Mission

The Fries Center for Global Studies collaborates with the Wesleyan community to foster the knowledge, language and intercultural skills, self-awareness, and empathy needed for responsible participation in an increasingly interdependent world. 

Vision

We envision a university in which all forms of learning, research, and creative endeavor are enlivened by perspectives, languages, and experiences from across the globe. We aspire to a world in which humility, cultural self-awareness, and mutual understanding make justice and thriving possible for all. 

Strategies

The Fries Center for Global Studies pursues its goals by drawing on resources at hand: the Wesleyan curriculum, faculty, student body, and staff; and by partnering with the Office of International Student Affairs and other offices across campus. Our strategies are designed specifically to:

  • Increase the mobility of the Wesleyan student body and faculty through both direct services and a range of outreach activities, in accordance with the needs and goals of each academic unit;
  • Establish the Center as a welcoming space for all students, both international and domestic, to pursue intercultural learning; and as a hub for faculty and staff to learn from and support one another;
  • Promote and expand the range of opportunities for language study;
  • Identify and expand opportunities for all students and faculty wishing to pursue a global perspective in the field of their choice, both on campus and abroad, including through fellowship and internship opportunities;
  • Provide pedagogical, logistical and technological support for current and new initiatives in the teaching and learning of languages and cultures;
  • Increase the vibrancy of global discussions on campus through facilitating visits to campus by scholars, artists, and public leaders from around the world; and
  • Promote relevant partnerships with peer institutions in the United States and with targeted institutions abroad.