Global university activity and engagement is challenging to fully assess. Participation in international projects is a longstanding aspect of measuring engagement. When a university earnestly participates in this work, it may result in global mobility, but it commonly includes faculty professional development, organizational improvement, as well as research and publication opportunities. Similarly, the humanitarian and diplomatic outcomes are important. Ball State University has a long history of partnerships and global activities.
Dr. David Roof, Associate Professor of Educational Studies, has been involved in a variety of global initiatives during his tenure at Ball State. Since 2012, Dr. Roof has consistently focused on work in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Related to Dr. Roof’s efforts, on January 11, 2022, the U.S. Department of State officially recognized the partnership between Quaid-i-Azam University in Pakistan and Ball State University. This ceremony included speeches, remarks, and an address by University and project leadership including Provost Rivera-Mills, Dean Scott Rutledge, and Professor Lawrence Gerstein.
Between 2017-2021, Ball State Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA) supported 40 externally-funded, global projects with activity in 16 nations garnering approximately $3,000,000. While the specifics are eye-catching and other metrics are difficult to visually quantify, it is important to continue developing structures where global efforts are recorded, supported, and integrated with institutional strategic goals. The office of Academic Engagement and Global Initiatives within the Rinker Center for Global Affairs leads these efforts for the University.
In Spring of 2022, the MoveON toolset by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) will enable both internal and public-facing partnership records to be institutionally recorded, searched, assessed, and promoted. AEGI will utilize this tool in order to facilitate and support faculty global engagement, project development, strategic partnerships, and assessment of recorded activities. In the midst of implementing this new tool, RCGA will continue to support and spotlight faculty and institutional global developments. Look for future announcements and spotlights once these tools are publicly available.