Engaging Globally
Nearly 10 years ago in Botswana, a country with one of the world's highest HIV/AIDS infection rates, Penn Medicine built a small program to train local healthcare providers. Today, Penn's engagement in Botswana has grown into a broad, interdisciplinary health-focused program, and serves as a model for the university’s future global engagement. As part of this initiative, Penn partnered with the University of Botswana to construct the country’s first medical school and helped establish an NIH-funded Center for AIDS Research.
Advancing global inquiry. Prominent research universities can play an important role in addressing complex issues that affect the world. Penn generates knowledge and expertise about problems such as HIV/AIDS, environmental sustainability, and rapid responses to humanitarian disasters.
Promoting academic partnerships. Great 21st-century universities such as Penn must engage dynamically with communities all over the world. Penn’s academic partnerships extend to Africa, China, India, Latin America, and beyond. The number of Penn students who study abroad has grown by 14 percent since 2004, and our global network of Penn alumni continues to expand.
Embracing a global exchange of ideas. Penn ranks 4th in the United States in the percent of international students enrolled, making us the academic home to the largest contingent of international students in the Ivy League. Applications from around the globe is up by 84 percent since 2004, with the largest increases coming from China and India, where enrollment has increased two-fold.