University of Arizona Launches Unprecedented Global Network
Officials at the University of Arizona accelerated the Global expansion when international travel restrictions and visa moratoriums were put in place due to COVID-19.
The University of Arizona is launching an unprecedented and transformational Global locations across five continents in 34 countries, partnering with top universities to provide a world-class University of Arizona education.
Students can study at University of Arizona locations on university campuses or live and study in purpose-built residential communities through a partnership with GSA, a global leader in student accommodations encompassing The Student Housing Company, Uninest, and Nexo. The launch of the new Global program is particularly timely given the pandemic, and will provide a new model of affordable, high-quality education for students everywhere.
This concept has been in development for several years. The first University of Arizona microcampus launched at Ocean University of China in 2015, and was bolstered by the increasing array of online courses and degrees offered through University of Arizona Online, available to U.S. and international students.
"This is a long-term effort towards meeting the United Nations' sustainable development goal of providing accessible quality education to the world," said University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins. "We are truly making affordable, world-class education available to global citizens around the world and, in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has never been needed more.”
Officials at the University of Arizona accelerated the global expansion when international travel restrictions and visa moratoriums were put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The University of Arizona aims to provide an immediate option for international students everywhere whose plans were disrupted by the pandemic, and who are unable to begin their studies abroad. International students can choose to transition to the U.S. later, or earn their degrees from the University of Arizona entirely from their home country.
The University of Arizona Global offers 10 customized degree paths to more than 200 undergraduate majors, 10 graduate certificates and 60 fully online degrees at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. In more than 130 cities in countries including China, Ireland, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, India and Japan, Arizona Global will be within reach for hundreds of millions of students.
Seventy-three Global locations in 32 different countries are a part of partner university campuses, offering a full college experience to students wherever they are.
Another 58 Global locations are in state-of-the-art, purpose-built student accommodations that offer a safe and engaging community for students to live and study. These locations are available through partnerships with Uninest, The Student Housing Company and Nexo – with top quality residential student communities in Spain, England, Germany, Ireland, Australia, China, Japan and Dubai.
At partner universities – which include top-rated universities such as Amrita University and Jindal Global University in India and Monterey Institute of Technology in Mexico – students can take a mix of University of Arizona courses online and partner courses in person, providing access to the best of both online and residential modalities.
On-campus opportunities include in-person academic support, as well as access to partner school computer labs, study areas, libraries, recreational facilities, clubs and student activities.
"What we are offering is unique," said Brent White, dean of Global Locations and vice provost of global affairs at the University of Arizona. "The Global experience builds on our top-tier digital courses and degrees, providing rich and highly supported experiences, with access to an in-person community and needed resources, such as high-speed WiFi.
"This program is tailored to meet the access needs of international students. Many cannot afford to attend college in the United States; some do not have high-speed internet required to take classes online; and nearly all are unable to travel internationally, due the COVID-19 pandemic. Global addresses all of these issues."
The partnership with Uninest, The Student Housing Company and Nexo – all part of GSA, a global leader in student accommodations – is a first of its kind, providing safe, engaged and enriching residential college experiences for online students in locations worldwide.
The University of Arizona Global can serve new international students who want to enroll beginning in fall 2020. A new website, everywhere.arizona.edu, presents students with degree path options and guides them to an adviser who can help each student create a customized plan.
"This rapid implementation is possible because it builds on two existing strengths: our network of microcampus locations and our top-ranked Arizona Online," said University of Arizona Provost Liesl Folks. "We want to help students achieve their dreams of a U.S. degree, whether it is from the University of Arizona or another U.S. university."
With unprecedented global reach and high-quality educational offerings, the University of Arizona will also partner with other American universities that have international students who are unable to attend classes due to travel restrictions. As an elite top-100 university, University of Arizona credits can typically be transferred anywhere.
Learn more by visiting the university's new international admissions website, everywhere.arizona.edu.
Universities interested in partnering with the University of Arizona should contact White at brentwhite@arizona.edu.
RESOURCES FOR THE MEDIA:
Contact:
Pam Scott
University Communications
Office: 520-621-1951 | Cell: 509-570-4610
pscott@arizona.edu
Post originally appeared on uanews.arizona.edu on May 4, 2020.