
Strategic Partnerships: Europe

In Penn State Global, we believe in the power of multi-disciplinary collaboration and the boundless potential that arises when minds from global backgrounds come together. Our strategic partnerships, collaborative centers, and initiatives in Europe are a testament to this belief, fostering an environment where innovation thrives, and lasting collaborations are forged.
For more information on our strategic partnerships in Europe, please contact Alexandra Persiko, Director for Global Partnerships, at axp1225@psu.edu.
In Penn State Global, we believe in the power of multi-disciplinary collaboration and the boundless potential that arises when minds from global backgrounds come together. Our strategic partnerships, collaborative centers, and initiatives in Europe are a testament to this belief, fostering an environment where innovation thrives, and lasting collaborations are forged.
For more information on our strategic partnerships in Europe, please contact Alexandra Persiko, Director for Global Partnerships, at axp1225@psu.edu.
Strategic Partnership Universities in Europe
Alexandra Persiko, Director for Global Partnerships

Alexandra Persiko, Director for Global Partnerships, is responsible for Penn State Global’s strategic partnership initiatives. She manages a team focused on institutional partnerships in Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Eurasia, Europe and Oceania, as well as partnership agreements, and carries particular responsibility for the collaborations with institutions in Europe and Oceania. Alexandra has been working in the international educational field for thirty years, first for the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., and subsequently as Director of International Operations at Prometric, Inc. in Baltimore, Maryland, where she was responsible for the implementation and administration of testing centers worldwide, offering academic admissions tests and IT certification programs to international and U.S. students and clients.
Alexandra eventually returned to her home country of Germany and taught business English courses at the European Business School, Mainz University and the Universities of Applied Sciences in Wiesbaden and Mainz as well as at numerous companies in the Rhein-Main area of Germany. During this time, she also provided translation and interpretation assistance to the governor of Rhineland-Palatinate during dignitary visits. After 11 years in Germany, Alexandra joined Penn State Global in 2018 and was initially responsible for partner engagement in the Europe and Oceania regions.
Alexandra is the recipient of a Fulbright International Education Administrator Award to France in 2024. She holds a BA in English Literature from Oberlin College and an MA in International Policy Studies from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (formerly Monterey Institute of International Studies).
Alexandra Persiko, Director for Global Partnerships

Alexandra Persiko, Director for Global Partnerships, is responsible for Penn State Global’s strategic partnership initiatives. She manages a team focused on institutional partnerships in Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Eurasia, Europe and Oceania, as well as partnership agreements, and carries particular responsibility for the collaborations with institutions in Europe and Oceania. Alexandra has been working in the international educational field for thirty years, first for the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., and subsequently as Director of International Operations at Prometric, Inc. in Baltimore, Maryland, where she was responsible for the implementation and administration of testing centers worldwide, offering academic admissions tests and IT certification programs to international and U.S. students and clients.
Alexandra eventually returned to her home country of Germany and taught business English courses at the European Business School, Mainz University and the Universities of Applied Sciences in Wiesbaden and Mainz as well as at numerous companies in the Rhein-Main area of Germany. During this time, she also provided translation and interpretation assistance to the governor of Rhineland-Palatinate during dignitary visits. After 11 years in Germany, Alexandra joined Penn State Global in 2018 and was initially responsible for partner engagement in the Europe and Oceania regions.
Alexandra is the recipient of a Fulbright International Education Administrator Award to France in 2024. She holds a BA in English Literature from Oberlin College and an MA in International Policy Studies from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (formerly Monterey Institute of International Studies).
Recent News
Recent News

Ukrainian youth researchers collaborate in multi-site refugee program
A multilateral team consisting of Penn State, Leibniz University (Hannover, Germany), Galway University (Galway, Ireland), and Maria Grzegorzewska University (Warsaw, Poland) conducted a multi-site study with Ukrainian Refugee Youth.

Penn State hosts institutional partner delegation from Freiburg, Germany
Penn State welcomed Rector Kerstin Krieglstein and a leadership delegation from the Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg.

Actor Cillian Murphy promotes empathy education
A Penn State delegation visit to Ireland highlights empathy education with Professor Mark Brennan, the University of Galway, and Cillian Murphy
More European Partnership News
June 2025: Penn State, Galway partner on empathy and engaged youth citizenship
November 2024: A Mother-Daughter Fulbright Experience
October 2022: Professor Emeritus Martin Trethewey receives Freiburg University Medal
2022: Penn State hosts delegation from Leibniz University of Hannover, Germany
2021: Penn State/University of Split Partner to Identify Nun's Remains
2019: Penn State/University of Freiburg commit to strategic partnership
More European Partnership News
June 2025: Penn State, Galway partner on empathy and engaged youth citizenship
November 2024: A Mother-Daughter Fulbright Experience
October 2022: Professor Emeritus Martin Trethewey receives Freiburg University Medal
2022: Penn State hosts delegation from Leibniz University of Hannover, Germany
2021: Penn State/University of Split Partner to Identify Nun's Remains
2019: Penn State/University of Freiburg commit to strategic partnership