OU aims to expand its study-abroad program, aligning itself with a national trend among the nation’s universities to increase international study for students.

Students will live in a global environment, and living with and having relationships with only Americans is a thing of the past, said OU President David Boren.

“Global experiences are essential to meet our responsibility to our students,” Boren said. “We must assure them the opportunity to have an international living experience.”

Last year, OU announced plans to increase participation in study-abroad programs by 50 percent over the next four years, Jay Doyle, university spokesman, said by email.

“To help realize this goal, President Boren increased the amount of presidential study abroad scholarships by $100,000,” Doyle said.

Higher-learning institutions in the United Sates sent more than 250,000 students overseas to study last year, said Jack Hobson, Education Abroad director.

An international education experience is helpful for a student because not only does the student gain credit hours for studying abroad, but it also gives them problem-solving skills, Hobson said.

“And, it gives them a whole pool of resources that are critical in an international and increasingly small economic climate in which everyone is going to try and seek jobs,” he said.

Hobson said an international experience also helps students understand their role as an international citizen.

“It also gives students a very unique skill set that will help them in the job hunt and in graduate school,” he said.

OU has 174 student exchange agreements with universities in 66 countries, Doyle said.

More than 1,500 students from more than 100 countries are enrolled on OU’s Norman campus this semester, he said.

Richard Gude, chemical engineering senior, said he enjoyed studying abroad last summer in France.

Gude said he met some of the nicest people in Normandy.

“I met a lot of really great people who opened my eyes, assuaged a lot of stereotypes and gave me one of the best times in my life,” he said.

Gude said he thinks Boren’s plan to increase the amount of people studying abroad is a great idea.

“You’ll meet tons of people and go plenty of places,” he said. “And the best time to travel in your life is when you’re young.”

Mason Kuehler, aerospace engineering sophomore, said his experience while studying abroad in France was life changing.

The time a student spends studying abroad will likely be the most memorable period in her or her life, Kuehler said.

Kuehler said he also supports the initiative to send more students abroad.

“The more our students are able to get out and seen other parts of the world, the better it will be when they come back here,” he said.