Thanks to its location in New York City, the heart of international influences in the United States, Columbia enjoys a crucial strength—the truly global reach of our people and programs as we work together to secure Columbia's reputation as America's preeminent international university. The seeming opposites "local" and "global" are in fact inseparably related dimensions of our mission. And this connection is an enormous comparative advantage as we work to advance Columbia's standing on the world stage.
Given the scope of the University's international enterprise, our main thrust during the past five years has been to build on what already exists—highlighting opportunities, introducing innovative programs, and forging new global partnerships. As a result, Columbia's international presence has continued to grow, as measured by the numbers of foreign students, faculty, and alumni, the international focus of the curriculum, and the global impact of work conducted here.
International students accounted for 15.9 percent of total student enrollment during the 1997–98 academic year—the highest proportion ever. At the same time, approximately one out of every five full-time faculty members was born outside the United States. Add to these the number of Columbia students and faculty who travel abroad to study or do research and the steady stream of foreign dignitaries who visit campus, and one gets some idea of the forces that together ensure a global context for teaching and scholarship.
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