Cindy Huang, professor of geography and vice provost for international studies and global engagement at the University of California, Los Angeles, recently became a member of the National Academy of International Education, an honor society and think tank. The Academy's members come from all over the world and aim to shape international higher education. Mr. Huang is one of five education leaders from three countries who were inducted into the academy on February 12.
We interviewed Phan to discuss her NAIE membership and her work in international education at UCLA.
Can you identify the first important step on the path to international education?
My parents were farmers in rural China and never finished elementary school. On the other hand, I decided to emigrate, so I was born in Hong Kong, which was then a British colony. That decision changed my life. I was also given the opportunity to attend university, where I majored in geography. During my undergraduate education, studying abroad in Japan and the Philippines broadened my horizons. From that point on, the pursuit of international education has been the driving force behind everything I do, including becoming an international student and then a professor in the United States.
How did your experience in the field lead you to NAIE and what do you hope to do there?
A global perspective is central to both NAIE's work and my own work at UCLA, where I leverage global frameworks to expand and enrich the university's teaching, research, and services. I am passionate about creating opportunities for students to become more interculturally competent through internationalized cross-cultural curricula, study and internships abroad, and international study in diverse fields. Masu.
As the leader of the UCLA Institute of International Studies, I am dedicated to developing a degree program in international studies and specializing in addressing global challenges such as climate change, pandemics, systemic racism, inequality, and modern geopolitical conflicts. We champion the work of interdisciplinary research centers that bring the house together. — as well as the history, politics, and culture of different parts of the world.
My job as Vice Chancellor includes maintaining and expanding UCLA's global influence through collaborative research projects and exchange programs, connecting alumni abroad with UCLA's continuing activities, and engaging international dignitaries. This includes welcoming people to campus and representing UCLA in international organizations such as the Pacific Association. Rim University (APRU).
My experience has shown me that international education requires private and public funding. Government-funded programs, including Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships/Title VI, Fulbright, Fulbright-Hays, and Language Flagship Programs, expand students' access to research and study abroad opportunities and prepare them for tomorrow's global professionals. useful for education.
The Academy's global membership is an excellent platform for fostering dialogue and ideas to improve the quality and scope of international higher education. One of the areas that I'm particularly drawn to is the intersection of international education and equity, diversity and inclusion, which is a topic I've been working on for some time. For example, over the past few years I have been involved in the APRU Mentoring Program to develop women leaders in academic institutions.
If you were to talk to the parents of new students at UCLA, how would you communicate the importance of international education in the 21st century?
International education is important because the world is interconnected, global challenges require global cooperation, and international experience makes you more competitive in the job market. Students in all majors benefit from language study, study abroad programs, and international internships.
UCLA itself is a global university. Many faculty, students, and staff speak multiple languages and have diverse cultural backgrounds, and you will have many opportunities to interact with them. The international experience and campus environment broadens students' horizons, reminds them of the value of humility, and improves critical thinking, communication, networking, and problem-solving skills. Above all, international education strengthens students' confidence in the world and their determination to make it a better place.
You are leading the campus' efforts to expand UCLA's global reach and influence by going “glocal.” Can you explain how the glocal paradigm relates to international education?
I am very excited about the current UCLA strategic plan. One of the plan's five goals, “Expand our reach as a global university,” is to ensure that all of UCLA's schools and divisions are committed to research, teaching, and The purpose is to enable you to engage in service. In this effort, we partner with diverse diaspora communities in California and cosmopolitan Los Angeles, making international education not just a distant concept but directly relevant to our neighbors and local communities. I would like to share this perspective with my colleagues at NAIE because I feel it is essential to building support and respect for higher education internationally.
