Each November, Virginia Tech joins universities across the United States and around the world in celebrating International Education Week, a time to recognize how education and travel expand our understanding of the world and of one another.
When our students connect with the world, they bring new skills, perspectives, and partnerships that strengthen communities, the workforce and the economy — here in Southwest Virginia and beyond.
Launched by the U.S. Departments of State and Education, International Education Week grew from a post–World War II conviction that peace and prosperity depend on connection, compassion and collaboration that extend beyond physical and cultural boundaries. Initiatives such as the Fulbright and People-to-People programs were born from that belief: When students, scholars and communities engage across borders, they strengthen not only their own lives but our shared future.
That belief is as vital today as ever. As the global landscape continues to shift, the challenges before us demand collaboration across cultures, languages and perspectives. International education helps students meet that moment with curiosity, empathy and resilience.
At Virginia Tech, global learning sits at the heart of our land-grant mission — the charge to serve communities here in Virginia and beyond. Whether through studying abroad, welcoming international scholars, or building partnerships that address issues from food security to clean water, we help students become not just graduates, but global citizens ready to lead and contribute in the spirit of our university motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve).
Across Virginia, employers are looking for graduates who can navigate global markets, build cross-cultural teams and understand the forces shaping our economy. From agriculture and advanced manufacturing to cybersecurity and health care, the ability to collaborate across borders is now a driver of local prosperity. Global education doesn’t take talent away from Virginia — it brings new ideas and connections back to the commonwealth, fueling its growth and strengthening its future.
Recent findings from The Forum on Education Abroad show how powerfully students’ lives and careers are shaped by studying abroad. More than 90% of alumni say their international experience helped them build the skills employers value most — communication, adaptability and problem-solving. Studying abroad broadens horizons and builds a globally minded workforce ready to innovate, collaborate and compete.
That’s why Virginia Tech is expanding access to study abroad, international internships and global research experiences for all students. Through experiential education programs like the Steger Center for International Scholarship, where students connect classroom learning with community engagement in Switzerland, and a hands-on engineering internship in England — a partnership among Rolls-Royce, the Commonwealth of Virginia, Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia — we’re helping them turn learning into action around the globe.
Our faculty and students also engage in international research collaborations that address issues such as food security and sustainable development. Through the Center for Refugee, Migrant, and Displacement Studies’ collaboration with Elimisha Kakuma — a college preparatory program in Kenya co-designed by a Virginia Tech alumna — we’re helping open pathways to higher education for refugee students. Together, these efforts ensure that every Hokie can gain meaningful international experience and bring those lessons home to strengthen communities here in the commonwealth.
This year’s International Education Week theme, “Thriving Together: Global Perspectives on Happiness, Well-being, and Human Connection,” reminds us that global engagement isn’t only about competitiveness, but also about belonging. As the World Happiness Report details, happiness grows where people feel valued, safe and connected — conditions that make learning possible and communities resilient. At Virginia Tech, we want every student, from Blacksburg to Bangalore, to experience that sense of welcome and purpose.
At a time when many young people express uncertainty about the future, international education offers something profoundly hopeful: the chance to see ourselves as part of a larger story. When students share a meal in Switzerland, conduct research in Chile, or sit beside classmates from around the world in Virginia, they learn that connection and well-being transcend geography.
That is what International Education Week celebrates — the idea that we grow stronger when we grow together. By engaging globally, we not only prepare students for meaningful careers, but also cultivate the understanding and joy that help Virginia — and the world — thrive.
Guru Ghosh is Virginia Tech’s vice president for outreach and international affairs.