Northwestern President Morton Schapiro reflects on internationalizing the university during his tenure

Last week, Vice President for International Relations Dévora Grynspan sat down with Northwestern President Morton Schapiro during this spring’s One World \ One Northwestern (OWON) luncheon. Staff from across the university and international institutional partners were in attendance to hear the two leaders discuss the 16th president’s legacy and impact on international programming and visibility.

President Schapiro joined Northwestern in 2009 and will be stepping down this August. During his tenure, Schapiro reached various milestones that strengthened the institution’s position as an international university. This included accepting Northwestern’s largest class of international students in 2014 and managing a $100 million grant for global initiatives by Roberta Buffett Elliot. He has also traveled around the world and engaged with government leaders, university partners, and Northwestern alumni. And he welcomed hundreds of international visitors over the past decade.

In her initial remarks, Grynspan spoke about Schapiro’s influence on the Office of International Relations and what their partnership has done for the university.

“President Schapiro has had a great impact on Northwestern,” said Grynspan. “Everything from the composition of the student body, to university rankings to successful fundraising campaigns. We have been very supported in our international activities and it has been a pleasure to see the changes at Northwestern.”

During the interview, Schapiro and Grynspan discussed the most significant moments of the president’s career and how international partnerships have evolved since then. Schapiro also heard questions from the audience about strengthening Northwestern’s brand across the globe and what the future holds for the university as a global institution.

“We are on the precipice of even greater global recognition because of you,” said Schapiro. “And I’m just proud to be a part of your team.”