The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has been named one of five U.S. institutions to receive the 2026 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization, a national distinction recognizing excellence in embedding global engagement across teaching, research, and public engagement.
Named in honor of the late U.S. Senator Paul Simon of Illinois, the award, presented by NAFSA: Association of International Educators, recognizes institutions that demonstrate a sustained, campus-wide commitment to international education and global learning.
“We are deeply honored to receive the 2026 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization,” said Chancellor Charles L. Isbell, Jr. “This recognition affirms the global character of the university and reflects the collective efforts of our students, staff, faculty, and alumni to advance learning and discovery across borders, disciplines, and cultures.”
Illinois was selected for its comprehensive global strategy, Vision 2030, and for the coordinated contributions of its colleges, service units, student affairs, and administrative offices. Together, these efforts have advanced cross-campus initiatives that promote reciprocal cultural exchange, sustained global learning, and broad participation in international engagement among students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding community.
“Internationalization at Illinois is fundamentally an academic endeavor,” said Provost John Coleman. “This recognition reflects the work of our faculty and academic units to integrate global perspectives into teaching, research, and engagement in ways that strengthen the educational experience for all students.”
Illinois’ expansion global portfolio includes 500 international partnerships, 300 study abroad programs, and 40+ academic and administrative units dedicated to internationalization alongside the dozens of intercultural experiences and global learning opportunities offered each semester. Illinois is also one of the nation’s leading destinations for international students. During the 2024–2025 academic year, the university enrolled 12,474 international students, with an additional 3,670 alumni participating in Optional Practical Training. As of October 2025, university units hosted 1,813 international faculty, staff, and scholars in teaching, research, and administrative roles. In addition, more than 1,900 Illinois students participated in study abroad programs during the 2024–2025 academic year.
“The Senator Paul Simon Award reflects the intentional collaboration that underpins internationalization at Illinois,” said Colleen Murphy, Interim Associate Chancellor and Vice Provost for Global Affairs & Strategies Designate and Roger and Stephany Joslin Professor of Law. “This recognition belongs to the many academic and administrative units whose work supports global learning, research, and engagement, both on campus and around the world.”
Illinois joins four other institutions receiving the comprehensive award this year: Lone Star College (Houston, Texas), Luther College (Decorah, Iowa), Saint Louis University (St. Louis, Missouri), and Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, Missouri). Three additional institutions were recognized with the Senator Paul Simon Spotlight award for specific programs or initiatives contributing to internationalization on campus: University of Delaware (Newark, Delaware), The University of Tulsa (Tulsa, Oklahoma), and Western Kentucky University (Bowling Green, Kentucky).
Illinois has now won the Comprehensive Award twice (2008, 2026) and the Spotlight Award once (in 2025) for the IGlobal program, housed in the College of Education’s Office of International Programs. Illinois is the only institution to have achieved this combination of awards over time.
“We are pleased to honor the achievements of eight institutions that have distinguished themselves as standard-bearers in the practice of internationalization,” said Fanta Aw, NAFSA executive director and CEO. “Amid a rapidly changing higher education landscape, their demonstrated excellence and innovation in preparing students for a globalized society and workplace provide the field with welcome inspiration. With five repeat winners this year, we are again reminded that campus internationalization at its best is a continuous, dynamic process. We applaud all of this year’s awardees for their unwavering dedication to building a more globally connected future.”
Award recipients will be featured in NAFSA’s annual publication, Internationalizing the Campus: Profiles of Success at Colleges and Universities, to be released this fall, and will be formally recognized at NAFSA’s 2026 Annual Conference & Expo this spring. More information about the Senator Paul Simon Awards is available at nafsa.org/SimonAward.
For more information about the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s global footprint, visit the Illinois International website at https://international.illinois.edu.
Illinois Contact: Marta Schneider, 217-333-6104, martasch@illinois.edu.