Laura Lombard heard about Kansas University’s Global Awareness Program while studying abroad in Spain.

“Pretty much anything that’s international is going to catch my eye,” the KU senior said.

The program, which gives a certificate to students who add an international focus to their studies, has attracted nearly 700 students since it began in the fall of 2004. And it has attracted the attention of other institutions. A representative from the University of Bonn in Germany will visit KU next week to learn more about the GAP program.

“We have had a very good response – far beyond our expectations,” GAP Coordinator Jane Irungu said.

As many voice the need to keep American students competitive in a globalized world, KU is expanding its international efforts in several areas.

Roughly 25 percent of KU graduates study abroad while students. But participation in study-abroad programs is more common in some schools than others, and staff hope to change that.

“We continue to expand access to study abroad for students from all majors,” said Susan Gronbeck-Tedesco, KU’s study abroad director.

Europe remains the most popular destination for study abroad travelers. About 2 percent go to the Middle East or Africa, KU reported.

“We would like to be moving into what we call nontraditional destinations,” Gronbeck-Tedesco said.

Language barriers and the lack of infrastructure to support students in some locations overseas are two challenges in placing students in safe non-traditional study abroad locales, she said.

Gronbeck-Tedesco said faculty are key in helping KU expand study abroad activities.

In another effort, KU this semester will launch a global partners program that will match up one or two domestic students with an international student. The program aims to help students learn more about different cultures, Hodgie Bricke, assistant dean for international programs, said.

For the GAP program, students work toward the certification in a variety of ways, including study abroad trips, language courses and participation in cultural functions on campus.

It’s too early to gauge whether the GAP program helps students land jobs when out of school, Bricke said, but students are noting the certification on their resumes.

Alexis Bannwarth, a KU senior who completed the program and included it on her resume, said she thinks it gives her an edge.

“It shows that I have the international experience and I’m more culturally aware than your typical American student,” she said.