Solid black background square with the name in large letters to the right. Superimposed over 90% of the lower left of the black square and overlapping out into whitespace is a sphere with green/black semi-horizontal ess shaped lines implying the swirling planet Earth.


An icon of a printer with a blank page being fed in the top and a printed sheet exiting the bottom front. A white standard mailing envelope with postage and addresses. An icon of a chain link with the right half bolder and underlined compared to the left half. Screen image with two large arrowheads pointing inward to a narrower area within the screen.

Students Faculty Alumni and Friends
About Academics Resources Centers & Units Outreach

Welcome from the Dean

Photo of Jeffrey Riedinger

It is my privilege to have recently been appointed the dean of International Studies and Programs (ISP) at Michigan State University. I am proud to carry on the tradition begun over fifty years ago when then-President John Hannah appointed the first dean of ISP, positioning MSU as one of the first major universities in the United States with a dean of international programs.

MSU has developed a long and distinguished history in international education. ISP centers and programs, and affiliated faculty, have been the catalyst for many of MSU's international activities and engagements. MSU has contributed to more than 200 major international development, research, and technical assistance projects, in many countries, in such areas as agriculture, business, democratic institution-building, education, environment, food safety and security, and health. The university is renowned for its study abroad program, is a leader in language instruction, particularly in less commonly taught languages, and has had great success in attracting international students to the East Lansing campus; we are committed to enhancement, in quality and quantity, in each of these areas.

Under the leadership of its 20th president, Lou Anna K. Simon, MSU has made the global awareness and engagement of our students, faculty, staff, and other constituencies an institutional priority. Just as MSU helped define “land grant” university in the 19th and 20th centuries, we are now working to define what it means to be a “world grant” university in the 21st century.

As I begin my new position, it is with great enthusiasm that I have established the following goals for International Studies and Programs to guide our efforts over the next five years:

  • Increase inter-disciplinary research on key area/international/global topics;
  • Expand and diversify external funding for international research and programs from both public and private sources;
  • Facilitate and support MSU strategic country and international partnership initiatives;
  • Strengthen connections with MSU’s international alumni and friends around the world;
  • Enhance internationalization of the MSU student experience, on and off campus.

I ask you to join ISP and MSU as we strive to reach these goals. As you visit our web site, I encourage you to stop, read, and learn about the exciting and innovative research, teaching, outreach, and service activities taking place internationally at MSU today. I invite you to help us define and achieve our vision for a “world-grant” university.


Jeffrey Riedinger, J.D., Ph.D.
Dean
Globe with ess shaped lines across it implying a swirling motion. The globe is superimposed over the lower left 90% of a solid square and the letters I-S-P are below both.

Michigan State University Wordmark with 'Michigan State' above a ruled line and 'University' below it.