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Global Learning Symposium showcases faculty, business, student success through international experiences

Posted on by Marielle Petranoff

From the pedagogical and practical to the overall impact of global learning beyond the classroom, the Global Learning Symposium brought more than 120 participants from across central Indiana together earlier this fall. The gathering, which took place September 27 in the IU Indianapolis Campus Center, was an opportunity for highlighting—and sharing!—the existing expertise within Indiana University and beyond.

Across 11 sessions participants explored every aspect of global learning: experiences abroad, virtual exchange, language learning, and why graduates need these skills and experiences to succeed in an international workforce.

In addition to presenters and attendees from five universities outside of IU including Howard University, panels included leaders from five local businesses. Amy Owens, senior director of global talent and succession management at Eli Lilly and Co., shared her reason for presenting as a part of the session Why Students Need Global Career Skills. “At Lilly, we’re looking for people who value diverse perspectives, who create inclusive environments, who are able to work through difficult situations,” she said. “Study abroad is almost a direct complement to what we do at Lilly to develop leaders.”

The view of a stage from the audience. A screen reading "Global Learning Symposium" is visible over the heads of audience members. Associate Vice Chancellor Hilary Kahn stands on the right side of the stage, speaking.
Associate Vice Chancellor for International Affairs Hilary Kahn welcomes participants to the Symposium
An auditorium viewed from the side of the stage. Audience members listen to Chancellor Latha Ramchand, who stands behind a podium on stage.
Inaugural Chancellor Latha Ramchand provided opening remarks
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Global partnerships for change highlighted in new Office of International Development programs 

Posted on by Rakhee Rajesh

The Office of International Development (OID) at Indiana University plays a vital role in shaping the university’s global impact. Operating within the Office of the Vice President for International Affairs (OVPIA), or IU Global, OID is dedicated to supporting institutions in the Global South, by focusing on collaborations across a variety of regions across Africa, South America, Central America, Eurasia, and Southeast Asia. Towards realizing these collaborations, OID seeks external funding opportunities from U.S. government agencies, international foundations, and European organizations, channeling these resources for IU faculty and community to engage globally to make a meaningful difference in institutional and human capacities. 

OID’s unique approach to institutional development includes faculty exchanges, collaborative research, and capacity-building initiatives aimed at helping partner institutions improve their educational, research and organizational systems. Recent key programs demonstrate the office’s commitment to fostering growth in higher education and leadership development across the globe. 

A group picture of the people involved in the PHER program in Vietnam
PHER program members
People paying attention to the workshop being conducted by OID
Workshop in progress
One person standing at the podium, conducting the workshop in a classroom full of Vietnamese administrators
Speaker conducting workshop

One of these programs is the Partnership for Higher Education Reform (PHER), a collaboration with the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, which is working to support Vietnam’s efforts to modernize its higher education system. Funded by USAID, this initiative will conclude in February 2025 after completing a series of activities with three corporations and more than a dozen universities in Vietnam. Another successful program led and implemented by OID, LASER PULSE, focused on long-term assistance and university-led solutions in countries like Laos and Northern Iraq, as well as leading workshops in Ethiopia and Uganda on research for development (R4D) and university research engagement capacity strengthening. OID also led Indiana University’s Institute of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, a flagship program with the U.S. Department of State, that provided 150 young African leaders from over 25 sub-Saharan African countries, developing their civic leadership skills through academic study, skill-building workshops, and collaboration with Americans. 

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Connecting Indianapolis students with career-ready global experiences through virtual exchange

Posted on by Marielle Petranoff

This year’s Virtual Global Learning Fellows (VGLF) hosted by IU Indianapolis come from a variety of backgrounds and previous types of global engagement, but all share the passion to connect their students with real-life skills. The ten Fellows of the fourth cohort represent a cross-section of faculty with specialties ranging from computer science to art, language acquisition to social work and nutrition. As a part of the fellowship, all ten Fellows will instruct classes during the 2024-25 academic year that engage with a partner course at an institution outside the U.S. through virtual exchange, supported by their cohort and professional development from the Office of International Affairs.

The ten Fellows spent a portion their summer participating in a professional development workshop  hosted by Florida International University. Through this workshop, Fellows learned more about the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) method of co-teaching with instructors from around the world. The workshop and support from the Director of Curriculum Internationalization, Leslie Bozeman, and Virtual Exchange Manager, Jayson Deese, guided fellows through the steps of designing a COIL collaboration with their international partners. Mike Polites, a Fellow who teaches Humor and Communications in the School of Liberal Arts will participate in an exchange with Uzhhorod National University in Ukraine, shared why being a Fellow was so valuable to him. “[Virtual exchange] is such a unique opportunity for our students to benefit from, to expand their world view in a way that they otherwise would not be able to,” he said.

Rosa Tezanos-Pinto
Vincent Starnino
Mike Polites
Otrude Moyo
Lingma Lu
Amy Johnson
Judith Carlstrand
Karen Baldner
Cheryl L. H. Armstrong
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Alumni Profile: A German alum’s transatlantic legacy

Posted on by Lexi Baker

Bloomington, Indiana, 1963. The small, vibrant town, nestled among rolling hills and thick woodlands, bustled with the energy of thousands of students. This Midwestern town was a world away from the divided streets of post-war Berlin. For one German student, Wolfgang Dexheimer, this town would become home to a journey that shaped his career and life forever.

A portrait of a young Wolfgang Dexheimer, a man with brown hair wearing a white shirt and black tie.

Dexheimer arrived at Indiana University as an exchange student from Freie Universität Berlin in 1963. Based on his academic and personal qualifications, he was selected as one of twelve students to participate in the German university’s transatlantic exchange program. When he initially applied to study in the United States, he expected it to be at the University of Pennsylvania but was later informed that he would be going to IU instead. This change of plans didn’t stop him from following through with his goal of exploring educational opportunities abroad.

A photo of a bifold document. The left fold holds a small black and white portrait of a young Wolfgang Dexheimer. The right shows immigration documentation.

The transition to American campus culture was stark. Dexheimer found his travel to America, and daily life at IU, a sharp contrast to his experiences in a recovering and divided Berlin. “On the ship to the US, we got to know waitresses with white gloves for breakfast, these grand breakfasts with melon balls – such a luxury!” he recalls. “I didn’t know that as a Berlin postwar boy. The friendliness, the hospitality – they were astounding.”

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Beyond the Classroom: How IU Study Abroad Programs Transform Summer Breaks 

Posted on by Lexi Baker

Indiana University opens up a world of opportunities through its study abroad programs, offering students the chance to turn their summer break into an adventure that’s both fun and meaningful. These programs go beyond just seeing new places—they’re about diving into new cultures, pushing personal boundaries, and gaining skills that stick with you long after the trip is over. Whether it’s uncovering the layers of history in a foreign country, honing your craft in a field lab, or building lifelong friendships abroad, IU students come back transformed, with stories and insights that shape their future paths.

For Hang Doan, a Media Arts & Science major at IU Indianapolis, the decision to document historical cultural artifacts in Paros, Greece, as a part of a Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering program was driven by a love for shows like those of chef and travel documentarian Anthony Bourdain. “I wanted to experience that feeling for myself,” they said, referring to the immersive cultural experiences these shows depict. In Greece, Doan discovered that “the way food is prepared and enjoyed tells you a lot about the community.” The trip not only deepened their appreciation for cultural storytelling but also reinforced the importance of ethical media production, a lesson Hang plans to carry into their future career in food documentaries. 

Pita bread and various dips displayed on a white tablecloth
Hang Doan, seated on the left, interviews someone on camera on a patio
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Exploring Galápagos Island: A Journey Towards Future Academic Collaborations

Posted on by Lía Albarrán

Written by Lía Juy Albarrán and Quetzalli Sánchez Clavel

In early February, Indiana University established a significant presence in the captivating Galapagos Islands. Represented by Adam Scribner, Director of STEM Education at the School of Education, Michael Hamburger, Professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and Molly Fisher, Director of the IU Mexico Gateway (part of IU Global) the team embarked on an exploratory journey aimed at fostering institutional collaboration. 

Throughout their visit, they delved into the prospect of forging new ties and strengthening existing ones with various institutions, including the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) in both Quito and the Galapagos, the Galapagos Science Center, the Charles Darwin Research Station, and the Scalesia Foundation through the Tomas de Berlanga School on Santa Cruz Island.  

Karla Diaz, Service-Learning Institute Director at USQF; Adam Scribner, Director of STEM Education at the School of Education of IU; and Michael Hamburger, Professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences of IU.
Karla Diaz, Service-Learning Institute Director at USQF; Adam Scribner, Director of STEM Education at the School of Education of IU; and Michael Hamburger, Professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences of IU. 
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Global Harmonies: Jacobs Student Leads East-West Collaboration

Posted on by Lexi Baker

Music is often called a universal language for its unparalleled ability to bridge divides and foster connections.  While classical music often brings to mind a roster of European names—Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Bach–the realm of modern orchestral music explores beyond Europe’s borders. In late 2023, Corey Chang, a visionary third-year doctoral student in composition at the Jacobs School of Music, hoped to expand the genre even further as a part of his IU experience. His proposal, the “East-West Collaboration” project, was an innovative initiative between Indiana University Bloomington’s Jacobs School of Music and the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music, blending the rich traditions of Eastern and Western music to unveil the boundless potential of contemporary cross-cultural musical exchanges. 

Jacobs student and project leader Corey Chang

The East-West Collaboration aimed to integrate Eastern and Western musical traditions through student collaboration by developing and expanding the repertoire of mixed Asian ensemble music. Chang selected composers from the composition graduate students at Jacobs and paired them with music students at the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music in China, hoping to promote cultural exchange and explore the potential of combining Chinese and Western musical instruments through commissioned works and performances. 

Chang was inspired to initiate this project two years prior, after observing his talented classmates and colleagues at countless rehearsals. “Watching performances at Jacobs, I had noticed a heavy focus on classic pieces,” Chang recalled. “I felt there was a need for initiatives with a more modern grounding.” The collaboration commissioned four IU composition students to write works for small chamber ensembles featuring both Chinese traditional instruments – the pipa, guzheng, erhu, dizi, guqin, and Chinese percussion – and Western orchestral instruments. Additionally, the project included online workshops led by Zhejiang Conservatory students, multiple rehearsals to ensure professional-level performances, and a final concert to showcase the new compositions, held on May 16, at Zhejiang. This collaboration offered a fresh opportunity to blend traditional instruments from the East and West, creating a space for students to explore new musical possibilities. 

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IU Global Gateway Network welcomes inaugural Ghana Gateway Academic Director

Posted on by Marielle Petranoff

With the launch of the IU Ghana Gateway in May of this year, the first of its kind for a public university in Africa, the IU Global Gateway Network welcomes Dr. Samuel Gyasi Obeng as the Gateway’s inaugural academic director. 

“Dr. Obeng’s profound history with both Indiana University and Ghana positions him perfectly to connect IU’s world-class faculty with Ghanaian colleagues,” says Vice President for International Affairs Hannah Buxbaum. “I welcome Dr. Obeng as a great facilitator of collaboration for our newest Gateway.”  

Obeng’s connection to Ghana and Indiana University run deep: he received his B.A. (Linguistics) with Honors from the University of Ghana and later returned as a Lecturer and Senior Lecturer in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Obeng completed his Doctor of Philosophy (D.Phil.) at the University of York (England) specializing in Language and Linguistics Science with emphasis on phonetics-phonology and pragmatics, and a postdoctoral research training in African Studies, African Linguistics and Phonetics at UCLA. 

Two people smile at the camera. Between them a plaque on the wall reads "Indiana University Ghana Gateway"
Cathie Carrigan, left, with Dr. Samuel Obeng, right, at the inauguration of the IU Ghana Gateway in 2024.
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Center for the Study of Global Change welcomes staff, university-wide initiatives

Posted on by Lexi Baker

The Center for the Study of Global Change (CGC) is excited to announce the appointment of Celina Jaffe as the new Associate Director. As one of the administrative centers for many Title VI grants and Indiana University’s hub of global engagement resources, the Center welcomes Jaffe as a key piece of their continuing mission to bring global education to students and educators across Indiana. Jaffe’s journey, from her roots in Bloomington to her extensive global adventures, reflects a deep commitment to fostering cross-cultural understanding and collaboration. With a passion for outreach and dedication to promoting global awareness, Jaffe is excited to join the CGC into a new era of engagement and exploration.

Jaffe’s background is rich with experiences that have shaped her global perspective. Originally from Bloomington, her initial exploration of the world began with an IU study abroad program to Aix-Marseille Université in France. This sparked a deeper passion for international engagement, leading her to various roles, including recently running the Teaching Assistant Program in France at the French Embassy in Washington, DC. After six years abroad as an artist and program coordinator, her goal was to return to Indiana and share her global insights.

“My dream has always been to bring internationalization back to Indiana,” she says.

As the CGC prepares for the year ahead, it has a wide array of events lined up for IU and communities across the state of Indiana. The Institute for Curriculum and Campus Internationalization (ICCI), held from May 19-22, was a notable highlight. This annual event is a platform for educators and University staff to enhance their curricula and campuses with global perspectives, with this year’s program welcoming instructors from 20 different of institutions across the US, including attendees from the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador.

three people sit in front of a dry erase board

Scenes from this year’s ICCI

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