INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS Educating students at home and abroad Ensuring student access to international experiences remains a signature focus of the college. Over the past three years, the number of students who participated in study abroad programs quadrupled. In the summer of 2015 and 2016, 90 students participated in study abroad programs and international internships. In the past biennium, eight faculty-led programs enabled a record number of College of Forestry students as well as students from other colleges to experience different cultures and ecosystems, from Alpine Europe to the Peruvian Amazon. Academic advisors and faculty actively recruit students for international experiences. The college continues to support its students in traveling abroad, with more than 90 students receiving funding from the dean’s fund for international engagement.
90
students studied abroad
THE CHILE INITIATIVE
To consolidate international efforts to bring a meaningful focus to activities, the college identified the Pacific Rim as the region to intentionally build new partnerships and student experiences. To this end, the College began its Chile Initiative in 2014. Chile’s diverse ecosystems, forward-thinking forest industry and focus on sustainable resource management make it an ideal partner for students, faculty and researchers interested in gaining a global perspective on the state of forests, their use and conservation. The Chile Initiative is now in its third year and traffic between the two countries is increasing. Scholars and students are engaged in collaborative research in both locations. The initiative is meeting one of its primary goals of integrating college graduate and undergraduate students into the research carried out by our faculty and their colleagues in Chile.
$100,000 TO SIX COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS IN FY 2015
CHILE INITIATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS Following visits to Chile by Oregon’s forest industry leaders and college faculty members, the college sought proposals and awarded $100,000 to six collaborative research projects in FY 2015 in diverse areas including native forest restoration and renewable wood product innovation. The research and academic collaboration includes key academic partners in Chile as well as leaders in government and industry. 60 |