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It’s International Education Week at UF, which is a perfect time to reflect on international education at our college.  As it happens, Bill Tilson, the college’s assistant dean for international studies and service learning, has his office next door to mine.  So I asked him to share his thoughts on our international programs:

International experiences are so fundamental to our academic and professional missions that it’s hard to describe us without them. Design, planning and construction projects, whether theoretical or actual, take place in the world.

Our work is affected directly by different climates, cultures and traditions of making. Study abroad keeps us focused on important issues, such as sustainability, in an increasingly globalized world.

I met with two architecture faculty this week, Donna Cohen and Claude Armstrong, whose work is a perfect example of what Bill explains above.  They are working on an integrated theater and orphanage in Moshi, Tanzania.  They recently received an international award, which recognizes sustainable construction, for their work on the project.

Donna and Claude’s project takes place in the world, to reference Bill’s comment.  In fact, they are working with a firm from Finland, so even the design team is global. Their work is impacted by the Tanzanian culture. Not only do they want to respect the local culture, but also, they want to use technology and materials that are local to the orphanage.

One of DCP’s strength is the wide reach of our international programs and the impact our faculty and students are having on communities throughout the world.  Our international programs began nearly 30 years ago, so our college has a long history of international education.

 Check out the map of our work around the world: worldmap