University of Wisconsin-Madison: UW area studies centers awarded $4 million in Title VI grants
UW–Madison international and area studies centers will receive $3.9 million in federal Title VI grants for the 2022–2023 academic year under the National Resource Centers (NRC) and Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships programs, administered by the U.S. Department of Education.
UW–Madison NRCs were awarded $1.8 million, and $2.1 million has been designated for FLAS scholarships for the current academic year. Over the four-year cycle of these awards, the university will receive $15.8 million. During the 2018–2022 grant cycle, 484 FLAS scholarships were distributed to 424 students, with the greatest number of awards made to date in academic year 2021–2022.
Title VI funding is critical to maintaining international collaboration, leadership, and scholarship for the U.S. Title VI enables NRCs to conduct research on key world regions and issues, bolster national expertise, provide training and outreach throughout the state, and support regional and international teaching on campus. These activities produce new foreign area and strategic language experts and are essential to U.S. security and competitiveness. This substantial investment in international education develops the next generation of leaders who will engage across business, government, education, art and culture, and other sectors, both domestic and worldwide.
UW–Madison is home to the largest number of Title VI National Resource Centers among all higher education institutions.
“I am very proud that the university continues to be recognized for its excellence in international learning and engagement,” said Guido Podestá, vice provost and dean of the International Division at UW–Madison. “These proposals are a substantial effort on the part of the area studies centers and have resulted in a significant investment in world research, instruction, and scholarships. We will see numerous benefits here in Wisconsin and abroad.”
The centers that received NRC, FLAS, or both awards are the: African Studies Program; Institute for Regional and International Studies; Center for East Asian Studies; Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program; Center for European Studies; Center for Russia, East Europe and Central Asia; Center for South Asia; and Center for Southeast Asian Studies.
“These awards confirm UW–Madison as a national leader in language education and area studies,” said Karl Scholz, provost, UW–Madison. “I wholeheartedly congratulate Dean Podestá and our colleagues for their efforts in securing these grant renewals and for the outstanding work they do in preparing the next generation of international leaders.”
With the support of Title VI funding, the University of Wisconsin–Madison has trained close to 6,500 FLAS fellows, has awarded over 5,500 degrees and certificates through UW NRCs, and teaches up to 80 languages each academic year.