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Lehigh’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) has released its 2023 Annual Report, highlighting the many ways the university is fostering innovation through international partnerships, expanding global access for students, supporting international students and scholars, empowering faculty in global research and teaching, and much more.

The report highlights a variety of topics, including OIA’s maturing partnership with the College of Health, Lehigh’s innovations in global learning and leadership, the university’s engagement with India, its collaboration with Latin American countries, and the growth of international students both at Lehigh and worldwide.

The report, which can be downloaded here or viewed below, shows the many ways our students, faculty, and staff are executing on the vision described in Lehigh’s strategic plan, Inspiring the Future Makers, which specifically calls on the university to broaden its global perspective and impact.

“In the Office of International Affairs, we believe that people need to be able to analyze complex global challenges, cultivate an open mind and readiness to engage difference, and take responsible local action within larger contexts – and that global engagement is the best way to get there,” Cheryl Matherly, Vice President and Vice Provost for International Affairs, said in the report’s introduction.

The report is broken into three distinct sections entitled “Make it New,” “Make a Difference,” and “Make it Together.” Those are also the names of the three goals outlined in Inspiring the Future Makers, articulating a vision for how we can innovate, make change happen, and do that work together.

The “Make it New” section of OIA’s Annual Report features OIA’s partnership with the College of Health, which is primarily focused on opportunities in three areas: engagement in Latin America, global experiential learning in and out of the classroom, and research partnerships that specifically leverage our relationship with the UN and the World Health Organization (WHO).

That section also includes information about Lehigh’s Global Teaching and Learning Fellows, Faculty Internationalization Grant recipients, Faculty Fulbright winners, and OIA’s collaboration with Lehigh’s Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning on the establishment of the Virtual International Exchange (VIE) Community of Practice.

The “Make a Difference” section highlights global learning and coaching initiatives headed by Angelina Rodríguez, Assistant Vice Provost of Global Learning, as well as innovation in global leadership education at the Iacocca Institute under the leadership of Scott Koerwer ‘90G, who was appointed executive director of the Institute in September 2023.

“This is an exciting time at OIA as we move into deepening our work with our many stakeholders,” Rodríguez said in the report. “We have a solid and growing base of learning opportunities and partnerships that directly contribute to creating more thoughtful ways into a better future.”

The section also includes OIA’s work to ensure international access to students through study abroad and the Iacocca International Internship Program, as well as information about programs like Lehigh Launch Ecuador, the International Center for Academic and Professional English, and scholarship opportunities through the Office of Fellowship Advising.

The “Make it Together” section prominently features Lehigh’s growing engagement in India, with an emphasis on Indian student recruitment, academic partners, and research collaborations. Lehigh has ongoing strategic partnerships with several institutions, including Ashoka University, O.P. Jindal Global, and the SRM Institute.

The section also highlights Lehigh’s long history of engagement with Latin American countries, the Lehigh/United Nations Partnership, its revitalized bilateral exchange program, and institutional partnerships with German educational institutions such as Technische Universität Dortmund and Technische Universität Dresden.

The annual report was designed by Michelle Chrin.