By: Ashley Jones
With less than 3,900 tigers left in the world, Clemson University’s President Clements initiated the Tigers United University Consortium injunction with Auburn University, Louisiana State University, and the University of Missouri to save the beloved mascots. This university-wide initiative’s goal is to encourage participation, awareness, and commitment to protecting wild tigers globally while integrating conservation and wildlife efforts through academics and everyday student life.
Clemson University’s Office of Global Engagement has taken the initiative to mobilize the university’s international student population to help out. Kyle
Anderson, the Senior Director of Global Engagement, explains, “Global challenges are the name of the game in education–and for good reason. The world has realized that faculty and students are a huge, untapped resource in helping to address complex problems that cut across national borders and industries. Tigers United understands this well and has reached out to the hundreds of international students at Clemson from the 13 tiger-range countries to explore how we all might help save the tiger together.”
On January 17, 2020, Tigers United met in the Watt Family Center with Clemson’s international student population and encouraged them to use their voices through social media to spread the mission of their initiative. Rachelle Becker, Projected Coordinator for the Tigers United University Consortium at Clemson, shares, “We hope that the students’ social media posts will apply some political and peer pressure on their home countries to boost their efforts to save the wild tigers.”
The inclusion of Clemson’s international population is an asset to addressing global challenges. The po
wer they have to spark change is incredible. Lindsey Hill, Director of International Services, states, “The international student body at Clemson University is comprised of 1,132 students from ten of the 13 tiger range countries. Utilizing the international student population at Clemson to reach across the globe and support tiger conservation in their home countries could have a tremendous impact on moving the Tigers United initiative forward.”
The benefits of this collaboration go beyond tiger protection. It magnifies our efforts, inspires future leaders, and focuses the Clemson community on global issues that touch us right here at home. Clemson’s international students and faculty are igniting change from within campus, connecting the University to communities around the world through the message of tiger conversation.
