Submitted by: Michelle Wynn, mwynn@uca.edu on 10/20/2025
University of Central Arkansas Receives the Governor’s Award for International Impact in Education
The Arkansas District Export Council (AR DEC) announced the 2025 Governor’s Award for
Excellence in Global Trade winners at a luncheon in Little Rock on October 17, 2025.
The University of Central Arkansas’ Center for Global Learning and Engagement was awarded the “International Impact in Education” award for its efforts to recruit, admit, and support international students all over the world. In 2023-24, 5,776 international students in Arkansas contributed $146.9 million to the economy and supporting 910 jobs, according to NAFSA.
The Center for Global Learning and Engagement welcomed 98 new international students from 70 countries in fall 2025 bringing its total international student enrollment to 321 students. The Center is responsible for all immigration reporting required by the US government and manages semester study abroad opportunities at more than 20 partner universities on five continents and National Student Exchange Study Away semester exchange throughout the U.S. and Canada. UCA’s “Global Classroom” initiative provides UCA students and faculty to participate in Collaborative Online Learning with partners around the world.
Dr. Phillip Bailey, Associate Vice President for Global Learning and Engagement, said “I am very proud that the good efforts of my colleagues in international admissions, recruiting and student services have been recognized with this award. We work closely with Education USA advisors in countries around the world and last year were pleased to receive the support of Richard Duda in the US Commercial Office in Little Rock.”
UCA Provost and Executive Vice President Michael Hargis explained that having international students on campus and in the classroom allows the university to increase the opportunities for all students to develop global perspectives and knowledge that will prepare them to work and live well in their communities.
