The Center for International Studies advances excellence in education, research and outreach by fostering an innovative academic community through our undergraduate and graduate programs. With deep and diverse expertise in world regions, languages and cultures, CIS aspires to be the nation's model of distinction in educating globally engaged citizens, promoting sustainable and responsible social change, and contributing to peace and justice in the world. We value academic freedom, intellectual curiosity, social engagement, and inclusive excellence.
Founded in 1964, CIS is nationally and internationally recognized for its academic excellence and its importance as a hub of scholarly research. With deep and diverse expertise in world regions, languages and cultures. We are proud of our dedicated faculty affiliates, our collaborative and collegial environment, our engaged and motivated undergraduate students, our integrated international graduate students, and our significant international reputation and experience abroad.
The Center for International Studies embodies OHIO’s commitment to international understanding, communication and competency and to the development of knowledge and skills necessary for competition in a global marketplace of ideas and jobs.
CIS advances its mission through interdisciplinary academic programs and activities; faculty development; the encouragement and promotion of research; the development of library resources; outreach to the community; the cultivation of solidarity with other peoples and cultures, particularly with developing regions of the world; and the maintaining and strengthening of faculty area and international expertise in collaboration with other academic units.
In these ways, CIS serves as the nexus of OHIO initiatives to train students to become empathetic and curious global problem solvers and changemakers who are able to understand challenges in intercultural and international contexts; navigate across different cultural, political, technological, and regulatory environments; and collaborate with global partners to resolve problems effectively and equitably.
The African Studies program grew out of the excitement emanating from the decolonization of the continent in the mid-1960s and the awareness of the important role Africa could play in world affairs.
Current faculty members have worked in a number of nations throughout Africa including Botswana, Chad, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe.
The OHIO Asian Studies Program offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary examination of the rich cultural traditions, complex political and economic histories, and diverse environmental challenges of countries in East, Southeast, and South Asia.
The program emphasizes the study of economic developments, political strategies, religious diversities, and technological transformations.
The interdisciplinary Communication and Development Studies Program prepares students to address current issues through social and behavioral change by gaining an in-depth understanding of the different methodologies needed to communicate problems and facilitate change within global and local communities.
Founded in 1997, the Communication and Development program is jointly administered by the School of Media Arts and Studies and the Center for International Studies.
The International Development Studies (IDS) Program seeks to produce graduates who will become development practitioners – professionals acting as catalysts and facilitators of change in developing contexts.
The nearly 30 Latin American Studies affiliated faculty, from more than ten disciplines, are dedicated scholars whose fieldwork in Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, and elsewhere has resulted in an impressive list of academic publications.
We explore the field of global security from an interdisciplinary perspective, emphasizing both conflict and peacebuilding dynamics, allowing students the skills to solve some of the most challenging issues of our time.