Globally Engaged University

Nearly a half century ago, a small band of WPI students and faculty members arrived in Washington, D.C. They were there to test a hypothesis. Having built — from the ground up — a remarkably effective project-based undergraduate curriculum, WPI believed it could magnify the impact of hands-on project work by sending students off campus, matching them with local sponsors, giving them the luxury of focusing completely on the problem before them, and immersing them in unfamiliar surroundings, cultures, and perspectives.

WPI’s unique Global Projects Program is an object lesson in the power of global project-based learning. But it is also a template for a broader approach to global education, research, and partnerships. With a mission to weave a global mindset throughout the fabric of the university, The Global School, the newest of WPI’s four schools, is building on that template.