CARBONDALE, Ill. — Peter Li, an attorney with extensive experience in collegiate international programs and services, has been selected as the new director of the Center for International Education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Li assumed his new position on Feb. 1 and already has several goals in mind “to support the university’s mission, vision and values as well as the needs and interests of the students and faculty,” he said.
His immediate focus will be on:
- Promoting internationalization by increasing international student enrollment and encouraging international exchange programs, joint research projects and academic collaborations between the university and other institutions around the world.
- Supporting international students by creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for international students by providing them with the necessary information, resources and support to succeed academically and socially.
- Enhancing intercultural understanding by organizing intercultural events and activities that bring together students from different backgrounds to promote understanding and respect for diverse cultures.
- Advocating for international education by being an advocate for the importance of international education and the university’s role in fostering global citizenship.
Knowledgeable international education veteran
Li brings to SIU a diverse background in both education and experience. He most recently served as the director of the Office of International Student and Scholar Services at Texas A&M University – Kingsville since January 2015, directing and developing study abroad programs, chairing the Campus Internationalization Committee and more. Previously, he served as director of the Office of International Programs at the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio, from 2012 to 2014 and as the executive director of international services at Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina, 2007-2012.
Before becoming active in international programs within academia, he practiced as an attorney for more than a decade, both within his own private practice where he specialized in immigration law, international law and business law, and elsewhere in private and government offices. His practice includes serving as a law clerk with the United States Department of Justice, Immigration and Naturalization Service and in the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, both in Cleveland, Ohio.
Li completed his law degree at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University. He also holds a master’s degree in botany from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, and a master’s degree in paleobiology and geology from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleobiology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Nanjing, China. His bachelor’s degree in geology comes from Nanjing University.
For more information about SIU’s Center for International Education, visit the webpage, call 618-453-5774 or email issinfo@siu.edu.
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