Washington, (February 22, 2022) – Today, NAFSA: Association of International Educators announced that five U.S. universities and colleges have been selected to receive a 2022 Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization. Named after the late Senator Paul Simon of Illinois, the NAFSA Simon Awards recognize outstanding innovation and accomplishment in campus internationalization, defined by NAFSA as a conscious effort to integrate and infuse international, intercultural and global dimensions into the ethos and outcomes of their students’ education. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the annual awards program, and today’s announcement marks the beginning of NAFSA’s year-long exploration of how campus internationalization has evolved during that time.
“This year’s awards recognize both creative responses to the recent challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as long-established programs that are true standard-bearers for the field of international education,” said Dr. Esther D. Brimmer, NAFSA Executive Director and CEO. “We commend all five recipients for their commitment to engaging their full student population in the pursuit of a global education. Now in its 20th year, NAFSA’s Simon Awards continue to serve as an inspiring showcase of how international education is ever-evolving to foster greater understanding and respect among students of diverse backgrounds and forge leaders who are equipped for a globally connected future.”
The “Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization” distinguishes overall excellence in integrating international education throughout all facets of university and college campuses. The 2022 Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization recipients are:
- College of Lake County - Grayslake, Illinois
- Kent State University - Kent, Ohio
The “Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award” recognizes a specific program or initiative that contributes to internationalization on campus. The 2022 Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award recipients are:
- Marist College – Poughkeepsie, New York
- Freshman Year Abroad programs
- Northeastern University – Boston, Massachusetts
- Global Cooperative Education Program
- Northwestern University – Evanston, Illinois
- Global Engagement Studies Institute
Institutions selected for the Simon Awards will be featured in NAFSA's report, Internationalizing the Campus: Profiles of Success at Colleges and Universities, to be published this fall, and honored during the virtual and in-person programming as part of NAFSA’s 2022 Annual Conference & Expo this spring. To learn more about NAFSA’s Senator Paul Simon Awards, visit www.nafsa.org/SimonAward.
Sample Tweet: Congratulations to the 2022 NAFSA #SimonAward winners! Thank you for your great work internationalizing U.S. campuses and strengthening global ties. @CLCIllinois @KentState @Marist @Northeastern @NorthwesternU. More at www.nafsa.org/SimonAward
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About NAFSA: Serving more than 10,000 members and international educators worldwide, NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and exchange. Visit us at www.nafsa.org/press. To learn more about our advocacy efforts on behalf of international education, visit www.nafsa.org/takeaction. Resources to guide our members on these issues can be found at www.nafsa.org/reginfo.