Number 3: Duke goes global

Durham has become too small for a Duke that increasingly has its eyes set on the international horizon. This decade, particularly since the start of the Brodhead Era, has been marked by Duke's desire to expand its global reach and its growing presence abroad—but the University's hunger for international footing is unlikely to be satisfied even in the next decade.

When President Richard Brodhead arrived at Duke in 2003, he had international goals in mind. Those goals have received several big pushes in the years since—particularly from the University's $1.3 billion strategic plan passed in 2006, "Making a Difference." The plan's main goals of enhancing student education and increasing Duke's service to society are supported by six themes, one of which is internationalization. The central administration gave globalization efforts another big push in its Quality Enhancement Plan, part of the University's reaccreditation process. Approved in 2009, the QEP titled "Global Duke: Enhancing Students' Capacity for World Citizenship" introduced the Global Semester Abroad, the Winter Forum and the Global Advising Program. The first Winter Forum will be held Jan. 10-12 2010.

Several Duke schools have taken the international message to heart. The Fuqua School of Business has lead the expansion effort from the beginning, initiating a cross-continent MBA program in 1999 that was greatly scaled back in 2002 due to financial losses. But Fuqua wasn't beaten, the school has launched a new Cross-Continent MBA program in 2008 with partners in St. Petersburg, London, Shanghai, Dubai and New Delhi. Several other schools have followed suit. The Sanford School of Public Policy and the Nicholas School of the Environment are exploring international collaboration efforts and the Masters in Science and Global Health program has plans for international service work. Duke also partnered to open the Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School in July 2006, and its new home was officially in use Sept. 2009.

Soon, several Duke programs may have a home in China. The Board of Trustees considered the first of two proposed phases of Duke involvement in China at its Dec. 2009 meeting. The first phase starts with Fuqua (no surprises there) and is a partnership between Fuqua, the government of Kunshan and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Arts and Sciences Council Chair Ruth Day confirmed at the body's Dec. 2009 meeting that the Board of Trustees approved the first phase, which would include free land and construction that could break ground as early as Jan. 2010 and be ready for occupation in 2011. Facilities in the first phase would be built large enough to accommodate other Duke programs, potentially including the Nicholas School, the Pratt School of Engineering, Sanford, the School of Law and some undergraduate experiences like DukeEngage or study abroad (Adding those programs is phase 2, which has not been considered or approved by the Board yet.).

Domestic and international students have also seen their opportunities to travel expand greatly this decade. In February 2007, Duke launched DukeEngage, an unprecedented civic engagement initiative that fully funds students on domestic and international service trips. Inspired by the University's strategic plan, the program got an initial $15 million boost from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and has been a significant admissions draw. In 2010, DukeEngage will have programs in 30 international and domestic locations, but since the economic downturn, the DukeEngage endowment is no longer generating money, and the University announced it would fund the program's $4 million budget.

And students still have the traditional study abroad options. Duke reports that about 45 percent of students study abroad during their Duke careers. In 2000, Duke had 20 study abroad programs, and now it has 15 semester programs, about 20 summer programs and domestic programs in New York and Los Angeles, now run by the recently renamed Global Education Office for Undergraduates.

The world is coming home to Durham, too. In the last 10 years, Duke has brought more international students to campus. Although international students are not admitted on a need-blind basis and the University says it only expects to admit 20-25 need-based financial aid applicants, some additional aid was created by the $300 million financial aid initiative. Nearly 1o percent of the Class of 2012 is international and saw a record number of foreign applicants. International applications were up 33 percent in the early decision pool for the Class of 2013. These students are served by the International house, which could merge with the Multicultural Center although the move has been delayed due to student outcry.

Duke even has a vice provost for international affairs (Gilbert Merkx) and a senior advisor for international strategy (R. Sanders "Sandy" Williams, who has just accepted a position at the Gladstone Institutes).