Students walking on campus in the Fall

A Global Foundation

A History of Global Engagement

Active involvement in the global academic community is an integral part of the University’s history dating back to founding President William Rainey Harper’s broad vision of engaging with the “community at large." From the outset, our scholars have transcended borders to pursue groundbreaking research and welcomed global thought leaders through our campus doors.  Click through highlights of the University's history of global engagement in the timeline below. To learn more about our most recent achievements see our latest annual report.