Welcome to the Fries Center for Global Studies, Wesleyan’s hub for intercultural and multilingual engagement. Building on the decades of experience at Wesleyan with education abroad, international studies, and language education, the Fries Center was founded in 2015. In 2022, President Michael Roth issued a Presidential Statement on Internationalization that makes explicit what we mean by “internationalization” and sets forth a range of goals for the next five years. The Fries Center’s many inter-related functions and activities can be accessed via our main menu. We also maintain an active blog featuring activities and opportunities (see below) and send out a newsletter every other week with highlights from the blog. Subscribe to the Wes and the World Newsletter here.

The Fries Center tracks and publicizes international events on campus. To submit an event, use the form here. Upcoming events include:

 

Wesleyan and the World

Living Intentionally Abroad 

by Jenny Ongele When I first decided to study abroad, I had a clear image in my head of what that “should” encapsulate. I assumed studying abroad meant spending every waking moment travelling across Europe, taking the most aesthetic photos of all the architecture and natural scenery, while somehow, miraculously, transforming my entire identity. However,…

Celebration of Excellence: Wesleyan’s Student Fellowship Successes

On May 1st, the Office of Fellowships at the Fries Center for Global Studies ended the semester by celebrating Wesleyan University’s 2025 fellowship recipients. A huge congratulations to all of our recipients and finalists – what a beautiful day to gather and recognize all these students’ accomplishments! Thanks also to the faculty mentors and committee…

Summer Language Buddies Returns!

by Zaynah AlmasriLooking to keep up your language skills over the summer in a fun, low-pressure way?Registration is now open for Summer Language Buddies, a program coordinated by the FriesCenter for Global Studies that connects Wesleyan students, faculty, and staff for informallanguage practice during academic breaks. Originally launched as Winter Language Buddies in 2020, the…
See all Wes and the World Posts