Mark S. Wrighton, Chancellor, Washington University in St. Louis
On Higher Education and Globalization:
“The accelerating globalization and commercialization of knowledge, information and technology tolls the end of the ivory tower and the insularity of educational and other institutions. The McDonnell International Scholars Academy acknowledges that the increasingly interdependent world needs mutual understanding and cooperation to survive and thrive, and represents a first step toward creating a forum of top, educated minds to help foster that.”
On the Goals of the McDonnell Academy:
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“Scholars from premier partner universities worldwide are selected on the basis of their promise to become future leaders in academia, government, the professions or the corporate world. Our goal is to encourage their development as scholars knowledgeable about the United States, other countries of the world and critical international issues.”
“The McDonnell Academy also nurtures the development of international cooperation in education and research among the partner universities and sponsoring corporations in addressing global challenges.”
“One of our goals is to broaden international cooperation and understanding among people and institutions of the world through critical educational and research exchanges. This can help us address global challenges such as international peace, human health, and economic prosperity.”
“It’s important for U.S.-based multinational corporations to have access to a talent pool that understands American culture as well as their homeland’s. The significant and growing corporate support of the McDonnell Academy demonstrates that they concur in our global vision for informed collaboration and competition.”
On Global Competition in Education:
“Global competition is not confined just to corporations. Universities are increasingly competing across borders for students, faculty and financial support. For years the United States has played a leading role in graduate education, but now some of the world’s leading universities are in Asia. The McDonnell Academy is a means for Washington University to strengthen its associations there and, ultimately, around the world.”
“Research universities of the world will compete with each other. Premier universities will compete for talented students, faculty and resources. At the same time, research universities must cooperate. Competition and cooperation in the U.S. has contributed to developing the most outstanding research universities in the world. Now international cooperation is an imperative too, because there are challenging global problems that require work involving people from different locations with unique talents and resources. Cooperation will be rewarding, because research universities in other parts of the world are important contributors to knowledge creation and application. The cooperation will involve U.S. students and faculty working in international locations and will involve the development of joint research and education programs with partner universities. Enhanced international cooperation will contribute to making the world a better place.”
John C. Danforth, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and three-term member of the U.S. Senate and chair of the Academy’s external advisory committee.
On International Collaboration:
“Academics have always communicated across cultural and political barriers, even when their homelands have been at odds. The McDonnell Academy capitalizes on and expands that long history of international scholarly collaboration. In the process, it will provide stronger resources, opportunities and outcomes for students, faculty and partner universities. Thanks to technology, knowledge no longer knows any physical barriers, whether they be border checkpoints or university walls.”
John F. McDonnell, retired chairman of the board of McDonnell Douglas Corp., vice chairman of the Washington University board of trustees and naming donor.
On the McDonnell Academy and Learning:
“This initiative by Mark Wrighton and Washington University is one of the most farsighted undertakings I have seen. It integrates the internationalization of research and education with the ascent of Washington University among the world’s leading universities. It’s an exciting initiative and a potential model for joint international research ventures. As our world becomes more globalized, as we have more interaction and impact on one another, it’s important to have experience and ties in other countries. No country has a lock on what is good, and we all have a lot to learn.”
On World Peace:
“The more we work together and the more economically interconnected we are, the more we reduce the probability of belligerency.”
On International Business and Education:
“International outreach and collaboration have been accelerating in the business community over recent decades. American companies can no longer look only at U.S. markets, resources, and brainpower to remain competitive. The same has been happening at leading universities, both in attracting top students and in conducting world-class research.”
Dr. Zhihong Xu, president, Peking University
On the McDonnell Academy:
“I would like to thank you for your invitation to join the establishment of the McDonnell International Scholars Academy initiated by Washington University in St. Louis. The McDonnell Academy is an innovative initiative, which will undoubtedly serve as a model for international academic exchange and will stand apart from other student exchange programs. I appreciate your dedication to the educational collaboration between American and Chinese scholars. Not only will this initiative strengthen the development of common understanding among these scholars, but it will also encourage deeper and closer relations between our two universities. While Washington University in St. Louis and Peking University have enjoyed warm and friendly relations in the past, this initiative will certainly further enhance our cooperation. My own son had a rewarding experience at Washington University in St. Louis as a graduate student and earned his Ph.D. in biology. The McDonnell Academy will enable us to develop cooperative education and research programs of benefit to each university, their students and faculty, and other partners in the Academy.”
Professor Arthur K C Li, secretary for education and manpower, Hong Kong and former vice chancellor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
On International Collaboration:
“Education and research are vital to the future of Hong Kong. We encourage our students to have overseas exposure so that they will develop an international perspective much needed for our economic success. We also encourage our higher education institutions to collaborate with international partners in education and research programs.”
On the McDonnell Academy:
“The McDonnell International Scholars Academy at Washington University in St. Louis is an outstanding example of a global partnership to foster international cooperation among major research universities of the world, with an initial focus on Asia. I am very pleased that both the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong are among the universities partners in this exciting and innovative initiative.”
Donald B. McNaughton, senior vice president, international and strategic ventures at Corning Inc.
On the McDonnell Academy:
“To stay connected with the brightest minds in the world … to engage the people who can help us solve our customers’ toughest challenges … we need programs like the McDonnell International Scholars Academy. We are very excited about the research relationships we’ll build through this Academy … not only with Washington University in St. Louis, but ultimately with other premier universities in the world.”
James V. Wertsch, McDonnell Academy director and Washington University’s Marshall S. Snow professor in Arts & Sciences and director of international and area studies.
On Academic Connections and Global Problems:
“The Academy nurtures a network of the world’s premier graduate students and future leaders in a unique educational experience across disciplinary, cultural and national boundaries. It also establishes new connections among the partner universities.”
“Most academic connections are developed along the lines of narrowly defined intellectual interests. In contrast, the McDonnell Academy brings together a ready-made network of universities and top minds from many areas to talk about world problems — whether it be SARS, terrorism or pollution. Just as technology has become globalized, so have our challenges. The Academy is just one effort — a demonstration project — to address that fact. We hope that in 20 years it will be seen as the premier project of its sort.”
On the Future of Higher Education:
“The future of international higher education is at the top of the Academy’s agenda. One of the early Academy activities will be to convene representatives of the partner universities to examine the role and direction of global higher education in the fast approaching future, how we should compete and how we should collaborate.”
On the Goals of the McDonnell Academy and Global Understanding:
“Each McDonnell Academy scholar has a one-of-kind opportunity to study and to experience American culture and people in a great university in the heart of America. They’ll also form relationships and create an international network of fellow scholars that will serve them throughout their careers. But just as they learn from us, we hope to learn from them and to listen to what they can tell us. Powerful forces of globalization have been unleashed and we all need to understand them and each other.”