Prairie View A&M University was named among seven colleges and universities and colleges receiving a 2024 Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization.
Dr. Godlove Fonjweng
“Being selected for the Senator Paul Simon Award in the Comprehensive Internationalization category is a high honor,” said Dr. Godlove Fonjweng, executive director of International and Intercultural Programs at Prairie View A&M. “It highlights the university’s total commitment to comprehensive internationalization. As the first HBCU to ever win the award and one of a limited number of institutions to win it nationwide, it feels great to be recognized in such a very public way at the national and international levels.”
Fonjweng said that the distinction stems from “hard, persistent and collaborative work, combined with a significant investment of institutional resources, which was started by our Quality Enhancement Program Committee and sustained by the talented and dedicated staff in our Office of International Programs.”
The Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization recognizes excellence in integrating international education throughout all facets of university and college campuses. The 2024 Comprehensive Award recipients are: Alamo Colleges District (San Antonio, Texas), Auburn University (Auburn, Alabama), Prairie View A&M University (Prairie View, Texas), University of California, and Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, California).
Additionally, the Senator Paul Simon Spotlight Award recognizes a specific program or initiative that contributes to internationalization on campus. The 2024 Spotlight Award recipients are: Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, Oklahoma) for its Afghan Family Project, Syracuse University (Syracuse, New York) for its International Student Success Model, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Worcester, Massachusetts) for its Global Projects for All initiative.
“With minority-serving institutions, large land-grant universities, and a community college district counted among this year’s winners, these institutions demonstrate that the principles and practices of internationalization thrive within a variety of structures, geographies, and student populations,” said NAFSA Executive Director and CEO Fanta Aw. “We commend these colleges and universities for their exemplary work in advancing the intercultural skills of their students, faculty, and staff in today’s dynamic landscape.”
Institutions selected for the Simon Awards will be featured in NAFSA's annual report, "Internationalizing the Campus: Profiles of Success at Colleges and Universities" to be published this fall.
