2005 graduate with a double major in human-computer interaction and information systems. Cinicolo is working with three other students in the Cook Islands to help the government digitize its laws, develop systems to manage welfare and border control information, and develop electronic government policies.
Working in harmony with China
When Tongji University, a leading national tech university in Shanghai, People鈥檚 Republic of China, wanted to establish a music department, Carnegie Mellon was the number one model they wanted to emulate.
Tongji鈥檚 former president Wu Qidi, currently the Vice Minister of China鈥檚 Ministry of Education, initiated the project with the twin goals of providing opportunities for musicians and broadening the educational experience for engineers and scientists. Since then, Alan Fletcher, head of the School of Music, and Hanna Li, associate professor of music, have made several trips to China to offer advice.
According to Fletcher, 鈥淭he creation of the first school of music in a great scientific and technical university in China is a perfect project for Carnegie Mellon鈥攊t expresses our ideals of crossing boundaries between the arts and technology. This is what the world expects from Carnegie Mellon.鈥�
Breaking Barriers
The gender and racial gaps in computer science in South Africa are narrowing, thanks in part to Carnegie Mellon鈥檚 Institute for Software Research International (ISRI). In collaboration with South Africa鈥檚 Department of Communication, the university鈥檚 long-standing graduate program in information technology and software engineering for South African women has made a significant difference in how women are shaping the future of the country through technology applications.
Cross border collaboration
One of Carnegie Mellon鈥檚 longest-running international partnerships is with Mexico鈥檚 ITESM (Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey), the country鈥檚 largest technological institution.
鈥淲hen we initiated the long-term relationship with ITESM more than 10 years ago, we didn鈥檛 anticipate the many possible benefits,鈥� says Paul Goodman, director of the Institute for Strategic Development. 鈥淲e have done joint studies, a music master鈥檚 class, the 'Management Game,' etc. all by using technology in a creative and low-cost way. In addition, we have engaged in doctoral education, joint executive programs and student exchange programs. It has been a mutually beneficial partnership.鈥�
Global ambassadors鈥lumni
International alumni are instrumental in continuing to support the university鈥檚 presence abroad by making connections with other alumni, enhancing the university鈥檚 visibility and prestige, recruiting the best and brightest students, and facilitating corporate and government partnerships around the world.
鈥淭here is warmth and enthusiasm among international alumni that even eclipses that of alumni domestically,鈥� says Judy Cole, associate vice president for advancement and director of alumni relations. 鈥淭he further away they are from the center, the hungrier they are for connections.鈥�
This enthusiasm has translated into great surges in the international alumni networks. In India, the number of active alumni has increased in the last two years from fewer than 100 to more than 400, with groups in Mumbai, Bangalore and New Delhi.
...and Students
The 2,400 plus international students at Carnegie Mellon bring global perspective from more than 90 countries to the Pittsburgh campus. Each year 250 students take part in study-abroad programs, including university study, studio art, internships and service learning.
Related Links:
Inauguration of first international campus:
The world of cybersecurity:
Athens Model Goes Global:
Technology in the South Seas:
Working in harmony with China
Breaking Barriers
