IU Global – Passport to the World

COP29 from the Perspective of a Student Researcher

Posted on March 6, 2025 by Gie Wilson

My name is Gie Wilson, and I am the Global Student Sustainability Ambassador for the Center for the Study of Global Change. I have worked within IU Global for three years, primarily on initiatives that promote engagement with, and education about, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the Indiana University community. I am also a senior undergraduate student studying Environmental and Sustainability Studies at IU Bloomington with research focuses on climate change, environmental law, climate litigation, and environmental health.

When I started at IU Global, my first task was to interview a professor who served as a faculty advisor for a student delegate who did research at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, in Glasgow, Scotland. I still remember those feelings of awe, mixed with some intimidation, at getting to speak with two people who were doing the real work that I could only dream about.

Gie Wilson, a student with long hair wearing a blouse, backpack, and blazer, stands in front of the SDG Pavillion. She wears a COP29 badge around her neck.

Three years later, I have now had the opportunity to not only get to work with that professor, Dr. Jessica O’Reilly, but also be one of her student delegates. This past fall I attended COP29 as a student researcher on behalf of IU.

COP29, 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference, is a two weeklong event convenes all nations to discuss climate change with the hope of achieving an agreement to create more ambitious climate action. It also serves as the annual meeting place for the forefront advocates, scholars, and stakeholders of climate change civil society from across sectors and around the globe. This year, it was held in Baku, Azerbaijan.

But before we get to what happened at COP29 from the perspective of a student researcher, I should start with how I this all came to fruition. I decided to apply to be a delegate in the spring of 2024 after attending a callout meeting with the professors who lead the program, Dr. Jessica O’Reilly and Professor Kelly Eskew, and the student delegates who had attended COP28 a few months prior in Dubai.

Keep reading Gie’s Story

IU Indianapolis delegation visits India, from West to North

Posted on February 11, 2025 by Minu Thomas

This January, leaders from Indiana University Indianapolis traveled across India, connecting with key university and institutional counterparts. Led by Chancellor Latha Ramchand, Associate Vice Chancellor Hilary Kahn, and Executive Associate Dean and Professor Davide Bolchini at the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, the group included Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Department of Community and Global Health, Associate Professor and Chair Sherri Bucher, and Associate Dean for Planning, Finance, and Faculty Affairs, School of Science and Professor, Rajeev Raje at the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering. The delegation’s tour was aimed at strengthening academic ties and exploring new opportunities for collaboration across the subcontinent.

“The IU brand is globally recognized due to the dedication of our faculty and staff, along with our alumni, many of whom are successful leaders in business and community across India,” said Chancellor Ramchand. “No doubt there is a large market in India for education.” The IU India Gateway serves as a physical touchpoint for IU’s presence in India, with Gateway Director Zafeena Suresh and Program Manager Minu Thomas coordinating the visit and accompanying the delegation on several visits.

*Chancellor Ramchand speaks to an audience at University of Mumbai*

IU-Ivy Tech globalize first year experiences thanks to Dept of Ed Grant

Posted on January 30, 2025 by OVPIA

In December 2024, Indiana University Indianapolis and Ivy Tech Community College submitted the final report on the Department of Education’s $310,000 Building Global Pathways grant.

Led by Associate Vice Chancellor and Associate Vice President for International Affairs Hilary Kahn alongside Director of Curriculum Internationalization Leslie Bozeman and Grant Specialist Lauren Jobe, the overarching goal of this initiative was to strengthen the fundamental global learning curricular foundations at Ivy Tech Community College and IU Indianapolis over the course of the four years.

The team focused on the foundational curriculum of first-year coursework at the two institutions, targeting both content and professional development of instructors and career advisors. The project included developing an online global learning curriculum for first-year seminars, which included a module on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a well-attended global learning symposium, the integration of global learning into freshman and transfer orientation, and study abroad funding for students transferring from Ivy Tech to IU Indianapolis.

*Students in a first year Bridge experience classroom, 2023, Photo by Liz Kaye*

Inspiring young minds through the Center for the Study of Global Change’s 2024 outreach programs

Posted on January 24, 2025 by Rakhee Rajesh

The Center for the Study of Global Change, a collaborative unit within Indiana University’s Office of the Vice President for International Affairs as a part of IU Global, continues to make strides in introducing global perspectives to learners of all ages. Through innovative programs and partnerships over the last year, the Center brought cultural exploration, language learning, and international awareness to children in Monroe County and across Indiana.

Stories Around the World

This fall, the Center hosted Stories Around the World, a weekly story hour at the Southwest branch of the Monroe County Public Library. Designed to introduce children to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the program wove global themes into captivating narratives. Each session highlighted a different region of the world, featuring stories that reflected the culture and values of that area.

With books curated from the School of Education library’s children’s global collection, the program brought regional experts and cultural representatives to share these tales with young listeners. Through engaging stories, children explored concepts such as poverty and sustainability in a relatable, age-appropriate manner. Parents praised the program for blending education with fun, sparking conversations about global issues in a format even the youngest attendees could enjoy.

Exploring identity and culture through study abroad

Posted on January 17, 2025 by Rakhee Rajesh

Political science major Victoria Ford always wanted to explore her Mexican-American roots, but growing up bi-racial in the United States left her feeling somewhat disconnected from her Spanish-speaking heritage.

Her parents’ stories of cultural exploration inspired her, particularly her father’s transformative experience in Mexico during high school through the IU Honors Program in Foreign Languages (IUHPFL). His two months abroad left a lasting impact, shaping his independence, maturity, and Spanish language skills. Decades later, he could still speak the language and recall the life-changing lessons learned. “It’s amazing how those two months shaped his life,” Victoria shared. “He always encouraged me to go abroad, and it was always in the cards for me.” With both her parent’s encouragement and her own interest, she fostered the idea of studying abroad from an early age as a way to connect with part of her identity.

Victoria’s journey began during her freshman year at IU when she met with the Education Abroad office. After considering various options, she decided on a summer program in Chile. Santiago became her temporary home, where she and another student from her IES program lived with a Spanish-speaking host. Apart from the 2 classes she took through her program, she also took up an internship with an organization, Good Neighbors Chile. Her role required extensive research in Spanish and interactions with local elementary school students, an experience that not only tested her language skills but also deepened her connection to the community.

A landscape picture of the city of Santiago with mountains in the background — Santiago, Chile

Keep Reading Victoria’s Story

Professor of history connects art, racial justice in India as a Fulbright Specialist

Posted on January 10, 2025 by Marielle Petranoff

A professor of history who specializes in the intersection of labor and racial justice movements primarily in the U.S. South and South Africa, Alex Lichtenstein may not seem like the ideal candidate to teach Indian fine art students as a part of a U.S. Department of State international scholar program. Thanks to the Fulbright Specialist program, Lichtenstein did just that in the late summer of 2024.

The Fulbright Specialist program differs substantially from its more well-known counterpart, the Fulbright Scholar program. While both are longstanding exchanges created by the Department of State to further international educational and cultural exchange, the Specialist program allows recipients to participate in a number of projects designed by foreign host institutions from over 150 countries and other areas during a three year tenure. If one aligns with the Specialist’s interests and skills, they submit a bid and if accepted, go on a short-term program lasting 14-42 days.

Lichtenstein found the program’s temporal and geographical flexibility fit his academic and teaching goals while broadening his collaborations and expertise. In fact, this year marked the end of his third time participating in the program. He already completed two other programs, once in Belgrade, Serbia once in Genoa, Italy. In Spring 2024, Lichtenstein knew that his period of eligibility was coming up, so actively sought out projects. He found one in one of IU’s partner institutions in India.

Alex Lichtenstein, a gray haired man with glasses, stands behind a podium at the IU India Gateway.

OP Jindal University’s project requested someone to teach about curatorial practice with their Bachelor of Fine Arts students. Having been to India before, Lichtenstein was interested in engaging more deeply in an academic setting; he applied despite the perceived mis-match in skills. “I’m not a curator. I don’t work in a museum, but as a historian I’ve curated a few history exhibits,” he said. “I also work with the intersection of photography and art and history, so I thought why not?”

Learn more about Lichtenstein’s experience

Celebrating Global Perspectives: Meet the Winners of the IU Global Citizen Scholarship

Posted on December 13, 2024 by Rakhee Rajesh

At Indiana University, the contributions of international students enrich the campus community, fostering a vibrant exchange of ideas and cultures. To honor these contributions, IU created the Global Citizen Scholarship, a prestigious award recognizing the unique perspectives and journeys of international students. This one-time $7,500 scholarship is awarded to three outstanding students each year during International Education Week.

For the 2024 scholarship, applicants reflected on the theme “What Being an International Student at IU Means to Me.” Through video submissions students shared their personal stories, community experiences, and creative expressions. This year’s winners, chosen from a pool of remarkable candidates, represent a range of disciplines, backgrounds, and inspirations. Meet Ahmed Tahsin Shams, Maria Garcia de Casasola, and Pauline Heo, the exceptional winners of this year’s Global Citizen Scholarship.

Meet the Winners:

Ahmed Tahsin Shams

Read on to meet the winners

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

Posted on November 22, 2024 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. — Associate Vice Chancellor for International Affairs Hilary Kahn welcomes participants to the Symposium

Global partnerships for change highlighted in new Office of International Development programs

Posted on November 4, 2024 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 — PHER program members

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.

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

Posted on November 1, 2024 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.