Students gathered around a globe

Global Gateway

The College of Liberal Arts is home to a broad array of expertise in language, culture, and society. Our courses are preparing the next generation of global citizens. Our researchers are tackling society’s greatest challenges. Our alumni around the world are leaders in their fields.

Research & Curriculum

The U of M was named the winner of APLU's inaugural Institutional Award for Global Learning, Research, and Engagement—recognizing the U as an institution at the leading edge, providing students with exceptional global curriculum and funding research necessary to address the world’s challenges.

Real-World Experience

Open Doors released rankings showing the U of M near the top among universities in the nation in the number of students who study abroad as well as the number of international students hosted at the University. The U of M also ties for third place among top Peace Corps volunteer-producing large universities.

Each year, hundreds of CLA students work, study, intern, or volunteer abroad. Last year over 1,400 CLA students studied abroad in over 214 different programs in more than 40 countries.

Top countries visited by CLA faculty and staff: United Kingdom, China, Germany, France, and Canada.

56% of CLA registered travelers went to Europe; 23% went to Asia.

Alumni

Around the world CLA alumni are leaders in their fields. They are shaping their communities and the world around them.

Recent News

Photos of Spanish Directors Óscar Aibar and Xavier Artigas

The Iberian Studies Initiative presents four Spanish films and Q&As with the directors

Films include Platillos volantes and El sustituto by director Óscar Aibar and Idrissa: Crónica de una muerte cualquiera and Tarajal: Desmontando la impunidad en la frontera…

Picture of a Globe map

U of M receives Department of Education grant for international and African studies

The University of Minnesota has been awarded a National Resource Center (NRC) grant for International Studies and a second NRC grant for African Studies from the U.S…

Illenin O. Kondo

Engineering Better Economics with Illenin O. Kondo

2012 PhD alum brings varied experience to his position at the Minneapolis Fed

Ahmed Amin smiling facing the camera

Ahmed Amin: Education as an Arena for Social Justice

“What are the educational spaces in our communities that should be leading [identity] work?” asks Ahmed Amin (BA '08, history and sociology of law, criminology & deviance)…

Black and white image of Ukrainian sisterhood holding flags in Wilton, North Dakota

IHRC & IHRCA Resources on Ukrainian Refugees

The IHRC and IHRCA have teamed up to share some helpful resources related to the ongoing Ukrainian refugee situation.

Vladimir Putin sitting in a chair, signing a sheet of paper with a pen

Kathleen Collins and Mark Bell Explain Putin’s Plan for Ukraine — and Why Nuclear War is Likely off the Table

Political science professors Kathleen Collins and Mark Bell discuss Russian president Vladimir Putin's strategy for Ukraine and whether using nuclear weapons would be an…

Woman protesting the war in Ukraine.

CHGS Resources on Ukraine

A collection of past events related to Ukraine

Photo of Assistant Professor Mark Bell.

The Russian Invasion of Ukraine & Putin's Nuclear Threat

Associate Professor Mark Bell, who is an expert on foreign policy and nuclear weapons, discusses the situation in Ukraine with Dialogue Minnesota.

Home is Where the Heart Is…So He’ll Teach About It

With a passion for African studies, new professor Bula Wayessa discusses how he plans on using his expertise to inspire students to learn more about the African continent.

Photo of family members of the disappeared attending an event at which the government announced new steps to address the issue in the state of Jalisco

Mexico’s Cautionary Tale Against Impunity

What do you do when a loved one mysteriously disappears and your government won’t investigate? What do you do when this happens over 61,000 times? This happened in Mexico, and…

Lena Norrman in Iceland

Piecing It Together: Searching for Stories of Icelandic Women

“Women were strong. They had their own will; they had their own say,” says Lena Norrman, lecturer of Swedish and Scandinavian studies. Norrman spent fall 2019 in Reykjavík…

Mary Hicks standing at podium

For Mary Hicks, it’s the journey that’s important

Mary Hicks encourages colleagues to embrace their journey during her retirement reception earlier this year.

Portrait of Kathryn Grace

Motherhood in a Changing Climate

Examining the severe effects that climate change has on the human body, Associate Professor Kathryn Grace blends her passion for women’s health and quantitative analysis to…

Students at London Business School with its dean.

Undergrads Take a Close Look at Trade & Brexit in London

Through Simran Sahi’s Global Seminar, economics undergraduates gained a deeper understanding of London, its relationship to trade, and how Brexit may change it.

Assistant Professor Anurag Sinha poses for a portrait.

Exploring Imperialism, Political Thought, and Modernity

Assistant Professor Anurag Sinha is a historian of political thought. His research considers where ideas come from and how these ideas change over time. Recently, he has been…