Alan Llavore | Office of Marketing and Communications | (909) 537-5007 | allavore@csusb.edu
California State University, San Bernardino President Tomás D. Morales has spent his entire higher education career with a single-minded focus on student success.
“Access to public higher education has built my life,” he said, “and I want to pass it forward.”
An ongoing focus on educational opportunities which support student persistence and grow graduation rates has led him to emphasize the role that international study plays in any overall student success goals.
“The opportunity to study abroad itself is impactful,” Morales said. He added that opportunities to study alongside international students who are either visiting or regularly enrolled on a student’s home campus also makes a difference. “This is in addition to being able to take classes from visiting faculty from institutions outside the U.S.”
CSUSB’s recent 2023-28 Strategic Plan has included “internationalization” as one of its goals. The goal’s objectives include: “Enhance global learning opportunities for the campus community; Expand student, faculty and staff participation in education abroad programs; and, Grow, diversify and engage the international student body.”
The focus on strengthening internationalization at CSUSB has translated into ongoing support of the College of Extended and Global Education’s international offerings, as well as the Center for International Studies and Programs or CISP.
Furthermore, over the past several years, Morales has signed memorandums of understanding (MOU) with, for example, Chungnam National University, Sahmyook University and Seoul Cyber University in South Korea; NIMS University, the Indian Institute of Technology (Madras) and Madras Christian College in India; and Lviv Polytechnic University in Ukraine. This not only increases CSUSB’s global footprint, it translates into more international opportunities for students and faculty.
An additional avenue is joining higher educational-based international organizations. One such organization with which Morales has himself become involved is the International Association of University Presidents. IAUP defines itself as “a global network of university leaders and institutions dedicated to making the world a better place through higher education, by strengthening leadership through the exchange of knowledge, best practices and strategic insights.”
IAUP's mission focuses on enhancing the global mission and educational quality of its member institutions, fostering global awareness, competence, peace and international understanding through education. It serves as a unique platform for exchanging professional expertise through events, publications and collaborative initiatives. A registered not-for-profit in the United Kingdom, IAUP provides networking and opportunities for global higher education leaders to share best practices along with publications, webinars, podcasts and a biannual newsletter.
While the current global situation is one of high tension, maintaining international ties is a way of underscoring how interconnected our planet remains when it comes to education. Such ties not only serve student success, they are also part of an effort to work towards a better future for not only CSUSB’s students but students all around the world.
“I am proud to be able to say that a student who studies at CSUSB stands not just here in the Inland Empire of California, they are also standing in a global university,” said Morales. “I am excited for the opportunities international study provides to our current and future students.”