ANN ARBOR—The University of Michigan, whose global family included 7,484 international students, faculty and staff last fall, is launching Global Michigan, a Web portal to showcase its global impact and resources.

“More than any generation before them, students today must navigate a global world,” said Lee Doyle, chief of staff for the U-M Office of the Vice President for Communications. “In every corner of the university, global work is happening. Global Michigan is the university’s newest way to access that global dimension.”

U-M, the top-ranked U.S. public university in the latest World University rankings with one of the largest numbers of students studying abroad, also has one of the largest international student populations. The site offers a front door for the university to engage with the global community.

“We developed this site with the Provost’s Council on Global Engagement to help students to better access the world of opportunities abroad, and for our international students to find their way here,” Doyle said.

“We also include a magazine called Explore, which will tell the story of the rich global experiences enjoyed by students and faculty here and abroad. This story will grow in texture as we add student blogs, photographs and video clips to the site.”

The site also includes sections on U-M’s work, research and study projects in other nations, U-M’s international offerings on campus, U-M international students and faculty, as well as globally-focused news and other details about U-M’s global relationships.

Sandra Wiley, who leads the U-M Center for Global Opportunities in Kinesiology, chaired a committee that planned the project. She said she is enthusiastic about the immediate impact on helping students find, apply and prepare for international experiences, including health and safety, the committee’s highest priority.

The project was collaborative across several campus units including International Programs in Engineering, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts Academic Advising, Library Global Initiatives, International Center, Global REACH, International Institute, ITS, and Kinesiology.

For more on the site, visit: globalportal.umich.edu