In 2008, Teachers College (TC) established the Office of International Affairs (OIA) to renew its commitment to global education. OIA's mission is to lead the College in building sustainable and mutually beneficial partnerships that promote quality scholarship and practice.
OIA is responsible for coordinating, developing, and expanding the scope of TC's international initiatives. The office acts as a liaison between internal and international entities, sets guidelines for collaboration, and serves as a clearing house for international information and resources.
Teachers College (TC) has an extraordinary history of engaging in international education that has changed education both in the United States and abroad. At its founding in 1887, TC faculty members prepared teachers to educate the vast numbers of poor immigrant children entering public schools. In 1889, James E. Russell taught the first course on comparative education. As the first American institution to develop a program in comparative and international studies, TC soon became the epicenter for groundbreaking scholarship in comparative education and at the forefront of international collaboration. The College attracted international students, encouraged international exchange, and thus greatly influenced international education reform throughout the world.
In 1923, the College established an International Institute, which pioneered efforts in international education reform and the professional training of foreign education leaders and students. Later, in 1961, TC launched Teachers for East Africa, a program that provided skilled teachers to secondary schools and teacher training colleges during the complex transition from colonial rule to independent statehood.
In 2008, President Susan Fuhrman established the OIA, which is responsible for carrying out the President's commitment to international involvement and expanding the College's collaboration with various stakeholders in international education.
To read more about TC's role in shaping education around the world, click here.