Approved in early 2017, the MI Mobility Initiative (MIMI) is a three-year program designed to provide faculty and staff with little to no international experience opportunities to participate in deployments abroad with strategic institutional partners. This initiative supports international deployments for up to four employees per year and individuals are eligible to participate only once in order to maximize the number of employees benefiting.

Deployment durations range from short term (1 to 4 weeks) to medium term (1 to 2 months) and opportunities are strategically selected to ensure the experience will result in a sustained impact that aligns with MI’s overall internationalization efforts.

For each MIMI deployment, MI International identifies relevant international opportunities, which align with the long-term goals and objectives of the institution. Employees are then selected based on their areas of expertise, their interest in engaging in an international opportunity, and their previous experience working internationally.

MI International, in collaboration with the MI schools and units, select faculty and staff that have little to no international experience – those that would benefit most from MIMI.

Before departure, employees are given a pre-departure briefing through MI International and are provided assistance with logistical and administrative aspects of their travel, including help with flights, accommodations, vaccinations, country considerations and financial procedures.

Employees participating in MIMI are requested to complete an individual report regarding their expectations, activities, challenges, successes and lessons learned from their deployment.