The McDonnell International Scholars Academy at Washington University in St. Louis affirms the United States' interest in attracting talented international students for advanced educational experiences, and provides a means for the University to learn more about the global community.
The McDonnell Academy provides graduate and professional students from University Partners around the world with an extraordinary educational experience at Washington University in St. Louis.
To ensure the highest quality program, the Academy is focused and small, involving a limited number of Scholars and University Partners.
In creating an international network of research universities, Washington University intends to develop a cohort of future leaders in a global university system and promote global awareness and social responsibility.
Scholars in the Academy are important to the research effort at Washington University and enhance the educational experiences of domestic students through sharing their culture, history, and the politics of their countries.
Scholars are selected on the basis of their promise to become future leaders in academia, government, the professions, or the corporate world. The Academy provides academic, cultural, and social opportunities to help Scholars develop into future leaders knowledgeable about the United States, other countries of the world, and critical international issues.
Our Scholars Spotlight offers brief biographical information about each of our current Academy members and their programs of study.
Visit our Academy Graduates page for highlights about those who have completed their studies through the Academy successfully.
A special feature of the McDonnell Academy is that each Scholar has a mentor. Each mentor also serves as an Ambassador.
The Ambassadors are appointed by Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton to advise the Scholars and charged to strengthen collaboration with the partner universities. Collaborative efforts engage faculty and students of the University and those of the partner universities in various activities that enhance Scholarly interests and international understanding.
Our Academy Ambassadors page provides more detail about each Ambassador's history at Washington University as well as their educational and career backgrounds.
Select corporations with a commitment to higher education and to international programs serve as sponsors for a group of Scholars to be known as corporate fellows. Each participating corporation arranges for the fellow it supports to spend time at one of its facilities in the U.S. or abroad.
One of the goals of the McDonnell International Scholars Academy is to create a global network of Scholars and leaders. Such networks will be an increasingly important resource for addressing societal problems in the future, and they require distinctive forms of knowledge and leadership skills.
The McDonnell Academy organizes special seminars, retreats, and other events. At these events, distinguished Scholars, politicians, and other analysts lead discussions on political, cultural, and economic issues in the United States and the broader world.
The Academy is especially interested in recruiting individuals who are concerned with such issues in addition to those covered in their normal studies. Please visit our related links page for more information about special program opportunities for Scholars.
To help McDonnell Academy Scholars develop a sense of community, Washington University offers them the opportunity to live together in two University-owned apartment buildings. Originally built for the 1904 World's Fair, the two adjacent buildings are across the street and one block north of the Danforth Campus. The apartments are fully furnished and have up-to-date systems and amenities. Details about housing are available to those admitted to the Academy.
In addition to programs for Scholars at the graduate and professional degree level, the McDonnell Academy provides occasional opportunities for postdoctoral Scholars and visiting faculty, especially from University Partners. Proposals for senior Scholars (postdoctoral level) and Academy fellows (faculty) are considered on a case-by-case basis. In most cases funding must be arranged by the applicant.
