About Us

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Dr. Amanda Johnson presenting during orientation for the 2023 Fulbright Pre-Academic cohort.

The Gerald H. Read Center for International and Intercultural Education in the College of Education, Health and Human Services was created in 1987 through an endowment established by Emeritus Professor Gerald H. Read.

Consistent with KSU’s strategic commitment to global cooperation, the Center was designed to accomplish the following:

  • Examine curricular issues related to international and intercultural education

  • Facilitate international student and scholar programming

  • Support exchange and research projects with an international and intercultural focus, and

  • Support faculty-led education abroad in the college.

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Aggarwal-Blackburn Visiting Scholar giving a presentation on a stage.

The Read Center has been the recipient of several federally supported grants and international scholar programs over the years. Sponsored through the U.S. State Department, over 350 international grantees from across the globe have come to Kent State through the International Leaders in Education Program, as well as the Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement in Media Literacy program.

Moreover, the Read Center, in its commitment to international exchange and scholarship, has hosted over 200 visiting scholars from around the world through the Aggarwal-Blackburn Visiting Scholar program. This program provides support for scholar acculturation and  research via seminars and faculty mentorship, while also introducing the Kent State community to new and culturally diverse scholarships.

Finally, the Center establishes links with stakeholders across the Kent State Campus and abroad to extend its impact and promote university internationalization.