At the University of Washington, summer brings a different rhythm to our campuses in Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma. For some, that includes an opportunity to engage in immersive research experiences in destinations both near and far. From efforts to improve health and cure disease to exploring the complex systems of our environment and the forces that drive our economies and social structures, the research enterprise is as global as the challenges we face. Collaboration between people of different perspectives and cultural contexts is the soil in which innovation flourishes, leading to the true breakthroughs that change lives or even history.
The University of Washington is proud to be a part of this global community and to participate in international research collaborations, here in Washington and around the world. We are part of the fellowship of those united by academic curiosity and scientific inquiry, and we welcome talented scholars and students from many nations.
Our support for international research and education collaboration in no way diminishes our commitment to data security and transparency. We also recognize the reality of the threat of espionage and the critical need to protect confidential and proprietary information. The UW is among the universities supporting federal legislation — also supported by the AAU and APLU — that would address these threats by increasing coordination and common-sense reporting, not by discriminating based on scholars’ nationalities.
These two priorities go hand in hand in support of the UW’s mission of impact. Through efforts like our Population Health Initiative and the Global Innovation Exchange, and as a welcoming community for international students, faculty and scholars, we have a rich tradition of international collaboration, which will continue. The future is undeniably global; people, goods and ideas are in constant motion around the world. Climate change and infectious diseases can’t be stopped by a border and our students are preparing to enter a global economy, working for companies that do business in every time zone. The University of Washington has a critical role to play in fostering international collaborations that benefit everyone.