Message From The President
From the Winter 2008 issue of Baruch College Alumni Magazine
I have had the privilege of welcoming the heads of state of Israel, the Dominican Republic, and Rwanda to Baruch College, which is an honor for anyone but was special for me because of my deep love for foreign cultures, travel, and history. I have been extraordinarily fortunate to study abroad, speak another language fluently, work overseas, and vacation everywhere from Australia to Morocco. I love Baruch because it is so international. For me, the only place more international than Baruch was Citibank, where I spent 13 years in positions with global responsibilities, traveling overseas one week out of six. Both are great environments because their mix of people makes them fun, interesting, and challenging.
The international themes that have characterized my life are reflected by the Baruch community—students who live and work around the world; international faculty and alumni who are part of the Baruch community; and many of the linkages and exchanges between Baruch and the international community.
My International Experience
My first trip outside of the U.S. was in the summer after college graduation. I attended an immersion program in Spanish in Guadalajara and lived with a Mexican family. That summer, I fell in love with Latin America.
My affinity for Venezuela started when I spent a summer there and grew when I spent a year conducting research for my dissertation on 18th-century Caracas. Later, I was a Fulbright Scholar at the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Caracas. The university was establishing a master’s program in history and needed assistance developing its students’ researching skills. I taught Venezuelan students to use archives and understand 18th-century Spanish. Cumulatively, I lived in Venezuela for three years and made lasting relationships with local academics and students. When I read academic articles written by former students, I am heartened that I was able to help them fulfill their dreams.
Because of this background, I was hired in the Latin American division of Citibank. The company valued my cultural, language, and overseas experience.
As I was promoted, I gained more global responsibilities and had clients in Africa, Asia, and Europe. While I was less familiar with those cultures and languages, I was well aware that there was more than one way to do business. My knowledge of the world grew as I conducted business in Kenya, Egypt, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines, and India.
During my Citibank tenure, I hired many people from other countries, bringing them to the U.S. for their first overseas assignment. It was a great blending of people, and I have kept in touch with many of them.
The International Experience That Is Baruch
Our students should have as many experiences studying abroad, doing internships and other professional assignments abroad, and traveling as I have had. I am grateful that we’ve been able to allocate money for students to apply overseas. I tell students that taking an overseas assignment can be a little intimidating but to think of it as an adventure. Working and living internationally makes you more tolerant, especially if you do not judge the new culture by your own.
I am proud of Baruch’s international linkages and will continue to develop them. Currently, we offer academic programs affiliated with 11 foreign universities. Baruch also offers international executive master’s degrees in Hong Kong, Israel, Paris, Singapore, and Taiwan. Additionally, we offer our students opportunities for paid internships in Korea and Spain.
Baruch has a wonderful track record recruiting international faculty: over a third of our tenured and tenure-track faculty come from abroad. But whether they are born in this country or not, many choose research topics with international angles and bring that perspective into the classroom. Faculty are attracted to Baruch because of the international quality of our students and of New York City.
One of my favorite e-mails as president came from the Japanese alumni group, which sent me an announcement of their formation. Baruch also has alumni chapters in China, Hong Kong, Israel, Singapore, and Taiwan.
You can enjoy reading about Baruch alumni around the globe in the current issue of the Baruch College Alumni Magazine. Whether you live close to 17 Lex or far, you are always welcome at Baruch.
Kathleen Waldron
