Photo by Matt Kalinowski
As I embark on my eighth and final year as dean of CAS, I am proud of the advances we have made on so many fronts. Perhaps none has been more dramatic than our rising leadership in global, cultural, and language studies. As our human world continues changing at an astonishing pace, just keeping track of the major political upheavals, economic transformations, and cultural shifts—let alone understanding them and figuring out how we should respond—is beyond the abilities of most citizens and, apparently, most policymakers.
That is where university scholars and teachers such as those at Boston University play a vital role, and where our growing leadership in these areas is so important. Scholarly experts have the training and mission to delve deeply into complex questions, find non-obvious answers, explain the results of their research to the general public and policymakers, and engage with those policymakers to develop and implement effective solutions, especially for the long term. And the long term is the key here: policymakers and politicians are under great pressure to focus on the short term, sometimes defined as narrowly as the next election. Scholars have the advantage of looking further into the future—in some fields, examining forces that work over the course of decades, centuries, and millennia.
BU’s College of Arts & Sciences is a leader in high-impact research and education with its well-established tradition of inquiry in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities to address the needs of humanity in a changing world. I am proud that we have created the kind of academic environment where research on global, enduring challenges and their solutions flourishes.
And now we can take a truly exciting leap forward in this mission. Thanks to a $25 million gift from BU alumnus Frederick S. Pardee (the largest gift in Arts & Sciences history), we launched the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies in September. Housed in CAS, the Pardee School brings together faculty and students from all around Boston University to tackle social, environmental, and economic issues in collaborative new ways. The Pardee School’s mission says it all: advancing human progress through research and education.
Meanwhile, two other new programs are strengthening CAS’ global impact. The Middle East & North Africa Studies Program (MENA)—part of the Pardee School—gives undergraduate students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the culture, languages, politics, and history of a volatile and fascinating region of the world. The Initiative on Cities (IoC) brings urban policy leaders together to discuss solutions to the complex problems of modern city life.
These new initiatives point to a continued bold leadership role for the College in international, regional, and urban studies. We will build on our strong global education program. Our foreign language education programs are at the core of this effort, developing our students’ competence in more than 20 important tongues, from Wolof to Turkish to French, and giving them a deep understanding of the associated cultures and societies (read more about our approach to studying languages here). BU’s study abroad programs offer undergraduates the opportunity to study in and experience daily life in over 30 cities on six continents (read about one student’s adventures here).
In this special global edition of arts&sciences, you will also meet outstanding faculty who devote themselves to global research and education. Environmental scientist Rick Murray co-led an international expedition to study the ancient history of the East Asian Monsoon weather system in order to better predict how it will change due to global warming. Associate Professor of Anthropology and African Studies Fallou Ngom uses his grasp of the intricacies of West African languages to help authorities evaluate the validity of claims of migrants applying for asylum. And historian James McCann traveled to Ethiopia and Germany on a Fulbright to teach PhD students about environmental history and malaria.
We know that many of you, our alumni, are also involved in work that advances the human condition around the globe. Write to us to let us know what you are doing. And, as you read through the magazine, think about how you can support this critical work of our faculty and students. One of the main emphases of the current Boston University and CAS comprehensive campaign is strengthening our ability to further this high-impact global work. Please consider helping us. Learn more at www.bu.edu/cas/impactx2. For an update on the progress that Arts & Sciences has made over the past year on all fronts, go to www.bu.edu/cas/ar/2014.