Provost’s Corner: November 2016

Dear faculty and staff,

With only a little more than a month to go in 2016, we have quite a lot to be proud of at NC State this year. Your efforts have ensured that we remain on track to achieve the goals set forth in our strategic plan.

Progress toward these goals strengthens the success of the entire campus community, and increases our reach. International Education Month takes place in November, and what a wonderful time to celebrate how our world-class institution makes a global impact.

Now more than ever before, students and faculty need to know how to operate in business and culture across borders. We build this knowledge base through initiatives like the University Global Partnership Network – which includes the University of Surrey, UK; the Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil; the University of Wollongong, Australia – and with other renowned institutions such as Nagoya University, Japan, and the University of Adelaide, Australia, who work together on research, academic programs, student and faculty exchanges, entrepreneurship and more.

Our faculty constantly create relationships with faculty members, businesses and governmental organizations around the world to put their research into action. Professor Craig Yencho, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, co-leads a project focused on developing improved insect and virus resistant sweet potato varieties for Uganda and East Africa. Dean David Hinks, College of Textiles, recently met with colleagues in Southeast Asia to discuss the role of textiles in the region’s economic development. Dean Paul Lunn, College of Veterinary Medicine, promotes research on infectious animal diseases within a multi-species, global context. Each college at the university boasts numerous examples of faculty work that spans countries and disciplines.

Our students gain opportunities to travel abroad and engage in exchange relationships that benefit their academic experience and future careers. Students in the master of global innovation management graduate with two master’s degrees – one from the Poole College of Management/Jenkins MBA Program, and one from Aix-Marseille Graduate School of Management in France. The college also participates in a program where students from the SKEMA Business School in Paris study at NC State. We also offer a unique study abroad experience through the Prague Institute (PI), the university’s only year-round presence outside of the United States.

Of course, none of these faculty and student opportunities would be available without the support of generous donors. To that end, we launched Think and Do the Extraordinary: the Campaign for NC State, on October 28. The campaign has raised more than $1 billion so far, with a final goal of $1.6 billion. These funds will be essential in ensuring the campus community continues to have the ability to experience the world through travel, teaching, research, business and more.

We are a land-grant institution reaching beyond our state’s borders to work with global partners in addressing society’s grand challenges. Excellence in teaching, research and entrepreneurship on the part of our faculty, staff and students turns ideas into solutions for these challenges.

I look forward to seeing how each of you continues to strengthen our commitment to be locally responsive and globally engaged.

To keep up with all academic and faculty/staff-related developments, follow @NCStateProvost on Twitter.

Until next time,

Warwick Arden
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost