UMSL Global promotes understanding of peoples and cultures through international and multicultural programming, study abroad and exchange opportunities, and providing international experiences for UMSL students and the community.
In addition, we:
UMSL Global staff members are internationally-oriented and appreciative of people from other countries and cultures.
UMSL Global is committed to supporting student, campus and community learning through a wide range of initiatives, programs and services designed to internationalize the campus and ensure that students graduate with the international competence they will need to function in a world that is increasingly globalized.
UMSL Global supports faculty efforts to internationalize the curriculum, and organizes and presents a wide variety of lectures, conferences, performances, exhibits, and other events which engage students, faculty and individuals in the community and inform and enlighten them about international affairs and other peoples and cultures.
Within UMSL Global, the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) unit was established in May 1996 as part of campus efforts to enhance internationalization and expand diversity of the student body. ISSS coordinates services for undergraduate and graduate international students and scholars, including admissions, visa and immigration matters, information requests, credential evaluations, non-academic advising, initial campus arrival, orientation, social activities, and referrals to other campus academic and non-academic departments. In cooperation with other units, the office provides assistance with initial arrival and settling-in and encourages international students and scholars to participate in campus life, including international organizations, international speakers bureau, and other campus and community activities.
If you need assistance with a specific topic and aren't quite sure who to contact, please check our department directory.
UMSL Global has increased both the visibility of Education Abroad and the number of participants. These programs enhance both student and faculty learning and help engage faculty in other internationalization efforts.
Currently, we offer more than 100 study abroad programs in 45 countries. In an effort to expand participation in study abroad programs, we offer additional programs during the intersession and during the summer.
UMSL Global regularly sponsors speakers, programs, and conferences to promote campus and community interest in international affairs and other cultures. We also support a number of special activities as part of its efforts to develop student leadership and recognize outstanding student achievement.
UMSL Global sponsors two contests which recognize student achievement and offer prizes in the form of scholarships. The United Nations Day: A World Holiday contest makes awards for best student artwork, essay, and website design. The International Photo Contest makes awards for the best student photos of people or places outside the USA and displays the photos in a gallery on campus.
UMSL Global administers campus participation in three national scholarship programs for study abroad: the Student Fulbright Program, the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, and the National Security Education Program which awards the Boren Scholarships and Fellowships.
Each year, UMSL Global appoints UMSL Faculty Fellows and provides financial support for their individual research projects. In addition, six endowed international professorships - African/African American studies, Chinese studies, Greek studies, Irish studies, Japanese studies and international education - are housed in UMSL Global.
Through the Faculty Fellow and Endowed Professorship programs, UMSL Global has an important role in recruiting and supporting faculty who have an international focus in their teaching and research and in developing academic programs including the programs in international studies, language offerings in Chinese, Japanese, and Greek, the international business program, the Greek studies program, study abroad programs, and the international MBA program. These efforts have direct impacts on student learning by making these important learning options available.
Resources from the endowed international professorships enables UMSL Global to present the International Performing Arts Series. The series celebrates the cultural diversity of St. Louis and introduces students, faculty, staff, and community audiences to less well known artistic traditions especially those that represent and illuminate performing arts of the countries and cultures of the endowed professorships, namely: Africa, China, Greece, Ireland and Japan. The series brings five internationally recognized performance groups to campus each year.
Edwin H. Fedder
Dr. Edwin H. Fedder joined the political science faculty of the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 1967 and founded the Center for International Studies (now UMSL Global) in 1968 to promote internationalization of the campus and the curriculum. He also was a former chairman of the University's Senate, the governing body for the campus.
An authority on alliances, NATO, U.S. foreign policy and national security, he wrote numerous articles on the subjects for professional journals, as well as two books - "NATO: The Dynamics of Alliance in the Postwar World" and "Defense Politics of the Atlantic Alliance."
Ed was a co-founder of the International Studies Association and a past president of its Midwest and South chapters. He was a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics and a guest lecturer at more than two dozen foreign universities. He was also a member of the Committee on Atlantic Studies and a former chairman of the North American chapter.
A dedicated teacher, Ed influenced the lives of many of his students. He nurtured students and patiently helped them develop intellectually and academically. No one was more able at blending history, international politics, personal relations, and humor to convey indelible insights about international relations and current political developments in the world. Students finished his classes with greater knowledge, sophistication, maturity, and deeper concern for the human condition.
After retiring in 1991, Ed spent his time writing poetry and enjoying his family. A few weeks before his death in December of 1999, he finished pieces in verse on "Pox Americana", "Fascismus" and "The Vietnam War" and demonstrated once again his cleverness, skepticism, and knowledge of history. Ed's wisdom and wit cannot be replaced. He will be missed greatly and forever.
An endowed lecture series, the Edwin H. Fedder Annual Lecture in Foreign and International Affairs, was established in 2000. A full list of past speakers, along with links to videos of some of the more recent events, is available here.
