Building global campuses, one Institute at a time

Written by Jacob Cox

In May, the Center for the Study of Global Change (Global Center) held its 13th annual Institute for Curriculum and Campus Internationalization (ICCI). Hosted on the IU Bloomington campus, ICCI is a four-day workshop designed to bolster innovation in educational internationalization. Faculty, administrators, and staff from all over the world attend the institute to learn new and effective ways of globalizing their work, collaborate on developing exciting new ideas, and forge lasting partnerships.

ICCI is one of many events the Global Center organizes each year to further improve education in Indiana and beyond. In addition to conferences like the ICCI, the Global Center sponsors various events aimed at K-12 instructors to help incorporate global knowledge into all levels of education. Working closely with IU partners like the Title VI national resource centers at IU, IU Global, and IU CIBER, as well as external partners like the American Association of Colleges and Universities, the Global Center consistently delivers on providing exciting educational training.

Since 2011, over 600 educators from all over the world have grown their skills by attending ICCI. This year’s conference saw 34 attendees from around the country and the globe, including Australia, Germany, Japan, Taiwan, nine different states in the USA and several indigenous nations. Many attendees came from schools right here in Indiana, including some of IU’s regional campuses, Ivy Tech, Ball State, and the University of Indianapolis.

ICCI empowers faculty via two specialized tracks: the campus track and the course track. The campus track is designed for faculty, administrators, and staff interested in creating a more global campus environment, while the course track is designed to help educators incorporate global perspectives directly into the courses they teach. By attending ICCI, educators learn more about the skills necessary to foster a more global environment in an increasingly interconnected world.

There was a diverse selection of topics at ICCI this year as well. The keynote speaker was Dr. Svitlana Ramer, President of the Ukranian Society of Indiana. She delivered a powerful speech on her experiences as a Ukranian-American, as well as the importance of internationalization in higher education, titled “The Mind Has No Borders: The Power of Exposing College Students and Campus Communities to International Experiences.” Educators from GALACTIC gave a presentation on the importance of indigenous studies and how they play a vital part in effectively incorporating global perspectives into institutions.

When asked about their experience at ICCI, participants highlighted the informative content and powerful connections they made. One participant stated “The connections I made, along with the deep conversations, helped me to better understand the importance of intensifying internationalization on campus and in the classroom.” As always, the Global Center continues to look for new and exciting ways to incorporate diverse, global perspectives into all levels of education. We extend our thanks to all of our partners who help make ICCI a wonderful event every year. Stay tuned for news about ICCI 2026!