IU Global – Page 2 – Passport to the World

Celebrating the graduating class of international student mentors at IU

Posted on May 25, 2024 by Lexi Baker

As the last graduate crossed the stage for this season’s ceremonies, Indiana University took a moment to recognize not only the academic achievements of its graduating students but also the profound impact of individuals who have dedicated themselves to the university community. Among these standouts are the International Student Ambassadors (ISAs) and mentors, representing 20 different countries and diverse academic backgrounds.

These ambassadors and mentors offer firsthand insights into life at IU for potential and current international students, addressing inquiries and sharing their experiences navigating academics and campus culture. Their diverse perspectives enrich the university’s global community, providing crucial support for international students transitioning to life at IU.

*Indiana Student Ambassadors walk through Bloomington’s campus*

Through their dedication, ISAs embody IU’s commitment to inclusivity and support for all students, regardless of background. As we celebrate the achievements of graduating students, let’s also recognize the invaluable contributions of these ambassadors in shaping a welcoming and inclusive campus community at Indiana University.

Why IU?

Meman Diaby, a black man in a button-down shirt

For Meman Diaby, arriving at Indiana University from Côte D’Ivoire was more than just a journey to study Health Economics; it was a leap of faith into the unknown. Like many international students, Meman faced the daunting task of navigating a new country, culture, and educational system. Motivated to expand his horizons and with family nearby, he took on the challenge of learning a new language and excelling academically at the Indianapolis campus.

“Starting from scratch was not easy,” he says, “but a lot has been positive! I’ve learned a great deal about communication and my ability to connect with others.” It was a challenge that would later inspire him to assist others facing similar hurdles.

Similarly, Pavan Idnani’s decision to enroll at IU Bloomington for Informatics was a testament to the resilience and adaptability of international students. Originally from Bangkok, Thailand, Pavan found himself at a crossroads amidst the uncertainty of the pandemic. Disheartened by the limitations of his remote studies in Australia, he sought a university environment that not only offered academic excellence but also provided a supportive community to weather the storm. In IU, he found just that – a welcoming embrace from a campus that recognized the value of diverse perspectives and embraced the strength found in unity.

Meanwhile, Sanjana Wagh’s journey from Mumbai to Bloomington epitomized the pursuit of excellence and seizing opportunities. With her sights set on IU’s renowned business program at Kelley School of Business, Sanjana’s proactive approach to education saw her navigating college applications early on, ensuring she secured her place in a university that promised both academic rigor and a vibrant campus life. Her transition from the bustling streets of Mumbai to the verdant campus of IU was marked by determination, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to her educational goals.

Sanjana, in a grey Kelley School of Business sweater poses with her arms crossed in front of a poster of her titled "People of Kelley"

And then there’s Tom Nguyen, whose decision to attend IU in Indianapolis was as much about proximity as it was about opportunity. With family hailing from Vietnam, Tom found in IU a university that not only offered top-notch academic programs but also provided a supportive network and mentorship opportunities that resonated with him. As an Indiana resident, IU offered Tom the chance to pursue his academic aspirations in Finance while staying connected to his roots, allowing him to become not only a student but also a guiding light for his fellow international peers navigating the complexities of studying abroad.

Transatlantic Modernism: Mies van der Rohe in Bloomington and Berlin

Posted on May 13, 2024 by Katrin Völkner

Right across from IU’s Ferguson International Center, an equally striking building houses the hub of the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture and Design. Opened at the end of 2021 on the Bloomington campus, the structure was built from a rediscovered design by the world-famous modernist architect Mies van der Rohe.

Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design Mies van der Rohe building on the IU Bloomington campus at night — Mies van der Rohe Building on the IU Bloomington campus

Even those unfamiliar with Mies van der Rohe’s name will have encountered one of his designs. Born in 1886 in Germany, Mies is regarded as one of the 20^th century’s most influential architects as well as designers.

Three Bauhaus chairs in light brown and black on display — Mies’s famous Bauhaus chairs © Adam Thies

In the early 1930s, he was the last director of the Bauhaus, a pioneering modernist school of art, architecture and design. Mies emigrated to the United States and settled in Chicago where he headed the architecture school of the Illinois Institute of Technology. During his three decades as an architect in the United States, he designed numerous notable buildings that influenced architecture styles of the 50s and 60s.

That one of those characteristic designs had been for a fraternity on IU’s Bloomington campus came as a surprise for many. “To find out that in 1950 the Alpha Theta chapter of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity at IU had commissioned Mies van der Rohe to design a new house, and that IU now might have the opportunity to realize these plans, was amazing,” says Adam Thies, associate vice president for capital planning and design at IU.

Thies started researching the history of the forgotten design in 2015 after IU alumnus and principal donor Sidney Eskenazi had informed then IU President Michael A. McRobbie of the existence of drawings for the fraternity of which Mr. Eskenazi had been a member during his time at IU. After spending several years researching the dramatic history of the lost Mies plans at the Chicago Art Institute and other archives, Adam Thies was joined in his effort by Eskenazi faculty member Jon Racek – and a joint visit to the Mies Archive at the Museum of Modern Art in New York helped complete the story. Concurrent to their historical research, IU announced in 2019 that it would realize the 10,000-square-foot, two-story-building, paying for construction with the generous support of Sidney and Lois Eskenazi.

From individuals to institutions, the blossoming educational impact of the IU-NTU Partnership

Posted on April 17, 2024 by Victoria (Kai-Wei) Cheng

In 2021, the Taiwan Huayu Bilingual Exchanges of Selected Talent (BEST) Program was established to broaden the reach of Mandarin language education resources from Taiwan through partnerships between individual Taiwanese and U.S. higher education institutions. A part of the U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative, the program—which we fondly shortened to the “Huayu BEST Program,”—connected Indiana University (IU) and National Taiwan University (NTU) in mid-2021 with the support of both Taiwan’s Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). In addition to providing a language study abroad scholarship for IU students, and hosting NTU visiting Mandarin language educators on IU Bloomington’s campus, IU and NTU facilitate other language and culture-based collaborative programs through this partnership. Specifically, this is strengthened by financial support from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Chicago, making a myriad of cross-institutional collaborations a reality.

Three people stand gesturing to a sign. — *The IU-NTU Huayu Bilingual Exchanges of Selected Talent (BEST) Program partnership is housed within the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures.*

As the primary coordinator of these collaborative programs, I provide specialized support and act as the primary liaison for this partnership on IU Bloomington’s campus. Being able to bridge between the academic communities of IU and NTU is both a personally and professionally rewarding responsibility. As an NTU international affairs staff and IU alumna, I have a strong connection to both institutions. After three years of collaborations, I can attest to the educational significance this partnership has brought to our students, faculty, and staff.

By the end of this summer, IU will have sent 19 Huayu BEST study abroad scholarship recipients to NTU, giving these students unparalleled access to language education. The students have all chosen to train their Mandarin Chinese at one of NTU’s premier Mandarin language programs: the International Chinese Language Program (ICLP) and the Chinese Language Division (CLD) of Language Center. Many of the students who returned from the study abroad experience shared their appreciation for their time at NTU and in Taiwan, and continued to support the program by sharing this opportunity with their classmates and friends.

“The program was incredible; I had an amazing time… I have been studying Chinese for a long time, and I wanted to apply it somewhere else, and Taiwan was the perfect place for me to go.” Carson Billingsley, FA22

My experience in the Huayu BEST Program was amazing. My language classes were challenging and engaging, and I had a great time outside of classes to experience and sightsee various parts of Taiwan.
Keep Reading

IU India Gateway celebrates outstanding alumnae this Women’s History Month

Posted on April 1, 2024 by Minu Thomas

As a special series for this year’s Women’s History Month, IU’s India Gateway spotlighted nine remarkable women of Indian origin who studied at Indiana University. Follow the IU India Gateway on LinkedIn to read the full feature.

You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.
– Rabindranath Tagore, Indian poet and writer

IU Women of the World Campaign for Women’s History Month 2024 featured IU alumnae who are crossing the seas, navigating new paths with their sails flying high, inspiring many others as they work towards different milestones in life and careers. Whether featured or not, women contribute to the economy, home, and society through their perseverance, in all spheres of life and we applaud each achievement and milestone.

Click here to read the full story

Strengthening Ties and Expanding Horizons: The IU-Moi University Partnership Renewal

Posted on March 14, 2024 by Taylor Lee

Indiana University (IU) has long been a pioneer in forging global academic partnerships that transcend borders, cultures, and disciplines. The partnership with Moi University in Kenya is a testament to this enduring commitment, characterized by mutual respect, shared goals, and a collective dedication to advancing global health, education, and innovation. The journey began with the foundational AMPATH (Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare) Kenya program, and has evolved into a multifaceted collaboration, benefiting communities in western Kenya and setting a global standard for university partnerships. This strategic alliance is one of Indiana University’s most significant international collaborations and the IUPUI-Moi University partnership was the recipient of two major awards: the Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization and Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education. This relationship has been described by US Ambassador to Kenya, Michael Ranneberger, “…as the most comprehensive partnership anywhere on the African continent between American and indigenous educational institutions.”

We embarked on yet another chapter earlier in 2024, sending an IU delegation to Moi University to underscore our commitment to reinvigorating and expanding our partnership. The IU delegation, led by the Office of International Affairs (OIA) at Indiana University Indianapolis, now aims to explore new avenues for collaboration that extend the impact of our joint efforts into arts, social sciences, post-graduate studies, research, innovation, and more.

Two people stand and exchange gifts, smiling at the camera — Interim Vice President for International Affairs Hilary Kahn, IU; Vice Chancellor Isaac Sanga Kosgey, Moi University

Three people hold a watering can that moistens a newly planted tree — Interim Vice President for International Affairs Hilary Kahn, IU; Vice Chancellor Isaac Sanga Kosgey, Moi University

Photos provided by Moi University

Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders: Inside IU’s International Development Fellowship Program

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Megan Straughn

The International Development Fellowship (IDF) provides opportunities for IU students to support international projects managed by the Office of International Development (OID) and actively engage with visitors from different parts of the world. This fellowship gives students an opportunity to expand their perspectives, understanding, and exposure to global situations, cultures, and people.

This year, the International Development Fellowship supported the IU Partnership for Higher Education (PHER) project in Vietnam. This is the first time this fellowship has coincided with the PHER project; previously in 2022, the IDF took place alongside the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. The fellowship was granted to two internationally-focused IU students who got the opportunity to attend both week-long workshops that took place on September 18-22 and October 23-27, 2023. During this time, OID hosted more than 60 visitors –about 30 per workshop–from Vietnam National University Hanoi, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, and the University of Đà Nẵng.

International Development fellow Daniel Farrell with PHER participant Kim Anh.

The PHER project, funded by a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), aims to strengthen teaching, research, innovation, and governance within Vietnam’s three largest national universities. Spearheaded by O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs professor Anh Tran and Teshome Alemneh, Associate Vice President for International Research and Development, and Head of IU’s Office of International Development, the project embodies a collaborative effort between IU and Vietnamese academic institutions.

The fellows were brought in to work alongside this international project as a valuable learning opportunity. They had the chance to glean insights directly from the PHER delegation, learning about Vietnamese educational systems, programs, and unique aspects of their participation. This exposure contributed to their understanding of international higher education and fostered cross-cultural learning experiences. It also allowed the IDFs to engage with the project team, actively support project management and leadership activities, and to learn how to apply their knowledge to future projects.

Growth, Learning and Discoveries: Global Gateway for Teachers in Mexico

Posted on February 12, 2024 by Lía Albarrán

It is very common to receive the recommendation to pursue studies abroad during an academic journey. The underlying idea behind this suggestion is that through the course of studies in another country, one can gain highly enriching experiences; new perspectives, personal and professional growth, as well as discoveries about what can be appreciated both as a student and as an individual. This growth and the potential for transformative experiences is why education abroad is considered a “high impact practice.”

Kaia Krejci, a recent undergraduate alumna who studied Spanish Language at the Indiana University School of Education from 2020 to 2023, shared with IU Mexico Gateway and IU Global the experiences she gained at La Palapa in Todos Santos, Mexico, while teaching English to Spanish native speakers; a charming place she discovered through the Global Gateway for Teachers program. Along with her training to teach Spanish, Krejci was certified to teach English as a new language, a skill she put to immediate use in this program. Through this experience, she hoped to gain more familiarity with the field of teaching a new language in Mexico and bringing those skills back to the U.S.; however, while being in Mexico, she discovered new horizons and fell in love with teaching English to native Spanish speakers and learning more Spanish in exchange.

A woman stands on the beach on a sunny day — Krejci by the ocean

A woman gestures to a banner of the Mexican flag hanging on a brick wall. — Krejci by the ocean

From a fleeting idea to a connection between the academic and the professional

Krejci decided to apply to the Global Gateway for Teachers program to challenge herself to expand her teaching knowledge with an international perspective. With programs in over 20 countries, she had her pick of destinations in which she could explore methodologies and pedagogies from a new angle, so why Mexico? Kaia was interested in delving into Mexican culture and the education system of the U.S.’ southern neighbor. Despite having a completely different perception before visiting Mexico, instead of feeling homesick, Kaia gradually fell in love with the cultural differences, idiosyncrasies, and even habits unique to Mexico. “Now that I have been here for a while and understand what I am doing, I am in love with the country,” says Kaia. She even got certificated in teaching English as a second language, a tool that increases her ability to connect with students and educators in the U.S. and across Latin America.

Re-designed graduate grant program brings opportunities for international research, creativity

Posted on January 25, 2024 by Miguel E. Ayllon

IU Global is proud to announce our new Primary Partner Graduate Student Grant. The goal of this new student-centered grant is to provide IU graduate students -from all campuses and across academic disciplines – with world class opportunities for meaningful global research experiences with our top partners around the world. IU graduate students will have the opportunity to receive up to $10,000 and spend up to 5 months at one of IU’s select international primary partner institutions in just about every continent of the world.

IU has had a long-standing commitment to excellence in the internationalization of student learning providing students with the tools necessary to excel in a variety of multinational fields . This new graduate research mobility model will continue to set us apart as a leading institution that provides transformative learning experiences to our graduate students. While IU has had a distinguished history offering robust international research student exchanges with our university partners around the world, our new model will increase access to the program by welcoming applicants to all terminal degree seeking students from all nine IU campuses in any discipline. This new model will also allow us to welcome a more diversified population of outstanding graduate students from our partner institutions for short-term intensive research experiences.

The new Primary Partner Graduate Student Grant is a fantastic expansion of opportunity to enrich the graduate experience. I strongly encourage graduate students to familiarize themselves with the newly expanded list of 40+ international partner institutions and to consider how they could incorporate a global research experience at one of them into their graduate course of study not only to conduct research and but also to build new skills abroad through unique international collaborations.
Trevor Verrot
Assistant Dean for Student Development
Indiana University Graduate School Bloomington

Read the full announcement

IU students advise US Consulate in Canada on natural hazards

Posted on January 8, 2024 by OVPIA

The West Coast of Canada is host to thousands of US citizen visitors each year. Unfortunately, it could also be the home to a devastating suite of natural hazards. Now, thanks to the work of students at Indiana University Bloomington the US State Department has a new source of disaster response information and analysis to draw upon.

As part of IU’s contribution to the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomacy Lab program, 15 IU Bloomington students spent their fall semester producing a report on policy challenges and opportunities related to natural disasters for the U.S. Consulate in Vancouver, British Columbia. The students capped the project with a December 8 briefing to several of the lead members of the consular team, including U.S. Consul General James DeHart.

*IU Bloomington students and faculty from IU’s “Environmental & Energy Diplomacy” course brief Embassy officials during a Zoom meeting with US Consul General James DeHart.*

Diplomacy Lab helps the State Department “course-source” research and innovation related to global policy challenges from the nation’s top universities. Michael Hamburger, a professor in the IU Bloomington’s Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, helped bring the program to IU Bloomington after spending the 2015-16 academic year as a Jefferson Science Fellow at the State Department. IUB’s Diplomacy Lab program is managed by the IU Office of the Vice President for International Affairs.

Under the program, IU and other universities “bid” on topics posted by the State Department, which selects the best proposals and assigns students as consultants to their foreign embassies. In this case, the client was the U.S. Consulate in Vancouver, British Columbia, which is responsible for the health and safety of the hundreds of thousands of American citizens who live in, work in or travel to western Canada, including British Columbia and the Yukon.

Read the full story

Showcasing IU’s international student community with the Global Citizen scholarship

Posted on December 19, 2023 by Marielle Petranoff

Since 2018 the annual tradition of International Education Week on Bloomington’s campus has had a special addition: the Global Citizen Scholarship. Started as a way to bring students into the Office of International Services’ 75^th anniversary, the video competition and scholarship was so popular it has continued each year since. A one-time scholarship, the award asks students to answer a new question each year. This year’s theme “What does the Indiana University community mean to you?” came from a September meeting of staff across the Office of International Services (OIS) areas. With representatives from each area of the office that supports international students and scholars in Bloomington, the selection committee works to make sure each year’s topic is relevant to what students are experiencing right now.

Once the topic is selected, the team of volunteer staff members sets out to review each video submission and winnow down the finalist list to just 10 videos. Both the quantity of submissions and spectacular quality of what students produce makes the judging process difficult, says Rendy Schrader, the committee’s lead, “It’s so hard! I wish we could recognize them all!”

However, there are only three winners who can claim the title of IU Global Citizen Scholarship awardee. This year the winning entries include an exchange student who had never created a video before, a violinist whose journey at IU allowed him to share research not just in Indiana but around the world, and a film student whose thesis project also explored the idea of “home.”

Meet the Winners

Thomas Mathias

Performer Diploma student, Jacobs School of Music 2024

Two people in a kayak on lake Monroe. Links to global citizens scholarship video.

Thomas Mathias’ journey at IU has been full of opportunities and his video reflects that. Originally from Wales in the United Kingdom, Mathias arrived in Indiana three years ago to pursue a Performer Diploma at the graduate level. “I was inspired to apply as it seemed like a good way to bind together my time at IU and show what I’ve learned and accomplished. I chose to highlight the ways in which IU has supported me in my personal and professional goals.” As he shares in the video, his time at the Jacobs School of Music’s Music and Mind lab has expanded beyond performance, diving into the world of research and performance. His advice for future students? Take the plunge into IU!

IU can offer so many new opportunities and gives new perspectives on education and life that our home countries may not.
Thomas Mathias, 2023 Global Citizen Scholarship winner

Vladislava Lodesk

Graduate Student, Media School 2024

Read on to meet the rest of the winners