Ohio State president to join delegation promoting U.S. higher education

Ohio State University President Karen A. Holbrook will join U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and Assistant Secretary of State Dina Habib Powell in the first ever high-profile delegation of U.S. college and university presidents to Japan, Korea and China during International Education Week, Nov. 10-18.

During stops in Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing, the delegation will meet with students and university leaders, government and business leaders, and the media to carry the message that the U.S. welcomes and values international students who want to study in the United States.

Holbrook will be one of 12 college and university presidents to accompany Spellings. She will return to Ohio State on Friday (11/17).

Holbrook says she is delighted to serve as an ambassador for U.S. higher education. “I am very proud that Ohio State, the nation's largest university, will be part of the first delegation chosen for this important mission,” Holbrook said. “Universities are becoming more global, and Ohio State is committed to that direction. As our work increases with people and institutions overseas, this trip provides a unique opportunity to discuss American higher education and to build relationships with our counterparts in Japan, Korea, and China. Our U.S. universities have many strategic partnerships with colleges and universities around the world that result in significant benefits to our students, faculty, and all the constituents of higher education.”

Ohio State recognizes the importance of globalization with more than 300 formal partnerships abroad with universities in 54 countries.

More than 3,600 international students and 1,500 visiting scholars are studying at Ohio State this year. In addition, more than 1,700 Ohio State undergraduates studied abroad last year, making the university 19th ranked nationally in undergraduates who study abroad during their academic career.

At Ohio State, there are 709 students from South Korea, 784 from China and 118 from Japan. In addition, many Ohio State alumni are currently living in those nations: 90 are in China, 322 are in Japan, and 320 are in Korea.

The decision to pair U.S. government with higher education leaders to send high-profile delegations overseas to promote America's higher education institutions was announced in January at the University Presidents' Summit on International Education in Washington, D.C. Each delegation will be led by a senior U.S. Government official.

The delegation will include: U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings; Assistant Secretary of State Dina Habib Powell; John B. Simpson, President, University at Buffalo, SUNY; Henry T. Yang, Chancellor University of California, Santa Barbara; Bernard Machen, President, University of Florida; Adam W. Herbert, President, Indiana University; William Brody, President, Johns Hopkins University; Karen A. Holbrook, President, Ohio State University; Stephen M. Curtis, President, Community College of Philadelphia; H. James Owen, President, Piedmont Community College; Shirley Ann Jackson, President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; David W. Leebron, President, Rice University; Philip W. Eaton, President, Seattle Pacific University; and Steadman Upham, President, University of Tulsa.