The IZN Lab and DEIB

Bringing Focus to the Intersection of Internationalization and Campus Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

In fall of 2020, KU was competitively selected to be a part of the 18th cohort of universities from around the world participating in the American Council on Education’s (ACE) 2-year Internationalization Lab. What has followed has been a deep dive into KU’s internationalization efforts and capacities with a focus on how we lead as an internationally engaged research university.

What is the Internalization Lab?

The ACE’s Internationalization Lab is a guided and collaborative strategic planning process that allows participating universities to conduct a comprehensive review of their current internationalization activities, to formulate their institutional goals, and to forge a strategic action plan to guide and accelerate progress in achieving cross-cultural international engagement and global impact for their particular institution.

KU’s Internationalization Lab has investigated of all aspects of internationalization at KU, including:

• policy, procedures and supports for faculty, staff and students,
• curriculum, co-curriculum and learning outcomes,
• structures for the development and expansion of international collaborations,
• bi-directional student mobility opportunities that enhance inclusion and access,
• alignment of KU’s capacities toward comprehensive internationalization.

A major highlight from this investigation is how important it is that our internationalization efforts strive toward creating an inclusive campus environment that recognizes and supports diverse international identities, prioritizes intercultural competency, and fosters strong feelings of belonging.

“As we engaged students, faculty members and staff in our self-study for the Lab, it became evident that we have a lot of work before us if we are to leverage our strengths in international research, curriculum, operations, and mobility in a way that enhances KU’s international presence and promotes the international dimensions of our institutional identity,” says Charlie Bankart, Associate Vice Provost for International Affairs. “There is a clear need to increase the intercultural competency development of our students, faculty and staff and to build institutional support for all members of the KU community to participate in international engagement across campus and beyond.”

Opportunities to Bridge Internationalization Efforts with KU’s DEIB Work

KU has many academic and operational strengths when it comes to international work, including five National Resource Centers (NRCs) for languages and area studies on campus, the largest set of language offerings in our region, a nationally recognized education abroad office, a student and scholar population from well over 100 countries, and a tremendous group of faculty members who bring international and global content into their research, partnerships and teaching, among many other strengths. “One of the things we have lacked, however, has been a dedicated focus on bridging our internationalization efforts with KU’s DEIB work,” said Bankart.

As a first step toward bridging internationalization efforts and DEIB efforts on campus, International Affairs has established a dedicated DEIB leader in International Affairs, Assistant Vice Provost Dr. Roberta Pokphanh. Dr. Pokphanh will be coordinating international DEIB efforts across the division itself and will be forming a working group of international educators who work collaboratively toward a set of internationally oriented DEIB goals.  Under Dr. Pokphanh’s leadership, DEIB efforts will be at the forefront as KU develops the strategic action plans stemming from the work of the Lab, which will be integrated into the Jayhawks Rising framework and Inclusive Excellence Framework. “The goal of the Lab is to create long-lasting institutional change that will situate KU as a global leader among internationally engaged research universities,” said Bankart. “This absolutely requires an inclusive campus environment that recognizes all dimensions of our global community.”

To find out more about KU’s Internationalization Lab, visit: https://international.ku.edu/ace-internationalization-lab