The Foreign Service Journal, January 2006

J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 6 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 43 hen I was considering mov- ing from State to academia after a 32-year U.S. govern- ment career, I did what we all do before accepting a new assignment — I contacted someone I trusted who had made the same move to ask how it was going. The reply: “Once you learn the language and culture, it’s a great post- ing.” Now, starting my third year managing international programs at Texas Tech University, I can second that advice: Academia can be a fantastic follow-on to a State career. It offers tremendous professional and personal satisfaction — but do learn the language and culture. The halls of academia offer opportunities for retired Foreign Service personnel of all skill groups. While polit- ical and economic officers may be particularly attracted to teaching, there are numerous positions suited to officers with management, public affairs, consular, medical, infor- mation technology or security experience. Since my own Foreign Service experience was in management, my new position as assistant vice provost for international affairs at Texas Tech University is a great fit. “Globalization” and “internationalization” are very trendy terms around campuses these days, as American colleges and universities are recognizing the importance of preparing students for a globalized economy and cul- ture, with all their potential for borderless employment mobility and information exchange. At the same time, academia also appreciates the tremendous technological, economic and geopolitical contributions international students and scholars make to our campuses. Therefore, international expertise, whether content-based or opera- tional, is in great demand. Most campuses have an international programs office, though its activities may operate under a variety of names and chief executive titles. Thus, my counterparts can be deans, vice presidents, executive directors, etc. (See “Academia 101” below for more specifics.) Directing TTU’s Office of International Affairs is similar to manag- ing a small U.S. mission. With about 35 employees, each year we’re responsible for sending over 600 U.S. stu- dents on a variety of study-abroad programs; welcoming about 1,300 international students and scholars from over 100 countries to our campus; administering our uni- versity centers in Seville, Spain, and Quedlinburg, Germany; operating our International Center for Arid and Semiarid Land Studies here on campus; and pro- moting outreach on international issues in regional com- munities, including presenting programs to over 20,000 K-12 students and bringing distinguished speakers to Lubbock. Just as we struggle with consular issues on overseas F O C U S O N F S R E T I R E M E N T M ANAGING I NTERNATIONAL P ROGRAMS IN A CADEMIA W T HE HALLS OF ACADEMIA OFFER OPPORTUNITIES FOR RETIRED F OREIGN S ERVICE PERSONNEL OF ALL SKILL GROUPS . B Y T IBOR P. N AGY J R .