Dear Friends:
As we move forward, Missouri Western State University aims to be better today than we were yesterday, and even better tomorrow than we are today. One of the areas in which we seek to improve is international engagement.
On February 18, 2020, the University officially announced the creation of a new Global Center. This is important to our institution and community. In fact, over the last decade, St. Joseph has had a large impact on global markets exporting almost $1 billion in goods each year. In fact, it is the third largest exporter in Missouri behind St. Louis and Kansas City.
Although it is not widely known, Missouri Western has attracted faculty and staff with rich international backgrounds and experience who have helped develop and foster academic programs and experiential offerings focused on global learning. We have also welcomed talented students with international interests or global experience. These students hail from Missouri, various parts of the United States, and even from around the world, bringing with them their cultures, unique experiences, social understandings, and generational wisdoms. Not only can we do a better job promoting our international talent and offerings, but we can also do much more on a global scale.
Through our new Global Center, we can further distinguish Western and attract more students by increasing academic programs and hands-on-learning opportunities involving international education, global experiences, and cross-border interactions. Students desiring an international experience have often sought opportunities at other universities. Through the Global Center, we plan on increasing international engagement by attract globally-minded students from around Missouri, the region, and the United States to St. Joseph as well as adequately preparing students to compete on a global scale and enhancing our ability to attract international students. Having lived overseas for nearly 15 years of my life, I look forward to helping lead the international charge. In fact, I will be taking 18 students to Japan for a 10-day study abroad course entitled the “Global Lawyer” in May 2020. There is a growing excitement in our community about the new initiatives at Missouri Western. Our Global Center is another distinctive initiative that will help prepare our students for the future.
Sincerely,
President Matt Wilson