When Akbarali “Ali” Thobhani, Ph.D., arrived alone in the United States from Uganda at age 19, he came with a single goal: to pursue an education. More than five decades later, he has devoted his life to ensuring that Metropolitan State University of Denver students have the same opportunity to see the world as a classroom.
Thobhani, executive director of the Office of International Studies and the University’s longest-standing staff member, has spent 53 years shaping MSU Denver into a hub for global learning. From his early days as a professor of Africana studies to his leadership in international education, his impact spans generations of students and colleagues.
And he believes the work is more urgent than ever.
“Global education is essential, now more than ever,” Thobhani said. “We are living in an interconnected world facing shared challenges. If our students are not exposed to different histories and perspectives, we are doing them a disservice.”
International education remains one of higher education’s most powerful and underused tools, he said.
“Whether our graduates build careers in Denver or across the globe, they need a broader perspective,” he said. “They need cultural humility. They need to understand how their lives and work connect to the rest of the world.”
That conviction has guided his career. Over the years, Thobhani has developed and taught numerous courses on Africa, the Middle East and Islam, helping students explore regions and histories often overlooked in traditional curricula. He is the author of three books, including “Mansa Musa: The Golden King of Ancient Mali and Western Sahara Since 1975,” and has directed or co-directed 12 Fulbright-Hays grants to conduct curriculum enrichment seminars in Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, India, Turkey and Hungary.
Akbarali Thobhani, Ph.D., Executive Director of International Students. Dr. Thobhani is our longest standing staff member at MSU Denver, having been here for 53 years. Photo by Amanda Schwengel
A bridge builder
“Dr. Thobhani is an impactful servant leader of MSU Denver,” said Jacqueline A. McLeod, Ph.D., J.D., professor in the departments of Africana Studies and History. “He does an outstanding job of creating and facilitating opportunities of global engagement and international partnerships for our students and faculty.”
McLeod pointed to a recent partnership with the Global Livingston Institute that resulted in scholarships for eight Africana Studies majors to participate in a global classroom connecting students in the United States with peers in Africa. “His commitment to our students’ preparedness to thrive as global citizens is evident in everything he does,” she said. “He is literally the face of the University in the international community.”
Colleagues across disciplines credit him with opening doors for faculty as well as students. Zsuzsa Balogh, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Engineering and Engineering Technology, said support from Thobhani’s office made it possible for her to present internationally as a tenure-track faculty member.
Robert Hazan, Ph.D., emeritus professor in the Department of Political Science, described Thobhani as “the distinguished intercontinental ambassador of education at MSU Denver” for more than half a century. “We will cherish and treasure for years to come Dr. Thobhani’s impeccable contributions to learning and teaching, and his passionate commitment to justice and peace,” Hazan said.
Thobhani has received the Golden Key Excellence in Teaching Award, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Award and the United Nations Peace Medal. Yet he speaks most enthusiastically about the University’s evolution.
“I am so impressed with how MSU Denver has transformed into a prominent urban university,” he said. “We are accessible, diverse and deeply connected to our community. That is our strength.”
After 53 years, his mission remains clear: ensure that MSU Denver students graduate not only with degrees but with curiosity, courage and the capacity to engage a complex world.
For generations of Roadrunners, that global perspective has started with him.
