In Conversation With Trisha Craig

When it comes to experience, it’s difficult to imagine someone more suited to the role of overseeing the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies (PIIRS) than Trisha Craig. With a career in international academia and policy work, Craig brings to PIIRS experience in fostering interdisciplinary research, enhancing global education and building international partnerships. 

Prior to arriving in New Jersey in April 2024, she was vice president for engagement and senior lecturer in global affairs at Yale NUS College, an undergraduate liberal arts institution founded jointly by Yale University and the National University of Singapore, where she developed comprehensive study abroad and experiential learning programs. Craig was previously executive director of the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies at Harvard University, where she expanded the center’s interdisciplinary focus and global engagement, broadened its academic and cultural offerings, and strengthened its ties with global institutions, diplomatic and business communities and Harvard’s European alumni.

Craig is eager to leverage her expertise and experience to expand PIIRS’ influence and enrich its contributions to international and regional studies. “As the events of the past 15 years have made clear — the financial crisis, the pandemic, climate change, the rise of K-pop — the world today is highly interconnected,” she said. “Universities exist to advance knowledge and understanding those global connections is key to our core mission.”

Princeton Int’l spoke with Craig about telling stories, nurturing international relationships and engaging alumni.

Why is international engagement important to students, faculty and alumni?

One of the best things we can do for students is help them to understand how interconnections work, and experiential learning, such as what we do on Global Seminars, is an up close, immediate way to do that. It exposes them to the importance of local or regional factors: What are local solutions to problems? How were they arrived at? How are they influenced by the history and culture of the place? How does the structure of the state influence outcomes in ways that might be very different than what they’re used to? That well known dictum of anthropology, “making the strange familiar and the familiar strange,” is a key part of learning

For faculty, having an opportunity to engage in international collaborations or interact with international colleagues at conferences and seminars is also key to their knowledge production.

Princeton alums are passionate about their attachment to the school: They want to know that Princeton is carrying out the kind of work that is making a difference in the world. They love interacting with students abroad; it’s a bonding experience and helps students create connections that can be meaningful to them in the future. It gives our alums the chance to give back to the school through helping students see their part of the world.

What are the opportunities in and the challenges of international collaboration?

Partner institutions are extremely conducive to effective collaboration, which often spans multiple disciplines. Access and local knowledge are important to faculty-knowledge production. Collaborations in Africa or Latin America allow for research that simply couldn’t be done on campus. Collaborations also allow students to experience interaction and form long-lasting connections with their peers abroad. Partnerships can offer students access to local scholars, policymakers, officials, activists and entrepreneurs.

Establishing these kinds of relationships takes time and patience; understanding how other institutions work doesn’t happen overnight. Local ways of doing things are often extremely different, and figuring out those nuances is important, as is creating bonds of trust between partners. Different institutions also have different constraints. Being mindful of that is important.

To what end has your personal experience shaped your hopes for international at Princeton?

I’m the product of a liberal arts education, and I think it’s one of the best forms of education to build the foundation for meaningful and purpose-driven work. It allows you to see the way the seemingly unconnected parts of your career form a coherent narrative. For many of us, a career is not a linear path, but one with many branches that interconnect and intersect. My experience has shown me that the kinds of skills that students need to live in this interconnected world — the ability to thrive in multicultural environments and to understand ways that global networks impact people’s lives — are crucial to their future success and their ability to make an impact in that world. I've been fortunate to live in Asia, Latin America and Europe for extensive periods. My personal experience has taught me that there are opportunities out there, and they can be viewed through multiple lenses. I hope that this way of looking at the world allows me to bring real value when there are opportunities for Princeton faculty and students that might not be immediately obvious.

What are you most excited about in this new position?

I'm passionate about engaging with alums. I've enjoyed creating those ties at other institutions; it’s a big part of any institution’s international puzzle. PIIRS has an amazing community of visitors. I'm excited about ensuring that the community, when people are here, is a vibrant one and also that we maintain ties with those people in the future. Global Seminars is PIIRS’ flagship undergraduate program. I want to dispel the notion that there’s a dichotomy between a “learning experience” or an experience in which you gain practical skills, like an internship. We help students deepen their intellectual understanding of a place or a topic, but we are also giving them a broad set of tools that they can deploy elsewhere, including teamwork, adaptability, presentation skills and intercultural competency. I’m excited to help translate that into their own personal narrative and help students think about how they want to do that. Is it through continued language acquisition or pursuing a minor? Is it through an internship or creating self-directed projects? One of my main priorities for my first few years is to consider how we take the Global Seminars and build a richer and more complex future for them.