International Study at Home and Abroad

Abstract

The creation of an international community of scholarship is a worthy but difficult task. It is obstructed by our ignorance of the universities abroad, our inability to communicate effectively with other peoples, and many mis conceptions as to the nature of international education. It is frequently confused with exchange of persons and travel abroad. Study abroad may have differing objectives, and the programs will vary accordingly, but it should be genuine intellectual activity, carefully prepared, and integrated into the student's entire academic career. Similarly, an area pro gram should not be an isolated unit in the university. There should be close communication and co-ordination between the area specialists and the teachers of the disciplines, to their mutual advantage in their research, field experience, and teaching. We shall recruit graduate students better by break ing down the barriers between the university, the college, the high school, and government service. For undergraduates, non-Western material must form an essential part of their basic liberal education. The need for competence in the area lan guage depends on the level of study, but it is indispensable for real communication with a culture. International scholar ship should be global in scope, representing well-integrated intellectual effort, and effective two-way communication.