EAST LANSING Mich.
The next time Michigan State University expands its operations, it will be going a bit farther afield than Grand Rapids.
About 7,000 miles farther.
The university is moving forward with plans to set up degree and research programs in Dubai, United Arab Emirates programs that would allow students to earn MSU degrees without ever setting foot in East Lansing or, for that matter, on the North American continent.
“For at least the last decade, MSU been looking for an opportunity to expand and enhance its presence in the Middle East,” said John Hudzik, MSU vice president of global engagement and strategic projects.
“It’s a world region that is so incredibly important for all of us, and we thought it would be our job as an institution to try to be a positive influence in a region so important.”
A year ago, Hudzik said, he was approached by representatives from TECOM Investments, which owns Dubai International Academic City, a development that houses a cluster of international universities only a few minutes from Dubai’s business district.
