Strategic Priorities

Student studying on a green lawn

Our global engagement priorities stem from our deep institutional belief and continuing commitment to globalization rooted in Temple founder, Russell Conwell’s vision to democratize, diversify and widen the reach of higher education.

In our ever-changing world, now more than ever, it is essential for us to continually review, renew and update our commitment to global engagement.

These priorities reflect our holistic approach to global engagement, which begins on Main Campus in Philadelphia and reaches throughout our global network and campuses.

The framework these priorities provides is crucial to the future success of Temple University students, to the transformative power of the teaching and research of our faculty, and to Temple’s overarching mission of developing a better world for all.

Boundless Access

Enhance cultural exchange and student mobility and access to provide globalization opportunities for all students.

  • Capitalize on Temple’s global network including its overseas campuses and study abroad locations, both in person—domestically and internationally—and virtually, to build partnerships and provide students with more opportunities.
  • Provide access to global learning opportunities for all students, whether, or not, they can travel abroad, by leveraging the diversity of our international student population. Expose students to other cultures through ongoing campus activities, which promote interaction with international students and their diverse cultures and languages.
  • Build on our current success and capacity for sending Temple students abroad to study, research, and intern, increasing participation among students who have been underrepresented in education abroad such as students of color, first generation students, students with disabilities, and non-traditional students, as well as students from an ever-wider range of disciplines and majors.
  • Provide a pathway for students and professionals who are not native English speakers to the university through our Temple Center for American Culture and Language.

Educational Value

Prepare all students—domestic and international—for success as global citizens.

  • Across our global campuses, ready students to meet the challenges and opportunities of living and working in a globalized world, essential to students’ adaptability to the future of work and to their resilience to thrive and compete globally.
  • Support best teaching practices that enable students to analyze contemporary urban, political, economic and scientific world issues, such as sustainability, social justice, and media literacy, and understand the impact of these issues at a local, national and global level.
  • Take full advantage of Temple’s three global, urban locations—Philadelphia, Rome and Tokyo and global programming to cultivate in students an understanding and appreciation of global diversity, equity and inclusion.
  • Encourage students to be active world citizens and effective leaders.
  • Incorporate learning outcomes that emphasize global knowledge and skills, the acquisition of new languages, awareness of other cultures, and an appreciation of world arts and culture.
  • Integrate international students into the university's living and learning environment. At the same time, encourage domestic students to advance their own cultural competencies by welcoming and being sensitive to the needs of those for whom English is not their first language.

Thought Leadership

Infuse globalization into all aspects of faculty work.

  • Incorporate globalization into faculty development, curricular and instructional design, research, scholarship and civic and community outreach to build bridges and support well-being.
  • Encourage and support internationally focused research and collaboration to take on the world’s greatest challenges, from social justice to sustainability, to transform the human experience.
  • Provide faculty opportunities abroad through internationalization grants, teaching opportunities and faculty exchanges.
  • Boost faculty involvement in global engagement in newly targeted regions, such as Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and more, expanding our understanding and opportunities to interact with the rich diversity of Philadelphia and Temple and its other well-established global campuses—Japan and Rome--and Temple’s entire global network.

Reputational Excellence

Enhance Temple’s reputation worldwide by identifying, initiating, cultivating, broadening and enhancing awareness of Temple’s overseas campuses and overall global network, collaborations and partnerships.

  • Identify and cultivate global partnerships to increase Temple’s global footprint, student recruitment, collaborative degree programs, research collaborations, opportunities for education abroad, and overall opportunities worldwide.
  • Focus on university-wide as well as college- and school-specific strategic partnerships worldwide. Raise awareness of these partnerships to encourage and facilitate participation and collaboration between various Temple schools, departments and the Global Engagement Office.
  • Increase the collaboration of our overseas campuses in recruiting, exchange, teaching, research, and in all types of collaboration including online collaboration, providing more opportunity for students, faculty and staff.
  • Cultivate a network of Temple alumni worldwide (working with Institutional Advancement) to raise Temple’s reputation and brand awareness, grow fundraising potential, support recruitment efforts and career services.

Community Engagement

Demonstrate Temple’s commitment to impactful civic and community engagement worldwide.

  • Encourage and support internationally focused student and faculty research and collaboration to take on the world’s greatest challenges.
  • Immerse students in experiences where they can contribute to the local communities where they study through knowledge, internships and volunteering.

Our Values

Read more about the individual missions of our Global Engagement (Inbound) and Education Abroad units, and our Anti-Racism Taskforce below.