When the White House chose the Science Politique Institute in Paris to host Condoleeza Rice's address to the European Union on Wednesday, Northwestern played a small but important role.

During a TV interview with a French news agency, Science Politique director Richard Descoings said the school had been selected because of its ties to American universities, citing NU in particular.

The transcontinental name drop is a sign of NU's growing global repute, according to faculty working in international programs.

"We've attained, in the past five to ten years, significant visibility in France and Europe," said political science Prof. Michael Loriaux, co-director of NU's French Interdisciplinary Group. "This is a conscious decision of ours."

According to Loriaux, NU wanted to create an international program that didn't imitate other American institutions', which build their own university centers abroad.

"(Other universities') model doesn't give students access to and exposure to a foreign academic setting that can be achieved through a partnership with foreign universities," Loriaux said.

NU chose to partner with Science Politique, one of France's premier political science institutions, for exchange programs, including courses on the European Union and Europe's public health system. Courses are taught in English by Science Politique professors. The schools created a dual PhD program and engage in faculty exchange.

By improving its visibility abroad, NU hopes to grab the attention of more foreign students and professors.

"Our mission is to raise the profile of NU internationally and attract students and faculty who might otherwise just go to the coasts," said Devora Grynspan, director of the Office of International Program Development.

--Jordan Weissmann

Article Tools