Center for Global & International Studies
Message from the Director
Bill Tsutsui, Acting Director
Welcome to the Center for Global and International Studies (CGIS) at the University of Kansas!
After literally decades of discussion and an intensive year of planning, the Center for Global and International Studies was established as a unit of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences on July 1, 2009. We begin this exciting and long-awaited enterprise with ambitious goals:
- to build upon the exceptional resources of the University of Kansas in area studies, world languages, and international programs,
- to serve as a catalyst, promoting interdisciplinary research and teaching on topics and themes of transnational scope,
- to serve as an incubator, nurturing curricular development and new degree programs focusing on world areas not covered by the existing area studies centers,
- to provide a central home for degree programs in international studies now dispersed in units around the College: the undergraduate Co-Major in Global and International Studies (formerly the Co-Major in International Studies) and the graduate MA in Global and International Studies (formerly the MA in International Studies), and
- to serve the state of Kansas, the region, and the nation by preparing students for careers in a global economy, fostering research and expertise in world areas of growing economic and strategic importance, and promoting the state's global competitiveness by providing outreach and support to schools, businesses, and government agencies.
This is a tall order, especially in a tough economy, but the CGIS is fortunate in having hundreds of affiliated faculty in the College and from across campus, bringing deep experience and world-class expertise in global studies to our programs. We also have strong institutional support, from an exciting partnership with International Programs to close collaboration with the area studies centers and related interdisciplinary programs. We benefit too from the libraries and museums here at KU and from the many resources of our region, including Fort Leavenworth and the vibrant cultural, business, and international institutions of greater Kansas City.
I encourage you to learn more about the Center for Global and International Studies, to take advantage of the opportunities we offer, and to share with us your suggestions for how we can better serve KU, Kansas, and a fast-paced, interconnected world.
William M. Tsutsui
Acting Director, Center for Global and International Studies
Associate Dean for International Studies, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Professor of History
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