NUGO Charts Northwestern's Global Status

Two years in the making, the newly launched Northwestern University Global Opportunities Web site - or NUGO -- offers a comprehensive look at the University's wide-ranging international teaching and research interests and educational programs. 

An outgrowth of an Office of the Provost initiative to raise awareness of the University's global profile, the Web site quickly provides what previously often was difficult-to-find and far-flung information about Northwestern's international activities. 

"Our foremost goal was to bring together information about Northwestern's wide-ranging international programming into a single, interactive, easy-to-use Web site," said Hendrik Spruyt, Norman Dwight Harris Professor of International Relations. Spruyt also is director of the Buffett Center for International and Comparative Studies, which developed and administers NUGO.

Located at http://www.cics.northwestern.edu/news/2010/03-31-NUGO.html, NUGO provides both a general overview of Northwestern's involvements around the world and more specific information about its ongoing international programs, research and activities. 

A quick search of the site, for example, reveals that Northwestern offers more than 260 international programs. A more focused search finds that 37 programs are in Africa, 59 are in Asia, 24 relate to global health issues, 13 focus on international development, 27 are conducted in Spanish and 42 are internship or pre-professional programs. 

A quick search by visitors looking for fellowships and grants with an international component, for example, will find 34 offerings. A more targeted search indicates 24 are for undergraduates, 14 for graduate students, seven for faculty and two for post-doctoral students.

Users can search for specific programs of interest or make use of filtering tools that narrow their searches. They can sort information by location, language, program type, program sponsor or any combination of these categories. 

A broad "people search" profiles more than 200 faculty and administrators and their international interests. A more targeted search presents information by department, by geographical region, by language proficiency requirements, by faculty or by thematic interests. 

Targeted searches are likely to lead to new faculty and student collaborations, identify emerging scholarly trends and provide an improved picture of Northwestern's areas of strength and weaknesses, according to NUGO administrator Meghan Beltmann.

Anyone with information about researchers or programs that should be included on the Web site or suggestions for revisions or deletions can contact Beltmann at global@northwestern.edu.

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