Internationalism

At Princeton, research and teaching—and the community of scholars who engage in them—reflect and embrace the diversity of today’s global classroom in a way that is consistent with the University’s scholarly vigor and its commitment to serve the nation and humanity.

In their time at Princeton, every undergraduate has a multitude of options for stepping beyond the University’s borders for meaningful interactions with the broader world. Even before starting on-campus, admitted first-year students have the opportunity to participate in the Novogratz Bridge Year Program, postponing coursework for an academic year while they live and volunteer in one of several medium- and low-income countries. Once matriculated, opportunities for international engagement include study abroad, international work and volunteer opportunities, and self-designed independent research. Recent alumni may participate in University-affiliated international fellowship programs, often connecting onward to careers abroad in government, the nonprofit sector, and the private sector.

International engagement is also open to Princeton graduate students, who are encouraged and supported to follow their research almost anywhere in the world it might take them. Beyond travel for field and lab work, human-subject studies, and archival pursuits, opportunities for international exchange programs, internships, practicums, conferences, and collaborations with scholars worldwide abound for master’s and Ph.D. candidates.

Like knowledge itself, Princeton’s faculty know no borders as they engage in curiosity-driven engagements and partnerships around the globe. Whether through formal research and teaching collaborations with peers abroad or informal exchanges of ideas at international conferences and scholarly events, Princeton faculty remain connected to and contributors in the currents of global scholarship and bring the very best of it to their classrooms and laboratories.

Of course, the world also comes through Princeton’s gates every day in the form of our vibrant and diverse community of students, faculty, researchers, and staff from around the globe. One in five Princeton students are international and they hail from almost 100 countries and territories. Every Princeton classroom, residential college, and student group is a colorful piece of the world’s rich tapestry of cultures. International faculty and scholars, on short- and long-term visits, add to Princeton’s truly global campus conversation.

The Office of the Associate Provost for International Affairs enables and administratively supports nearly every major facet of Princeton’s interactions with the world, while also constantly encouraging the exploration of new ways to advance the international scope of Princeton's mission and enhance the University's global connections. The Associate Provost leads Princeton’s oversight of the Mpala Research Centre in Kenya and the Princeton China Center and supports the Princeton Athens Center managed by the Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies. The Davis International Center, which provides administrative and programmatic support to international students and scholars, and the Global Safety & Security unit, with its mission to open the world to Princeton’s community through safer, smarter travel and global engagements, round out the office’s committed team of international professionals.

Beyond the Provost’s Office, international research and teaching are supported through units across the University. The Dean of the College’s Office of International Programs sponsors many of Princeton’s undergraduate international programs, coordinating across academic departments and providing advising and support to students interested in international experiences. The Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS) promotes advanced research and scholarship into global issues with support to graduate students and faculty working on these questions, as well as some undergraduate learning opportunities. Numerous other departments, institutes, and programs engage in world-class research and policy work, sending Princetonians out into the world and welcoming the world’s preeminent voices to our campus.