Vikings Abroad International Professional Development Seminars are intended to be annual one-week seminars designed to increase awareness and understanding of the importance of international education through International Professional Development opportunities. These seminars will seek to create a campus culture and commitment to internationalization that engages faculty, staff, and administrators in cultural and international initiatives that create opportunities for them to:

• Demonstrate an interest in other countries, cultures, and world affairs. The interest is evidenced in discussions, involvement in international groups, and participation in seminars and workshops that go beyond the individual’s disciplinary expertise.

• Increase understanding of another culture, country, or region of the world. This understanding is reinforced by travel, study, and linkages related to those countries.

• Integrate international dimensions and comparisons into courses that help students value different cultural or global perspectives in addressing issues.

• Participate in international meetings, workshops, seminars, etc., and develop a network of international colleagues that evolves into joint efforts such as technology-linked classes, research grants, development projects, study abroad, and formal linkages or agreements involving units of their campuses.

• Visit a learning abroad site of interest and advise students about the importance of participating in a learning abroad experience. Faculty, staff, and administrators are also critical partners to study abroad professionals in identifying learning abroad courses and programs.