Illinois Global Institute

What Illinois Global Institute does

The Illinois Global Institute (IGI), established in 2019, is an academic unit within the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. It serves as the institutional umbrella for 11 area and global studies centers and thematic programs covering African Studies, East Asian & Pacific Studies, Global Studies, Latin American & Caribbean Studies, South Asian & Middle Eastern Studies, Global Gender Equity, the European Union, Brazilian Studies, Russian/East European/Eurasian Studies, Arms Control & International Security, and LAS Global Studies. Its primary constituents are UIUC undergraduate and graduate students, with secondary audiences of 600+ affiliated faculty and researchers, K-12 educators, international Scholars at Risk participants, and the broader alumni and community audience. IGI delivers language instruction across 30+ languages (including Less Commonly Taught Languages such as Wolof, Quechua, Q'anjob'al, and Persian), undergraduate and graduate academic credentials (majors, minors, certificates, and the 2025-launched MSGS degree), and competitive fellowship and grant programs including FLAS Fellowships, Graduate Language Fellowships, Summer Research Awards, INSURE research grants, and the New Approaches Grant.

IGI does not generate independent commercial revenue. Its operating model is funded through federal Title VI National Resource Center and FLAS grants (almost $13.2M awarded across six centers for the 2022-2026 cycle, plus over $6M in additional FLAS funding), European Commission Jean Monnet Center of Excellence grants, UIUC institutional support through the College of LAS, and competitive grant programs (New Approaches Grant up to $30,000, INSURE up to $10,000). The institute distributes its offerings through the UIUC course registration system, competitive fellowship/grant applications, international exchange partnerships (notably a 15-year partnership with Osaka Metropolitan University and the 2024 Brasillinois initiative), the Illinois Scholars at Risk program (UIUC joined the Scholars at Risk Network as a sustaining member in 2022), K-12 outreach programming, and public events including the IGI Series on Global Responsibilities and career days. Its headquarters are at Coble Hall, 801 S. Wright St., Champaign, Illinois.

Name

Illinois Global Institute

Legal name

Illinois Global Institute, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Website

https://igi.illinois.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Illinois Global Institute, established in 2019 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is an academic consortium of 11 area and global studies centers providing language instruction (30+ languages), degree programs, fellowships, and K-12 outreach to UIUC students, faculty, and international scholars.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Support Services (611710), Language Schools (611630)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Defense Language & Cultural Institutes (EDAHAOAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online International & Cross-Border Universities (Global/Transnational Providers) (EDAHALAL), International & Comparative Education Policy Organizations (EDADADAL), Cultural Adjustment & Intercultural Training Programs (EDAIAKAB)

Keywords

• Area studies education
• Language instruction
• Global studies programs
• Academic fellowships
• International research

Headquarters

HQ city

Champaign

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Illinois Global Institute (IGI) is an academic consortium within the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign that integrates 11 area and global studies centers and thematic programs. It delivers language instruction in 30+ languages, academic degree programs (majors, minors, certificates, and the Master of Science in Global Studies), federally funded fellowships (FLAS, Graduate Language Fellowships, Graduate Summer Research Awards), faculty research grants (New Approaches Grant, INSURE), and public engagement programs including the Illinois Scholars at Risk sanctuary initiative and the Global Educators Workshop for K-12 teachers.

Product overview

The Illinois Global Institute (IGI), established in 2019 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is an academic consortium comprising 11 area and global studies centers and thematic programs. The core offering consists of language instruction (both commonly taught and Less Commonly Taught Languages), academic degree programs (majors, minors, certificates, and the 2025-launched Master of Science in Global Studies), and fellowship/funding programs including Graduate Language Fellowships and Summer Research Awards. The 11 centers cover African Studies, East Asian & Pacific Studies, Global Studies, Latin American & Caribbean Studies, South Asian & Middle Eastern Studies, Global Gender Equity, European Union, Brazilian Studies, Russian/East European/Eurasian Studies, and Arms Control & Security. Supporting programs include the New Approaches Grant (up to $30,000 for multidisciplinary initiatives), FLAS Fellowships for language training, the Illinois Scholars at Risk program, and the Global Educators Workshop for K-12 outreach. The institute does not offer a unified software product but rather a portfolio of educational programs, language instruction, research support, and public engagement initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Language Courses Comprehensive language instruction for UIUC students covering 30+ languages, including commonly taught languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili) and less commonly taught languages (LCTL) such as Wolof, Quechua, Q'anjob'al, and Persian. Courses are taken for academic credit and form the foundation of the institute's area studies credential pathway.
• Area and Global Studies Majors, Minors, and Certificates Academic credential programs offered across the 11 area/global studies centers, providing undergraduate majors and minors, graduate certificates, and thematic credentials such as the Indigenous Latin American Languages online certificates and the European Union Studies undergraduate minor. Designed for UIUC students seeking formal area and global studies qualifications.
• Master of Science in Global Studies (MSGS) New graduate degree program launched in March 2025 offering a credentialed master's-level pathway in global studies for UIUC graduate students.
• Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships Federally funded Title VI fellowships covering tuition and providing living stipends for graduate and undergraduate students studying less commonly taught languages and area studies. IGI awarded 51 FLAS fellowships in 2024 across its area/global studies centers.
• Graduate Language Fellowship Internal fellowship providing graduate students with a $20,000-$22,000 stipend to support advanced language study across less commonly taught and critical languages offered through IGI's area/global studies centers.
• Graduate Summer Research Awards Internal summer research awards of $5,000 supporting undergraduate students conducting area/global studies research over the summer term through IGI's centers and thematic programs.
• New Approaches Grant Faculty research grant providing up to $30,000 over a 1-3 year period to support new and innovative approaches in area and global studies research led by UIUC faculty affiliates.
• INSURE Grants Internal grants program supporting faculty and student research initiatives in international and area studies across the IGI consortium.
• SMAART Humanistic Research Support Humanistic research support service co-led by the Center for Global Studies and the European Union Center, providing methodology, source, and writing assistance to faculty and graduate students.
• Illinois Scholars at Risk (ISAR) Program Sanctuary hosting and academic continuation program for at-risk international scholars, providing temporary refuge, teaching, and research opportunities through IGI's Scholars at Risk Network membership.
• Global Educators Workshop Professional development workshop series for K-12 teachers, librarians, and school staff in Illinois, offering Professional Development Hours (PDH) and curated global education resources drawn from IGI's area studies centers.
• Indigenous Latin American Languages Certificates Online certificate programs in Indigenous Latin American languages offered through IGI's area/global studies centers, providing formal credentials in less commonly taught languages for UIUC students and broader learners.
• European Union Studies Undergraduate Minor Undergraduate academic minor in European Union Studies administered through the European Union Center at IGI, providing credentialed EU-focused coursework for UIUC undergraduates.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly $13.2 million in federal Title VI and FLAS grants awarded to six IGI centers for 2022-2026 cycle
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Brasillinois InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024University of Illinois System initiative expanding research collaboration and scholarly exchange across disciplines with institutions in Brazil. Led by IGI executive director Jerry Dávila and aligned with the Lemann Center for Brazilian Studies. Aims to strengthen Brazil-related research, faculty connections, and student exchange programs.
• Scholars at Risk NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022International network dedicated to protecting scholars and promoting academic freedom. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign became a sustaining member in 2022, hosting scholars affiliated with SAR for visits up to one year. Illinois Scholars at Risk (ISAR) program provides sanctuary and support for academics facing threats.
• Fairlawn Real EstateminorOthers · 1 January 2022Champaign-based real estate company owned by Chris and Gozen Hartman (BS 2001, Civil Engineering) providing housing for ISAR scholars at reduced rates. Example of community-campus partnership supporting the Scholars at Risk program.
• Osaka Metropolitan UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 200615-year partnership with annual research exchange symposium coordinated by Center for East Asian & Pacific Studies. Partnership began in 2006 with annual symposia since 2011. Originally with Osaka City University, which merged with Osaka Prefecture University to form OMU. Includes faculty and student exchange, collaborative research presentations, and discussions on topics including psychology, history, and cross-cultural studies.
• University of Illinois College of Liberal Arts & SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIGI is a unit within the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at UIUC. LAS provides institutional support, administrative infrastructure, and strategic investments through initiatives like Curiosity to Impact (C2I) that fund IGI center projects.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cornell University - Southeast Asia Program: Cornell's Title VI National Resource Center for Southeast Asian studies, offering language training and area studies fellowships under the same federal Title VI funding mechanism that supports IGI centers.
• Indiana University - Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center: Indiana University's Title VI NRC focused on less-commonly-taught Central Asian and Uralic languages - directly comparable to IGI's LCTL language training emphasis across 30+ languages.
• Columbia University - Weatherhead East Asian Institute: Columbia's premier Title VI National Resource Center for East Asian studies, federally funded like IGI, offering similar language and area studies programs targeting graduate and undergraduate students at a major US research university.
• Harvard University - Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies: Harvard's Title VI-funded area studies center focused on Russian, East European, and Eurasian studies, structurally and operationally similar to IGI's REEEC center, with FLAS fellowships and NRC designation.
• Princeton University - Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies: Princeton's umbrella for area and international studies with NRC designation, providing language training, fellowships, and research support that closely mirror IGI's portfolio.
• Stanford University - Center for East Asian Studies: Stanford's Title VI National Resource Center offering East Asian language training and area studies research support, with similar FLAS fellowship administration and NRC funding pipeline.
• Yale University - MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies: Yale's hub for international and area studies at a major US research university, administering Title VI NRC designations and FLAS fellowships across multiple regional centers - structurally analogous to IGI.
• UC Berkeley - Institute of International Studies: Berkeley's umbrella organization aggregating area studies centers with Title VI NRC designation, providing comparable language training, fellowships, and global/area studies credentials to students and faculty.
• Georgetown University - Center for Contemporary Arab Studies: Georgetown's Title VI-funded center offering Middle East area studies, language training, and FLAS fellowships - directly comparable in scope and federal funding structure to IGI's regional centers.
• University of Wisconsin-Madison - Center for East Asian Studies: Wisconsin's Title VI National Resource Center providing East Asian language training, area studies, and FLAS fellowships at a Big Ten peer institution, making it a natural structural comparator for IGI within the same conference.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/illinois-global-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Illinois Global Institute