Named after the late Senator Paul Simon of Illinois who championed foreign language learning and international education, the award is separated into two categories to reflect the broad array of approaches used to effectively internationalise campuses. 

“There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to internationalisation”

The 2018 Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalisation category winners were Babson College in Massachusetts, St. Lawrence University in New York, Texas Tech University, University of Florida and Stony Brook University in New York.

The second category, the Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award, which recognises a specific international initiative on campus went to Baldwin Wallace University for its BW in Zambia program, Harper College for its Global Region of Focus Initiative and the University of Georgia for its UGA-Minas Gerais Joint Research Partnership.

 Vice Provost for International Affairs at Texas Tech University, Sukant Misrahas, described the win as a “distinct honour”.

“Texas Tech University has promoted an internationalisation agenda that has gained momentum over the years, and it is a distinct honour to be recognised for our efforts,” Misrahas said.

“Learning and discovery of knowledge should know no boundaries, and we truly believe our robust international platform today delivers unparalleled international educational and outreach opportunities for our faculty, staff and students.”

NAFSA executive director and CEO Esther Brimmer said the eight institutions stand as excellent examples of how “there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to internationalisation”.

“With institutions like these continuing to strive to incorporate creatively global perspectives onto their campuses, I am confident we can prepare our students to succeed and ultimately strengthen ties around the world,” Brimmer added.

The eight institutions will be featured in NAFSA’s report, Internationalizing the Campus: Profiles of Success at Colleges and Universities and honoured at an event in Washington during International Education Week 2018.