Randy Kluver

Dean of the School of Global Studies and Partnerships at Oklahoma State University

Randy Kluver

What drew you to be a part of the OKGIT?

As Oklahoma State is one of the state’s flagship universities, we intend for our efforts to contribute to the opportunities available to our students and the growth of the state.  Involvement in GIT helps us to align the programming and training we do at OSU to the larger efforts across the state to increase international understanding, commerce, and impact. International education is one of the top factors in both global trade and internationalization, and it is vital that the flagship institutions be aligned with larger statewide conversations.

Tell us about your international experiences and how that is reflected in your life and work in Oklahoma.

I was raised in western Oklahoma, and was exposed through immigration and exchange programs from my earliest years.  My family was involved in resettling Vietnamese refugees into Oklahoma in the 1970s, and since graduating from the University of Oklahoma, I have been heavily involved in international education efforts. I taught English from 1987-88 in the Peoples’ Republic of China, and served as a faculty member from 2000-2006 at the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. I have led study abroad groups in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, and Asia, and have professional ties around the globe. My research interests are in global communication and geopolitics, and I have published a number of academic books and journal articles on these topics.

Why is it important for you that Oklahoma has strong international ties?

As an educator, my job is to prepare students for the world that is coming, not the world as it is, or as it has been.  It is very clear that for students to rise to positions of leadership, they must have an understanding of the impact of larger global forces on their chosen professions. Therefore, our goal is that every student at our university has opportunities to gain the global understanding that will afford them the opportunities to prosper in their chosen fields.  At the state level, global trade and exchange is vital for increasing the economic base of the state and providing Oklahomans.


Alan R. (Randy) Kluver is the Dean of the School of Global Studies and Partnerships at Oklahoma State University. As the senior international officer of the University, his role is to develop, implement, and coordinate global education and research projects for the university. His responsibilities include oversight of the Study Abroad/National Student Exchange Office, the Center for International Trade and Development, the English Language Institute, International Students and Scholars Office, and the academic programs of the School of Global Studies and Partnerships.

Previously, Dr. Kluver served as Executive Director of Global Partnerships and faculty member at Texas A&M University. He has extensive international experience, having previously taught at Jiangxi Normal University (China), National University of Singapore, and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. In 2017, he was a visiting fellow at the University of Canterbury (New Zealand), and in 2012, was the recipient of a Fulbright Administrator’s Award in South Korea. As a faculty member or administrator, he has served as Principal Investigator or co-Principal Investigator for approximately $10 million. He continues to do research on media, new media, and geopolitics.

He has published widely in the fields of new media, Asian politics, the Internet in Asian societies, public diplomacy, and international communication.