You Don’t Have to Like Internationalization—But You Do Need It

You Don’t Have to Like Internationalization—But You Do Need It

The Three Ds: Diplomacy, Development, and Defense

I have had countless conversations over the years that resulted in the other party dismissing or even ridiculing the idea of internationalization or global engagement. I understand the skepticism (I used to have it), but my perspective didn’t come from theory or "academia" alone. It came from lived experiences. Sitting in classrooms alongside international students, having globally engaged professors, and studying abroad in Ireland and Scotland through Murray State University changed my worldview early on in my education. Global engagement is practical and fosters personal growth and development through cultural exchange. It shapes how people think, govern, and work—whether they label it “internationalization” or not.

As I first learned from Dr. Manuel Piña at Texas A&M University, there are three Ds that matter when we talk about internationalization: Diplomacy, Development, and Defense. Diplomacy is how nations understand one another and reduce unnecessary conflict. Development is how institutions and countries build capacity rather than dependence. And defense isn’t just military—it’s about alliances, trust, and shared systems that sustain economies and societies. Those ideas moved from theory to reality for me through international work in Haiti with Texas A&M, mission and agricultural work in India and the Philippines, and my experience as a Fulbright Program scholar. Serving as a Teach SDG Ambassador and Global Guide, and engaging with global leaders at the World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue, further reinforced a simple truth: opting out of global engagement doesn’t make people or countries stronger—it makes them less informed and less prepared.

That reality shapes how I approach my consulting and education work today. Internationalization is political, yes—but it’s also unavoidable. Americans encounter it daily through food systems, energy markets, trade, labor, technology, and security alliances. Higher education has a responsibility to prepare people for that reality honestly, not symbolically. I approach this work humbly, shaped by experience rather than ideology, but with conviction: global competence isn’t about liking internationalization—it’s about understanding the world as it is and as it continually grows more interconnected. Institutions and individuals that grasp that will lead. Those that don’t will struggle to keep up.

Global Vectors by Vecteezy (https://www.vecteezy.com/free-vector/global)