During a recent trip to Spain, Chancellor Linda Katehi examined the possibilities of putting a UC Davis satellite campus in the Spanish capital.
The expansion of the university would establish a high-quality research institution in Madrid. It would give graduate, as well as undergraduate, students the opportunity to study environmental research, energy, transportation and agriculture in a foreign country under UC Davis curriculum.
Expansion would be a great thing for UC Davis. The university would be able to expand its global outreach to international students, making the Madrid campus a desirable place to study.
The university would also create opportunities abroad for students here on campus. Students will be able to study abroad at the Madrid campus and take UC Davis classes in the process. This will allow them to gain international experience without losing time toward graduation.
The best aspect of this plan is that it doesn’t require funding from student fees or California taxpayers. In fact, all of the funding for this project would come from Spain, private investors and the European Union according to the proposed plan.
If UC Davis can follow through on these promises, this will be a really positive mark on the university. It will also establish Katehi as a global thinker and a chancellor who is willing to look beyond the UC Davis campus to open up opportunities abroad.
