A Proud Legacy

Oklahoma State University's proud legacy of extensive international activity had its beginning more than fifty years ago with United States President Harry S. Truman's appointment of OSU President Henry G. Bennett as the founding director of the Point Four Program.

 

OSU's initial contribution to the Point Four Program was the establishment of an agricultural college in Ethiopia and played a significant role in the Program's evolution into the present-day United States Agency for International Development (USAID). OSU faculty and staff, working with the government of Ethiopia, created Alemaya College of Agriculture, which later became Haramaya University. Later projects in Egypt and Pakistan furthered the University’s commitment to global collaboration, and the impact of the University around the world.

Center for International Trade and Development

In 1988, the Wes Watkins Center for International Trade and Development was established in the state of the art Wes Watkins Center. The CITD provided both a tangible extension of the University’s commitment to serving as a focal point for global trade for the state of Oklahoma, but also its commitment to continued assistance in global development and sustainability. This was enhanced in 1999 when the university established a School of International Studies, an interdisciplinary graduate program which provides global perspectives on the disciplines represented at the university. The heart of the curriculum is addressing global challenges through an interdisciplinary framework, and the SIS relies on over 200 faculty across the university, from all academic colleges, to provide an integrated academic program that prepares our students to engage the most pressing global issues. In 2017, the Division of International Studies and Outreach, and the School of International Studies, were rebranded as the School of Global Studies and Partnerships. In 2023, the School of Global Studies and Partnerships were rebranded again as OSU Global to increase awareness in increasing OSU's international engagement.