International Partnerships

It is with our partners that MSU faculty, students and staff engage in international research, teaching, outreach and institution building around the globe.

Our goals are to invest in deeper and more focused collaborations with international partner institutions where, together, we can have positive impacts on critical global issues of national and state-wide relevance.

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International Agreements at Michigan State University

Background Information

Michigan State University (MSU) has a long and rich history of international partnerships. Our faculty, students and staff engage in international research, teaching, outreach and institution building in many countries around the globe. As we move rapidly toward a global economy, international activity benefits MSU's faculty, staff and students, as well as the State of Michigan.

Increasingly, colleges and departments, here and abroad, find strong global linkages to be an essential component of their educational and research programs. In the last decade, interest in developing formal linkage agreements has grown significantly at MSU and at educational institutions throughout the world. Linkages are developed for a variety of purposes: faculty and/or student exchanges, other forms of study abroad programs, research, and resource sharing. All of these linkages offer the means to formally collaborate with a partner institution.

In 2009, MSU is party to more than 180 active formal agreements for academic cooperation with institutions in other countries. To track these and future agreements, International Studies and Programs (ISP) maintains the University's International Agreement Database which contains information about MSU's agreements with institutions abroad. The Agreement Database is available on the ISP website. In addition, ISP maintains extensive paper files that are open to the campus community.

At the direction of the Board of Trustees, ISP manages the process for reviewing and approving International Agreements. Before a decision is made, the Dean of ISP seeks the advice of the Advisory/ Consultative Committee (A/CC) on International Studies and Programs on the merits of proposed agreements. The A/CC, composed of elected representatives from all colleges, meets several times during the academic year. Institutional international agreements must be signed by the Dean of ISP to take effect.

Jeffrey M. Riedinger, Dean
International Studies & Programs

Why Develop a Linkage Agreement?

Universities across the U.S. and throughout the world seek new and creative ways to link with institutions abroad. MSU's colleges and departments receive numerous letters and visitors from abroad seeking linkage partnerships. Many provide attractive opportunities for collaborative research and/or outreach opportunities, others offer to host MSU students at locations with enriching educational opportunities, and others seek U.S. partners to accept their qualified graduate and undergraduate students.

International agreements serve to provide visible and concrete intentions of colleagues and/or academic units working together toward a common goal. Moreover, in some cultures, a written statement of intention is highly valued, or it may be essential for potential government funding and/or to allow faculty at the partner university to implement the intended activities. A written international agreement also provides written existence of the linkage for the knowledge of other MSU units. An agreement also may help to minimize misunderstandings in the future about what was intended. Finally, international agreements are required if legally binding commitments are made for units at MSU. MSU's contracts must be in writing.

There are three types of international agreements at MSU. The first and broadest is the "General International Agreement," which establishes a formal partnership between MSU and an international institution. This first type of agreement also includes the potential range of specific activities (student, faculty and/or staff exchanges; shared research projects; technology transfer; etc.). The second type of agreement is more specific: it provides detailed information about MSU partnerships involving faculty, students and/or staff engaging in work at an international partner institution. The third, too, is specific, and details student, faculty and/or staff exchanges, joint research projects or technology transfer.

Unit Level Responsibilities for the Linkage

As departments and colleges must shoulder various responsibilities for the administrative and programmatic features of linkages involving them, they should consider strategically which partners will provide the best match for our students and faculty, and which will contribute to the fulfillment of our university mission. Even without commitments of university financial resources, initiating and maintaining international partnerships takes the energy of faculty, chairs and deans, in addition to the services of academic support units. Letters must be written, visitors must be received, MSU faculty and administrators must visit partner campuses, joint grant applications must be developed, and so forth.

Units wishing to formalize a relationship through a written agreement should contact the Office of the Dean of ISP in advance of drafting the agreement. Patricia Lambert, Assistant to the Dean, coordinates international agreements. We also encourage units to talk with the director of the relevant ISP area study center regarding linkage proposals. If the linkage provides for sending MSU students on a study abroad program or engaging in student exchange, we suggest that you meet with the Director of Study Abroad. Additionally, several MSU colleges have internal procedures for processing linkages. Staff in the appropriate college unit should be consulted in these cases.

Meeting University Agreement Requirements

This information provides guidance to develop a document that meets University requirements through guidelines, model agreements, and other documents necessary to accompany the linkage. Patricia Lambert will review agreements, seek consultation from legal counsel and/or contracts and grants, and confer with the ISP Advisory/ Consultative Committee for final review and action.

The International Linkage Database

Because ISP maintains the University's International Agreement Database, MSU units should keep ISP informed of changes to agreements. Copies of the database may be requested from the ISP Dean's Office.