About International and Area Studies
The mission of the Department of International and Area Studies (IAS) is to promote global fluency, which means enhancing our knowledge of different languages, cultures, political systems, and societies in a way that enables us to perceive and interpret the world more productively. The Department’s 23 full-time faculty, 4 adjunct faculty and 4 full-time staff members are dedicated to this mission.
Our faculty come from the disciplines of Language, Literature, Geography, History, Political Science, Policy Studies and Sociology and have collective strengths in cultural and area studies; global politics, governance, and security; and economic and human development. Our regional expertise spans the globe, with particular strengths in the Middle East, China and Latin America. Our faculty is one of the most dynamic and diverse on OU’s campus. We hail from 9 different countries, collectively speak 15 languages, and have all extensively traveled, lived, worked or served abroad.
Our award-winning staff are also among the most experienced and educated advisers and administrative professionals on the University of Oklahoma campus. Friendly and approachable, our staff play a crucial role in the operation of our programs, and are deeply committed to the success of the department and to the international mission of IAS.
