New Global Initiatives Post Created

As part of SEAS's long-range plan to become a global engineering school, the School has taken a first step by hiring Régine Lambrech to the newly created position of director of global initiatives and education. Lambrech, who holds a PhD in French literature, was head of international relations at Ecole Centrale de Lyon, a French engineering university, for more than 15 years before returning to the U.S. to take a position as director of international education at Quinnipiac University.

 

"We are very pleased that Régine has joined Columbia SEAS," said Gerald A. Navratil, Interim Dean. "Her experience with education at the international level will be invaluable to us as she works to develop and manage a new global initiatives program. Her familiarity with engineering, its academic requirements and the scope of faculty research, will be a great advantage in this effort."

 

For many years, the School has had informal connections with other global institutions, primarily through the connections of its faculty. These faculty associations, formed on a personal level, have resulted in many successful collaborations with institutions in more than 20 countries. The School now will be able to formalize those programs and partnerships and develop new ones.

 

"My first step will be to understand and evaluate the international connections we have now," said Lambrech, "and determine priorities for approaching international institutions of the highest caliber to initiate collaborations to advance SEAS's strategic and educational objectives."

 

When the SEAS Board of Visitors developed its long-range plan, a primary recommendation was to create a strategy for globalizing SEAS by creating a greater presence abroad. Lambrech will work with current University programs at the international level, coordinate efforts to encourage exchange programs for SEAS students, foster international faculty research and create new international partnerships. Lambrech will be the primary coordinator for international student exchange programs and will be a resource for departments seeking to create new international departmental programs.

 

 "The high caliber of the research of SEAS departments will make it easy for me to approach international partners and propose research and educational partnerships," she said.  "It will be fun to further develop the contacts SEAS has already formalized and to develop others to enhance our position in the international arena.  I look forward to meeting faculty and working with them to establish a solid strategy for international development."