Page 57 - Azerbaijan State University of Economics

Sh. Bayramov:Continuing to build a “global penn state”

both from UOGP and colleges. As a result, in the 2013-14 academic year 2,581
Penn State students benefited from study abroad opportunities that is higher than Big
Ten‘s average indicator of 2,046 students.
Logically, a continued increase in the number of international students, study
abroad programs, and the university revenues positively influence the overall quality
of Penn State‘s academic and research performance as well as creating a more
favorable campus environment in terms of ―producing‖ globally competent
professionals. I think, all these factors improve Penn State‘s image by raising its
general prestige and strengthening its elite institution status as a part of the Big Ten.
It is followed by a significant increase of interest in Penn State from domestic and
international visiting scholars. They are unique recourse in terms of bringing new
ideas and perspectives, improving the curricula, and creating a truly multicultural
higher education environment (Trow, 1984, p. 151). For instant, Penn State hosts
10-15 Hubert H. Humphrey Fellows every year who represent completely different
higher education systems. In 2015-16, ten Humphrey Fellows representing nine
countries bring their expertise to Penn State, and in turn they benefit from
professional development focused opportunities offered by Penn State. Additionally,
Penn State receives on average eight-ten Fulbright scholars per year. According to
Trow (1984), visiting scholars ―come because the leading universities have the
marginal resources, the research centers, the distinguished scholars, and the whom
visitors want to see and spend time with‖ (p. 151).

Diagram 1. The Matthew Effect of Penn State’s Global Affairs

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