My name is Per Urlaub, and earlier this summer I joined MIT and started as the new Director of Global Languages. Before coming to MIT, I served as a tenured faculty member at the University of Texas at Austin and at Middlebury College, where I was also Associate Dean of the Language Schools for five years.

For many years, I have been deeply impressed by the many innovations in language education and intercultural learning that have been incubated at MIT. Generations of students here and across the world have benefited from these innovations, and as the Director of Global Languages I am honored to build on this legacy and to continue strengthening the educational opportunities we offer our students.

As a student in Global Languages, you will develop the linguistic tools, aesthetic sensitivities, and intercultural awareness necessary to serve communities both locally and around the world. To me, there is simply nothing more inspiring than observing these capabilities to grow in future generations.

I invite you to explore our programs,
to meet our award-winning teacher-scholars,
to enroll in our classes, and to join us for our co-curricular events.

I invite you to explore our programs, to meet our award-winning teacher-scholars, to enroll in our classes, and to join us for our co-curricular events. Our 500+ HASS concentrators know that we do more than just “teach languages.” As a member of the Global Languages community, you will quickly discover that we are here to help you to internationalize your profile, to develop a deeper commitment to cultural diversity, to build the capacity for meaningful experiences overseas, and to empathize at a planetary scale.