International Initiatives core objectives:

Develop programs to support “One University, one voice”
Live the maxim “Move, Lead, Now”

Build a global brand

International Initiatives will achieve its goals through:

Task Force series – The UNT-International task Force Series is designed to bring UNT researchers together with an international focus, leading to the creation of a collaborative research-oriented front for faculty and researchers.

Initiatives – To achieve global impact and essentially build a global brand, UNT must expand its operations and develop educational opportunities throughout the world.  UNT has created agreements with organizations in India, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Chile and is positioned to achieve extensive operations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Research – UNT stands firm in its efforts to pave the way for future international endeavors and places a premium on enabling faculty and students to become globally competent leaders. Especially through its efforts in developing countries, UNT is playing a crucial role in creating more globally minded students throughout the world.

International Research Development at the University of North Texas

Research in the United States, already international in many science and engineering fields, is becoming increasingly global across all fields of inquiry.  The United States and Japan combined account for 45% of total research and development (R&D) expenditures.  Further, scientific and technical articles with international co-authors grew from 11% in 1988 to over 18% by 1998 (NSF, Indicators, 2006).   The dollar-value of world R&D expenditures doubled from 1996-2006, with the majority of growth occurring in China and India (Perry, 2008).   These trends will likely accelerate in the future.
The Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development (OVPRED) believes that a globally-engaged faculty results in new opportunities for world-class research, which in turn helps fully-prepare UNT graduates.  Therefore, the OVPRED, in collaboration with UNT International (UNTi), will proactively promote two salient themes in UNT’s Strategic Plan: to encourage international engagement, and to advance research and creative pursuits.

The OVPRED’s Research Development will partner with academic and academic support units on campus, to accomplish these goals.  Research Development will actively support the international research, scholarship, and creative interests of faculty via assistance with international research collaboration and the pursuit of extramural funding. 
Priority will be given to international research collaborations that are new, or that add research to existing academic or exchange activities with an emphasis placed on the activities that:
1. Offer UNT access to unique or indigenous global research resources (talent, materials, expertise, etc.),
2. Show potential to elevate UNT’s research reputation and/or international standing, 
3. Demonstrate mutual intellectual benefits, and
4. Attract extramural funds.  
At this time our focus will be on research collaborations in the following countries and regions:

• China
• Mexico
• South America
• South and Southeast Asia (particularly, India, Thailand and Vietnam).