Higher Education, International Knowledge Exchange, and Nation-Building in the United States, 1765-1825

This study examines the history of international academic exchanges in the United States, with particular attention to study abroad programs and the hiring of international faculty, from 1765 to 1825. The study’s interpretive, case-study approach analyzes the priorities established during the implementation of exchange programs at four different institutions of higher education. The analysis was based on the characteristics of these programs, and includes their purposes, contexts, processes, and results. Data for the study was collected and analyzed to identify common trends and patterns across the institutions, as well as significantly unique features within the individual cases analyzed. At the selected four institutions, the study considers how the interaction of study abroad and the hiring of international faculty affected the outcome of the desired curricular innovations.