Catalogue

International Partnerships

Bard has long been known as an innovator and risk-taker in the field of international higher education. Bard believes that the task of creating open societies is integrally tied to education and the involvement of citizens at home and abroad. The College has a long history of global outreach and innovative international programming leading to meaningful partnerships grounded in mutuality and reciprocity. Partner institutions in Kyrgyzstan, East Jerusalem, and Myanmar, among others, have taken advantage of political and cultural transitions to introduce Bard’s model of liberal arts and sciences education and student-centered pedagogy; the appeal stems from the greater liberty the liberal arts afford to teachers and students. The liberal arts model Bard brings and adapts with partners has a profound impact, opening up new spaces for critical thinking and preparing students to assume the responsibilities of leadership and self-governance.   

IIn 2020, Bard and Central European University launched a global network of colleges, universities, and research and cultural institutions with the aim of boosting cross-border collaboration and joint-degree programs. To learn more about these initiatives, including several based on Bard’s Annandale campus, see “Open Society University Network” in this catalogue or visit  opensocietyuniversitynetwork.org.

Each year, student leaders from across the Open Society University Network come together for the “Get Engaged: Student Action and Leadership Conference.” The conference seeks to cultivate a new generation of globally engaged citizens and strengthen the growing network of student innovators who use the liberal arts as a creative tool to address local, national, and global challenges. The annual conference—held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, in 2022 and Budapest, Hungary, in 2023—is an opportunity for students to share experiences, learn new skills, hone leadership styles, and network with international partners. The conference is an inspirational and practical space that encourages young people to grow into their roles as change agents.

Institute for International Liberal Education (IILE): IILE was formed at Bard in 1998 and is now an integral part of the Center for Civic Engagement. Its mission is to advance the theory and practice of international liberal arts education. IILE manages the Program in International Education (PIE) as well as projects involving student mobility within the Open Society University Network and with other international partners. Each year, PIE brings approximately 50 students from Bard’s international partner institutions to Annandale or the Bard Globalization and International Affairs Program in New York City. Other initiatives managed at IILE include Afghan Student Scholarships and collaboration with offices supporting displaced Ukrainian and Eurasian students. To learn more, see iile.bard.edu.

IILE is also home to Bard Abroad, which operates within the IILE as a unifying identity for all of Bard’s study abroad programs and activities. To learn more about the College’s international study opportunities, see “Bard Abroad” in this catalogue.