In an effort to “internationalize” Northeastern, the Prov-ost’s Office is reaching out to several continents where students and faculty will be able to network, study and research among other universities.

“There is a significant number of international students [at Northeastern], and we also have had a significant number of courses in the curriculum that familiarize students with the different aspects of the world,” said Provost Ahmed Abdelal.

The program falls under the $75 million Academic Investment Plan that aims to hire 100 “star” professors over a five-year span. The goal of the plan is to boost Northeastern’s academic reputation along with the caliber and number of full-time professors on campus.

Abdelal said the next step to spread Northeastern’s name worldwide is to “establish significant institutional linkages throughout the world.”

In the spring, the Faculty Senate supported a resolution that would uphold the prov-ost’s vision for Northeastern. After the resolution was passed, Abdelal and other Northeastern officials began traveling the globe.

“We’ve been actively working with the Provost’s Office. [College of Arts and Sciences Dean James Stellar] has gone on several trips with the provost,” said Kristin Stanley, coordinator of public relations and special projects for Dean Stellar.

One of the trips included Ben-Gurion University in Israel. Stanley said their offices are working on a faculty exchange. Stellar also traveled to Ireland to the University of Ulster of Belfast, the largest design school in Ireland and one of the top 10 in the United Kingdom, Stanley said.

The university’s goal is to “facilitate relationships” for students in Asia, Africa, Latin America, South America and Europe, Abdelal said.

At Georgia State University where Abdelal was previously dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, he worked actively to “internationalize” the university, said Leigh Essex Walker, director of study abroad.

“He was extremely supportive of international education,” Walker said. “[Abdelal] was on many, many delegations and numerous exchange programs. Study abroad was highly encouraged; he really set an atmosphere for internationalization that has really taken off the past few years.”

Walker said Georgia State has 28,000 students enrolled, and they recently adopted a scholarship program to encourage international education. Students and administration voted to pay $5 per semester that goes toward scholarship study abroad.

At Northeastern, the program will reach beyond students and work to establish the same connections for faculty among the universities. Having the faculty in place also helps when students decide to study abroad, he said.

“There are specific connections and linkages — a face to a name,” Abdelal said.

The provost said he eventually wants one key faculty member from each department to be a representative for Northeastern on the international map. The university has set up contracts with the international universities that span three years.

“[The provost] really believes in raising the level of journalism everywhere,” said Director of the School of Journalism Stephen Burgard. He said Abdelal has expressed interest in expanding the reach of the university with media.

“We have expertise we can make available to others. It’s the right thing for American universities to do,” Burgard said.

This summer, students from Egypt visited the university and were given the opportunity to take classes in the journalism department as a result of a grant application, Burgard said.

The next trip Abdelal will be taking is to Greece at the University of Athens. Stellar will be joining him, Stanley said.