Albany State University (ASU) has been awarded a 2023 Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award for Campus Internationalization by NAFSA: Association of International Educators. Named after the late Senator Paul Simon of Illinois, the award celebrates outstanding innovation and accomplishment in campus internationalization within a specific program or initiative.

“We are honored to receive this prestigious award that recognizes the importance of intentionally creating a globally enriching environment for students to develop and learn,” said President Marion Ross Fedrick. “Our mission is to prepare students to compete in a globally diverse society. We foster this through continuous innovation within every aspect of their college experience both academically and in extracurricular programs.”

ASU has been recognized for internationalizing multiple curriculums on campus through faculty engagement and professional development that has resulted in enhanced global learning for students. Faculty members are provided with international and intercultural based training that has resulted in multiple published articles and book chapters. These materials are used as models for training new and existing faculty as they internationalize their courses.

“We are advancing towards excellence by enriching students’ global knowledge and understanding through hands-on experiential learning that includes curriculum, co-curriculum internationalization and study abroad opportunities for all students. These learning practices build intercultural competence, leadership skills and critical thinking,” said Dr. Nneka Nora Osakwe, English Professor and Special Assistant to the Provost for Internationalization and Global Engagement.

Albany State University will be honored along with six more recipients during NAFSA’s 2023 Annual Conference & Expo on May 30 – June 2. The university will also be featured in NAFSA's report, Internationalizing the Campus: Profiles of Success at Colleges and Universities, to be published this fall.

To learn more about NAFSA’s Senator Paul Simon Award and the 2023 recipients, visit www.nafsa.org/SimonAward.