Students Walking

Why should you participate in Project GO?

Project Global Officer (Project GO) is a Department of Defense initiative aimed at improving the language skills, regional expertise, and intercultural communication skills of future military officers.

Sponsored by the Defense Language and National Security Education Office and administered by the Institute of International Education, Project GO provides institutional grants to U.S institutions of higher education with large ROTC student enrollments, to include the Senior Military Colleges. In turn, these institutions provide language and culture training to ROTC students from across the nation, funding domestic and overseas ROTC language programs and scholarships. 

Working in support of Army, Air Force, and Navy ROTC Headquarters, Project GO facilitates collaborative efforts both among universities and ROTC leadership. This preparation helps ROTC students stand out among their peers and gain valuable experience in learning to interact with people from around the world in another language. These rich multi-cultural experiences are available to eligible* undergraduate ROTC students.

Intensive language study is available on campus as well as abroad. ROTC students commonly use their first summer of Project GO funding to begin their language study in the US and a second summer of funding from Project GO to study the language intensively abroad. 

During the academic year between those summers, students can work with a conversation partner on a weekly basis to maintain their skills. Project GO accepts cadets and midshipman with no prior language study as well those with existing language skills who are looking for an immersive experience.

KU's Project GO programming offers introductory-level instruction in Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, and Russian on campus as well as a study abroad program for Portuguese at the Clara Ramos Institute in Salvador, Brazil.

Project GO is an initiative sponsored by the Defense Language and National Security Education Office and administered by the Institute of International Education.

Project GO Snapshot

Languages offered at KU

Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese (Abroad cancelled for Summer 2024), Russian


Languages offered at other Project GO institutions

Arabic, Hindi, Indonesian, Korean, Persian, Swahili, Turkish


Applications for Study Abroad programs due Jan 18, 2024


Applications for domestic programs due February 27, 2024

  • Intensive 8-week program during the summer covers two semesters of language.

  • ROTC Cadets and Midshipmen are eligible to receive scholarships for multiple semesters of summer study.

  • Typical program: Summer 1 students start a language at KU or another Project GO campus; Summer 2 students study the language abroad.

  • Students with existing, high-level language proficiency may qualify for Project GO Advanced and should contact the program manager.

  • Language maintenance tutors are provided throughout the program and academic year.


Brazil Study Abroad Dates: CANCELLED for Summer 2024


Domestic program Dates: Jun 3 - Jul 26, 2024


Japanese martial art workshop

Japanese martial art workshop - 2022

Russian tea ceremony

Russian tea ceremony -2022

Chinese dumpling cooking workshop with students and instructor

Chinese dumpling cooking demonstration - 2022

Hiking at Morro do Pai Inácio in the Chapada Diamantina, state of Bahia, Brazil
Hiking at Morro do Pai Inácio in the Chapada Diamantina, in our Brazil abroad program - 2022