By 2012, Ohio State University will attain an increased physical presence in China, India and Brazil, said William Brustein, vice provost for global strategies and international affairs, at a Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday.

“No other university has done this and Ohio State will truly be a leader in establishing a globalized perspective of the world,” Brustein said.

The board met with OSU administration from the Office of Academic Affairs to discuss how the university will initiate an international agenda both domestically and abroad.

Brustein said his primary focus is to develop and install “global gateways” — OSU offices abroad — beginning in China by 2010, India by 2011 and Brazil by 2012. These countries are producing the most talented students and workers in the world, Brustein said, and the university already has strong ties with them.

Brustein said he looked at facts and figures to establish which countries OSU has the strongest ties with by tracking where alumni have worked and where a majority of students study abroad.

By setting up offices in Shanghai, Mumbai, India, and Sao Paolo, Brazil, faculty members that are researching in those countries will have a home base for operations. Students who are studying abroad will also have a “portal” to network with others, he said.

China, India and Brazil will also benefit from these offices, Brustein said. He said these countries would have access to training programs that will benefit their businesses — programs such as a food safety certification for restaurateurs and human resources training.

Each of these offices should be big enough to accommodate 40 to 50 students, and they should have videoconferencing capabilities, Brustein said. He said that after these offices are established, students on the Columbus campus should be able to communicate with students who are abroad for academic purposes.

“This will be one major strategy to truly capture … the agenda of Ohio State,” Brustein said.

Brustein said he also hopes to establish offices in London or Brussels and possibly in the Horn of Africa. He said OSU should be represented in Africa partly because because Columbus has one of the largest Somali populations in the world.

At the mention of Africa, John Ong, vice chair of the board and former U.S. ambassador to Norway, expressed great concern.

“I seriously hope you consider the security issue,” he said. Brustein said the details would be worked out.

Supporters of Brustein’s gateway strategy included board member Janet Reid, who heads an international talent and market optimization firm.

“This is fabulous,” Reid said. “I am so excited to hear about this idea because internationalization is vital to our university community. If you haven’t gone out of OSU, you will remain ignorant.”

The cost of setting up these offices was not released. But Brustein maintained that the university would use buildings that are already available rather than construct new ones. Provost Joseph Alutto said he was not aware of any financial plans yet, but expects a report by Monday.

Brustein also focused much of his presentation on diversification of the curriculum. Within each major, there should be a relevant study abroad program, he said.

Students need to be able to work effectively in an international setting and have strong awareness about diversity in culture, he said.

Language proficiency is also essential for graduating students, Brustein said. The Office of Academic Affairs eventually plans on increasing the number of foreign language credits required for graduation.

Brustein said faculty are vital to the success of the university’s international effort.

“The faculty realize the importance of global competence,” Brustein said. “The faculty is committed to making students who make them look good.”