Feature

Building on Strengths

U.S. universities are pursuing innovative partnership models to attract international students and scholars.

The University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics was a springboard for partnerships with universities in Russia, Taiwan, and China. Photo: Courtesy University of Rochester

Charlotte West

July 1, 2018

Founded in 1929, the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics was the first of its kind in the United States. To date, the institute has granted approximately half of all optics degrees awarded in the country. In that time, Rochester has capitalized on that area of expertise and partnered with select international institutions on an innovative dual-degree program model.

“Optics is basically the study of light and photonics,” says Jane Gatewood, vice provost for global engagement at the University of Rochester. “We were able to take our very specialized one-year master’s of optics and partner with institutions that had two-year master’s of photonics.”

With a strategic focus on developing programs with institutions abroad that have complementary research and academic strengths in the field of photonics, the University of Rochester established partnerships with ITMO University in Russia, National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan, and Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China.

Rochester’s one-year master’s of optics program was integrated into the curriculum of the partner institutions to establish dual-degree master’s programs. Approximately 10 students from among those partner schools have completed the dual master’s program, which for a few students has led to enrollment in the doctoral program at Rochester.

These dual-degree programs allow “our students to access the best quality education globally in the field,” says Gatewood. “We are not only building on Rochester’s strength in the space, but also building on our partners’ strengths in other regions.”